Garden Design Ideas Drawing Easy – As a home gardener, it is very tempting to go straight to picking plants for your landscape without giving much thought to designing a garden layout for the entire yard. But choosing plants is usually the last step when preparing a garden plan.
In this article I will guide you through the steps to design a garden layout that is functional, practical and beautiful. Learn how to plan and plant for your peace and privacy with landscaping that matches your style and beautifies your neighborhood.
Garden Design Ideas Drawing Easy
Note: This article is only a section of my Plant Perfect activity book; An 8.5 x 11 inch spiral-bound book packed with fun activities that walk you through all the considerations for creating a “unique to you” landscape…no expert degrees or professional drawing skills required. You can buy it here if you are interested.
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If possible, it is always best to take accurate measurements of the entire property. I know it’s tempting to skip this step, but it’s very important. I do not know a single landscape that would skip it!
You will need measurements for property lines and any existing structures you plan to maintain (such as a garage or shed).
Also take note of the dimensions of your home, including the location of gutters, utility boxes, faucets, doors and windows.
Also measure the distance of each window from the ground so that you do not block it with plants or large structures.
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A site inventory is just a fancy word for taking notes about your yard and surrounding spaces, including any conditions, features and defects unique to your property.
A site inventory is important because many of the decisions you will make in your landscaping will be determined by the notes you make!
As you may know, different types of plants for different conditions (remember: right plant, right place). If you didn’t know, this article on flower gardening for beginners will get you up to speed!
What most people don’t realize is that other conditions (like sun, wind, noise, etc.) can also dictate where you put a patio, plant a tree, or even need a screening wall or fence.
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Once you know the conditions, you can plan and plan for peace and privacy. This way you will get that “dream garden” space you have always wanted. Because, let’s face it… nobody wants to have a sheltered yard, where you only hear street noise and the Estonian sits outside in the hot sun.
Once you’ve completed your site inventory, it’s time to explore different layouts for your landscape. We will do this through a bubble drawing!
Don’t worry, it’s not as scary or difficult as it seems. I will guide you step by step.
I recommend making a few copies of your site inventory to practice on. I find it helpful to make some loose bubble designs instead of trying to get it right the first time.
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Once you have your site measurements and inventory, you will need to add any primary and secondary routes in your drawing.
These can be main passages or simply places where traffic flow is needed (eg from the shed to the garden or from the back porch to a utility/waste area).
If you don’t know where you’ll need the roots yet, you can always add them later. Or use your best judgment (that’s what I do).
Remember, none of this is set in stone. We draw it first, so it’s much easier (and less expensive) to make changes!
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Then, mark all the places on the map where you can place trees, features and focal points in your landscape.
If you don’t know what features or focal points you’d like in your landscape… it’s time to take a step back from the process and make a wish list. What do you want to do in your room? What do you want your site to be?
Again, my Plant Perfect activity book will guide you through all of these considerations so you know exactly which features and focuses to use.
At this stage we are just working on ideas. The circles/bubbles for your features and focal points don’t need to be the perfect size or shape. I try to make them the “general” size they would be in real life. But you can still change them as you go.
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In the sketches above, my client wanted a fountain, so I incorporated it into each thumbnail sketch. I marked the possible locations of the elements in orange with an “F” and the water features in blue with a “W”.
If I didn’t know the client wanted a water feature, I would have marked each bubble with an “F”.
Draw “bubbles” the approximate size of the areas. I like to start with the most important ones first. Then, keep rearranging the pieces like a game of Tetris. You can make as many bubble designs as you want.
Comment: Are any of your must-haves considered features or focal points? If so, you can start writing where you previously marked the F on your drawing.
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But you don’t have to use flower beds like I do. You can also design a garden layout with open areas or other hardscape elements. The choice is really up to you.
A good ratio to consider is to have about 1/3 of your landscaping as soft landscaping (such as flower beds) while the other 2/3 remains “open” spaces, such as lawns, patios and paths.
This is just a rule of thumb and not a hard and fast rule that you can never break.
Don’t be afraid to try many different ideas! I often find that my best ideas don’t come to me until I’ve drawn at least 5 bubble diagrams. As I said before, it is not unusual for me to make 20 bubble diagrams for a single project.
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These do not have to be masterpieces or unique works of art. Simply try different ideas and draw different configurations without judgment. Let your brain explore many different ideas.
Be sure to include paths so people can move from one area of your landscape to another. You don’t want someone stuck in a corner with no way out!
When you are working on a simple site, you may have already included all the paths/walkways you will need. However, for a more complex project, you may need to add more paths so you can get from one area of the garden to another.
I add the “extra” paths using the arrows. This helps me visualize how someone would move through space.
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There is no need to go further in this process. For most homeowners, a simple bubble design is enough. But here’s a look at what happens next if you work with a landscaper. The designer will refine the bubble design into a working layout with suggested materials, features and a planting plan.
In this painting, the red and gray “dots” are my original paths. As the design evolved, it became clear that I would need to include more paths to create flow in the space.
When adding paths, you may need to draw right on a flowerbed or other feature – and that’s okay! This is part of the process. It’s normal to change and adapt your plan!
For example, in the top right corner (near Patio 2), I drew an arrow through an element! You may need to remove this feature. Or perhaps it could become a pergola under/through which someone can walk. It’s okay to change your mind.
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If you are completely new to gardening, you may have some learning to do before you can select the right plants for your space. I highly recommend you read my Beginner’s Guide to Flower Gardening before choosing your plants.
If you are ready to choose your plants, this article shares some of my favorite ways to arrange plants in your garden beds.
Arranging plants in your garden… many beginner gardeners really struggle. Learn 3 easy ways to arrange plants and arrange flower beds in the beautiful layered landscape you want. Use these planting design tips to create a more professional and organic-looking garden at home. Learning how to plant in mounds, designing plantings around focal points and creating organic rows of plants can be made simple with illustrated examples. Illustrations of beautiful purple door.
I also have a course called Design Your Garden for 4 Seasons that will give you the steps to create a garden design that will look great in every single season.
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Plus, my Design Your 4-Season Garden students get personal feedback and coaching from me! That’s the only way to work with me right now.
Now you have all the steps to plan your garden layout, just like a professional. When you break it down into simple steps, it’s much less overwhelming.
Before you do anything else, you need to measure your property. Then make notes on your drawing to indicate where there is sun/shade, where water can pool, and where you need some privacy from neighbors or noise. Then you’ll enter your roots, and you’ll set features, focal points, and everything on your must-have list. Finally, you will need to fill