Consider functions of landscape before planting
When planning a new landscape, it is easy to be influenced by visions of magnificent borders of blooms or vast expanses of lush green lawn.
But before planting, it is important to consider how the landscape will be utilized. Just as a house is made up of rooms for various functions, a good landscape design organizes outdoor spaces in the same fashion.
The family's needs and lifestyle should determine the garden areas a landscape should include. These spaces can be separated into rooms with shrubs, fences, arbors, trellises and other garden structures.
Following are examples of outdoor rooms to consider including in a landscape plan.
Just as a foyer serves as an entryway — a pause that sets the tone of the home and welcomes guests, a front porch or stoop serves as an area for greeting guests. Be sure this is large enough to hold several people and protect them from inclement weather.
Most folks want a space for dining, cooking and entertaining friends. Allow a minimum space of 20-by-20 feet to accommodate a large table and chairs.
If enjoying a fire at the end of a day is in the plans, create space for a fire pit or fireplace. If privacy is an issue, consider which method of screening will be most appropriate.
Trellises planted with vines, tall shrubs and garden walls are all possible solutions. Areas basking in hot afternoon sun may require pergolas, shade sails or trees to add shade.
Children need a room of their own — a place for their play equipment.
The surface of this area is often turf grass but can also be shredded bark, rubber mulch or sand. If children need supervision while they play, be sure to position the area with a view from a window.
A space for trash cans, firewood and compost bins should be out of sight but with convenient access. Plan a walkway wide enough for a garden cart or other lawn equipment to maneuver easily.
Closets are for storage inside. A landscape needs storage room for garden tools, lawn mowers, gloves, stakes and other gardening gadgets. A garden shed can be strictly utilitarian with the need for screening or a decorative feature of the landscape dressed up with plantings, window boxes or trellises.
Plan perennial borders wide enough so that plants can be arranged in drifts instead of lined up like soldiers, but narrow enough so they can be cared for without stepping on the soil.
A bed consisting of perennials alone needs about four feet. A mixed border with small trees, shrubs and perennials requires much more space.
The amount of time available for maintenance should weigh heavily on the choice of plants included.
Low-maintenance shrub borders require considerably less time than flower gardens. Drought-tolerant perennials and ornamental grasses should dominate a design if watering is a concern.
Gardeners with specific plant passions or a penchant for gardening may need space for a specialty garden.
An herb garden near the kitchen door may be in order for the gardener who loves to cook.
A space in a sunny spot for a vegetable garden, room for an orchard of fruit trees, or a cutting garden for the gardening floral designer are just a few examples.
After all the outdoor rooms have been planned, consider the circulation between them. Ample walkways encourage people to move from one room to another. Don't forget access paths — these should be at least four feet wide.
A little time taken to consider the different ways a family uses a landscape guides plant purchases and is well worth the effort.
• Diana Stoll is a horticulturist and the garden center manager at The Planter's Palette, 28W571 Roosevelt Road, Winfield. Call (630) 293-1040, ext. 2, or visit planterspalette.com.