How to Design Garden Beds

Designing your garden bed makes the process of preparing the bed smoother.

Creating a garden bed from scratch provides a clean slate for fresh ideas and plantings as well as labor-intensive projects that take days or weeks to complete. When designing a garden bed, plan ahead for supplies, the required work and what plants you need. Take your time to ensure the finished product is tailored for the needs of your plants and your garden's overall look.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Graph paper
• Pencil

Instructions

1. Measure the area of your landscape where you want to create a garden bed. Sketch the bed to scale on graph paper, letting each square on the paper represent 1 square foot. Sketch in any foundational elements next to or near the bed such as walls, fences, trees or walkways.

2. Write down the location of the bed in relation to north, south, east and west. Also, note if the area receives full sun, partial sun or full shade. Write these aspects of the bed on your graph paper.

3. Select the style of bed you want to use to match the landscaping around your home. This may mean building up a raised bed with rock or wood, growing the bed level to the ground surrounded by a brick edging -- or the bed may have stepping stones running through it. Sketch in the style of the bed onto your paper to account for the width of the bed's edges.

4. Consult with a local horticulturist or search online nursery sites like Burpee or Spring Hill Nursery to choose the plants you want to grow (see Resources section). Ensure each plant can thrive in the light conditions of your bed. Select plants that vary in leaf and bloom color, as well as height and bloom time.

5. Sketch the placement of the plant varieties you choose onto your graph paper design. Plan to place taller plants toward the northern side of the bed when possible to avoid blocking light for shorter plants. Use the spacing needs of the plants you choose to place them into the design. Following the spacing needs within the size of the bed lets you know how many plants of each variety the bed can support.

6. Sketch into the design any other features you want to add to the bed around your plants such as statues, decorations, birdbaths, chairs or wind chimes.

Tips & Warnings

• Use your design to make a list of supplies such as timbers, soil, mulch and quantities of specific plant varieties.

• If the bed area is prone to standing water or dry spells, plan on either improving the conditions through irrigation or drainage, or plan to grow plants that enjoy those conditions.

• Any plants you choose must be able to grow in your region. Consult a hardiness zone chart to find your zone and compare it to the plant's recommended zone on your list (see Resources section).

References

• "Reader's Digest Illustrated Guide to Gardening"; Carroll C. Calkins; 1993
• "Grounds for Improvement"; Dean Hill, Jackie Taylor; 2007

Resources

• Burpee
• Spring Hill Nursery
• The United States National Arboretum: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map