One of the first things to consider when purchasing a new home, whether it is brand new or a resale, is how to use the yard.

With children, you’ll probably want a large grassy area for play, and likely the same thing with a dog. If children are not a concern, removing most of the grass for garden beds won’t be a problem.

When constructing border or island beds, make them wide enough to contain all the plants you intend to put i,n and have big sweeping curves for appeal, as opposed to wavy lines.

Annuals flower throughout the summer and right until frost, but as their name implies, they’re only good for one year; then they die. Annuals can be planted close together to create impact, for they won’t have accumulated time to achieve this on their own. Perennials should be planted far enough apart to allow for the mature size, so that vigorous plants don’t crowd slower growing ones. Be informed about the growing habits of plants, many a gardener has added periwinkle, ribbon grass or lily-ofthe valley because they were smitten at the time, but paid the price later trying to get rid of these garden thugs that spread persistently.

Good soil is necessary for healthy plants, and an annual top-dressing of compost will add the nutrients and organisms they need. Feed the soil, not the plant.

If a new garden is in the works, I like the pot method best for figuring out where to dig the holes for the plants. Know all about the plant from the label or some research, to be aware of how high it will grow and far it will spread. Place an upside down pot where you want something planted, measure for the width and draw a circle in the soil to visualize how big it’s going to get. Continue with pots for the rest of the plants and rearrange them as necessary until satisfied with the layout. This is much easier than digging plants up after the first or second year’s growth, because they’re suddenly on top of another plant or have been incorrectly spaced. This is also a good way to determine where to plant new shrubs and trees.

As with Murphy’s Law (anything that can go wrong will), this method works until a season of excessive rain hits. Then, all of a sudden, shrubs and plants have grown to gigantic proportions beyond what is listed in the gardening books. Enough said about this, because we all know you can prune your trees and shrubs, and divide the perennials to make smaller plants again.

Leaf colour when choosing plants is important, because while flowers will last a few weeks, the foliage lasts the whole season. There are many shades of green leaves to choose from, red and yellow, as well as variegated that provides multicolour foliage. Leaves come in many textures too, from large hostas to thin blades of ornamental grasses, and many varieties of ferns. With the right design and a balance of texture and colour, the added beauty from flowers can be considered a bonus.

There is much to learn as a new gardener. Starting by talking to other gardeners, reading magazines and books will help with the basics. Joining a local horticultural society or club brings people that love to garden together. They are interesting folks that like to share their experience and best of all, their plants.

Visit my website for home and garden information at lavendercottagegardening.bl ogspot.com.