I was wondering what methods everyone uses for planning their gardens for next year? What computer programs do you like? Do you just eyeball it when you're planting? Or do you get out some graph-paper and tape measure and start meticulously plotting in your flowers? I'd love to know!!


Sarah

I'd love to know too. I've kind of figured out what to consider so I know what will do well where. But I haven't really been able to put it all together into a master plan yet. So I'll be watching this string very carefully.

i basically just eye-ball stuff when i first plant and then, after i see how things grow and look next to what else is there, move things if i don't like what i see.

This is my first year with an outdoor garden, which I am still working on so my first blooms won't be until spring. I know what shouldn't go where and other than that I'm just going to eyeball and possibly put out some planters for annuals. I tried to come up with a sort of layout of where I wanted to put things but that is just too much work and math for little brain to handle. I still haven't even gotten my bulbs in the ground.

I have always just used the eyeball method too. When something turns out to have been a bad idea (like planting tomatoes in a spot that ended up 4" deep in water for weeks) I make a note not to repeat it.
I have a new yard now, and I'm trying to work up the ooomph to do a garden plan this time, so I'll be interested to see if anyone actually does that and finds it not too tedious.
The previous owner of our house was a gardner, so there are a lot of nice established shrubs and trees, so I think I'll just stick with bulbs, adding some perennial cuttings I brought along and some veggies and a few annuals in Spring. That's all!

I just get an idea in my head as to what I want to go where, and of course that always ends up changing, but I have a general idea of what I want, whether it turns out looking like the image I have in my head is another thing. I like to use graph paper to plan with, but for flower beds, it just doesn't work for me....One reason is because even though something is only suppose to take up X amount of space and grow X amount tall...all these figures go out the window, as there is almost no way you can figure in soil type, moisture, weather & fertilizer, these all can effect how the plants grow, you can only plan in a generalized way. Good Luck figuring out what will work for you.

i plan it all out over winter in a note book,[ my planes tend to change often, but i have til spring!] keep notes from the year before so i dont make the same mistakes,i dont use graphic paper, mainly its a mentle note, also keep a list to do's for the months and a want to do's.

I have one of those a list of which of my seeds I want to start indoors and when to start them. And then I have a list of what blooms when. but it really didn't help me this year. I guess it was so warm that nothing bloomed during the last of the summer. It was really disappointing. And your right about plants being different heights than they are suppose to be lol. You should have seend my miniature malva due to poor soil conditions.

Woohoo, I got my spreadsheet program. And the first spreadsheet I started was the garden plan. So far I have the following column headings:

Common Name:
Botanical Name:
Water Requirements:
Light Requirements:
Soil Makeup(i.e. sandy, high organic content, ect):
pH:
Fertilizer Requirements:
Zone:
Bloom times:
Plant Spacing:
Plant Height:
Bloom Color:
Foliage Color:

And I'm sure I'll still be adding grouping for awhile as I think of them. Maybe add a catagory of perennial/annual/self seeding I'm not sure. I'm just thinking I would need to have the annuals more towards the outside of any bed so replacing them would be easier. Hum I may have to think about that some.

I don't really plan a thing, I just throw everything in the beds where I think it will grow best...

I have no rhyme or reason to my garden. I like it that way, just stuff thrown in wherever.

I do have a landscaping program though.

Our garden is beautiful in the spring and early summer. I guess my planning did not include late summer because it was disappointing by late July and August when everything was gone. Does anyone have suggestions what might be colorful additions for late summer so that I can do a better job this year in zone 6?

Serenity

This is me too ~ last year was my first year and i just put the stuff in there and it turned out great I have a "design" in my head for this year and we'll see if it turns out or not

I love to plan. This is sort of opposite of my mother. This year for instance:
I have all my combinations ready that I think will look good together and they are in a notebook. I will put each category at whatever location I like: my apartment, my mom's house, or a friend's house. I like plan combos based on opposing colors and textures.
Yeah. Mom likes the "toss it in wherever she thinks it ought to be" method. At her place, both methods seem to fit together to form a quite pleasing overall picture. I am not too rigid in my plans cuz it is her property, but she lets me do my thing most of the time if it seems like a good idea. A good plan + a good on the spot eye make for a wild-looking, but structured end product.
I guess I advocate practicing both methods. Plan out a bunch, but leave some leftover plants for ending embelishments.

toss some late summer seeds in here and there like love-lies-bleeding, cosmos, zinnias, sniping off the blooms when they start to die helps prolong the plants, [energy gose to producing more flowers instead of makin seeds]

i got bord and made drawing plans with 'paint' in my computer, and i can change it , and change it, and change it! as i often do. put it all in a folder with a list of all my seeds.
sara has a good drawing of her shade , cant remember what she used.

I have alot of beautiful late summer/fall blooms that happened by accident.

I have...
Blue, Purple, Pink, White "Rose of Sharon"
Red, White Hardy Hibiscus.
Hosta blooms
Sedum Neon, Sedum Brilliant
Heuclereas

My yard ended up being a blaze of color.

Another accident I love...
Forsthia bush with a clematis that grows through it and a Rose of Sharon planted itself in the middle of the Forsythia. It ended up being a three season bloomer.

cinta!
i have a few forsthia bushes! i should try that with the clematis! thanks!

sedums are a great late bloomers! i have the autumn joy, green in early summer then turns pink to red ny late summer/fall. i love how the color changes.

What I do , Is try to keep the Tall plants in the background.....Short in front.
However if I make a mistake, I just dig them up and move them..
Most flowers can be moved, just remember to water them well......

I like to fill the beds really full .. Helps keep out the weeds......

Yippee the tulips are up.. Now the wait begins.
I am a tulip nut.........

Good luck and ask us anything.. You will find out were all talk..ha ha
Joke..

Sybil, like I said I cannot take credit that I am a wonderful planner. I brought some clematis on sale for 1.00 at Lowes and put the pots under the F-bush and it filled out and I forgot them. I was running around posting asking people if their Forsythia bush ever bloomed purple. Boy did I feel stupid.

Barb, you garden the way I garden. Pack them in and do not have to weed. LOL!!!!

we all make crazy mistakes
well it would add color after the yellow blooms are gone.
im planting the forsintha bushes all along the bottom of my yard, i just take starters off the big bush every year and stick the sticks in the ground,so far so good, hope to have a privacy living fence all around the front yard one of these years,

Us penna. folks gotta stick together......

Ha ha .. Flowers arent for specialists only.. they keep us out of the the nut house.. An I love it ..

Hey Cinta.........Do you remember last year you promised me Red tipped Hens and chickens? Are they still there? I have 2 types .. red and green and lotza other plant to go ..

barb

OH Barb I am so sorry. No I do not remember. The crazy job and taking care of my elder Mom has taken my memory and my life.

Remind me this summer. Do not feel bad PM me often to remind me.

I travel 90% of the time and last year it rained every week I was home. I promised someone some Hostas and could never get outside to dig them up. I have to get them to her this year.

I leave on Mondays and come back Fridays so I just am not home enough to get trades out timely. LOL But people get them eventually. Last year I did send someone a box of Hens and chicks, somebody got some Cannas, and another some Sedum. Hey who are you people help me out so I do not look to bad. LOL!!!

cinta

I didnt remember, I was just looking at old notes, and noticed.. ha ha
I didnt know you was a goner..
What type of job have you?

I am an auditor. I am all over the US and Puerto Rico. It is crazy. I am a real goner. LOL

Whoa,

Nice paying job........Ha ha
Goner was a joker..
Do you enjoy traveling? I do, but dont think I can do it weekly......
Couldnt grow flowers......
Glad you have a job .

Does mom live with you? Or you with her?

sibyl, That is what I did. You are going to love the clematis growing through it. I must have picked up different bloom time Clemys. Because it was constantly blooming.

Barb, Brought her a house on my street. You try to let them keep their dignity as long as you can.

It is possible to garden and travel. Did you see my album. I will not post my Photobucket I am garden obsessed. LOL!!! You garden on the weekend. It is therapy. Plus when I am not on the road I work from home.

i just seen Better Homes & Gardens has an online garden planner on their site

Joni

Now I seen the album.......You seem to love foilage plants.. Or greenery.

You do a great job.. Must have some land/

b