2 easy ways to plan and lay out your garden

Starting a garden from scratch may seem intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. Before hiring a designer or spending a small fortune on new plants, try these two easy methods for planning and preparing your new garden.

• Take a walk around your neighbourhood with a clipboard and a digital camera
• Make a checklist of the types of plants you need in your landscaping — flowers, ground covers, shrubs and such — then take note of the plants you like or dislike in each category around the neighbourhood
• Observe what grows well in yards and gardens with the same sun exposure as your own — the soil type and growing conditions in your neighbours' gardens are likely to be very similar to your own
• If you see a plant you don't recognize, take a photograph or ask your neighbour for its name
• Don't mimic that beautiful garden at the Jones's house down the block — pick the best of the best from an entire row of gardens
• Take your checklist and the photos of plants you might like, head to a garden centre and start shopping. The experts there will help — for free — with advice on when to plant each variety, how big they will grow and how many plants you need to fill a given space

Many professional landscapers use specialized computer software to help their clients visualize exactly how their landscaping will look — and to tweak the design until it's just right. But guess who's paying for the fancy computer gear? If you're designing your own landscape, you can use this low-cost way to visualize the outlines of paths, beds and walls.

• Buy some brightly coloured clothesline or similar lightweight, highly visible cord
• Lay the cord along the lines of your paths and beds
• Now you can check out the way it looks from different vantage points around your house, deck and from the street
• It helps to have a partner who can adjust the lines as you make suggestions
• When you're happy with the layout, use water-soluble athletic field marking spray (available at many hardware stores) to mark the lines
• Place dots every couple of feet along the lines, a few centimetres (or couple of inches) inside the planned path or bed
• Double-check the position from your different viewing points, then paint a solid line. This is where you'll dig

Follow these two steps and you'll be well on your way to a beautiful landscape, and without the overhead of a landscape designer!