Landscape Plan: Side Garden

Here’s another landscape plan I put together for some family members. The edges of this area would be in the sun while the inside area would be shaded by the existing eastern red cedar and a crape myrtle. A rough edged stone patio, dry creek bed, and a bench give the area a rustic appearance. The dry creek bed would funnel water from the downspout of the house underneath the patio and out the other side. Ferns, hostas, heuchera and astilbe plants make up the shady areas. Daylilies edge the sunny areas for color while the evergreen azaleas provide some spring accent colors near the house.

6 thoughts on “Landscape Plan: Side Garden”

  1. What kind of landscaping program do you use? My husband just bought me Total 3D Home, Landscape and Deck Premium. It is working out ok as most of the commands are right on the screen in a user friendly menu, but it is so difficult to make it look the way I want it to! House, existing plants and so on. So I was wondering if you drew yours by hand or used the computer.

  2. It’s not really a landscaping program. It’s more of a drafting and painting program that I got several years ago called Corel Draw. The problem with it is I have to design the plants individually then cut and paste them in to their spots. It goes pretty quick now but it took some time to put together. I usually do a hand drawing first to sketch out ideas then try to transfer that to the computer.

  3. Thanks so much for the information. I remember Corel. I didn’t even think it was still around. Your plans look great and Happy New Year!

  4. Sue,

    It would depend on several factors. What would you want to accomplish with your yard? How close are your neighbors and do you want privacy? Do you entertain frequently or is it just for your enjoyment? Is it shady or sunny or somewhere in between? Do you want to vegetable garden or will it be just for your visual enjoyment? Planting selections also depends on what zone you are in.

    I’m assuming that your yard is close to your neighbor’s so to me privacy would be the first thing I would work toward. Create an evergreen backbone for your border and then use deciduous shrubs for accents inside the border. I would recommend putting at least one smaller tree in the yard for some shade that won’t overwhelm the yard. Yoshino cherries are one of my favorites. I like to think in small zones that lead into each other. I would tend to lean toward a more natural space that would blend the lifestyle of the homeowners with the outdoors. I hope that was helpful. Feel free to email me at dvtown@gmail.com!

  5. I wish I had your talent. I spent $500 on a side garden and all the plants were dead by fall and the garden looked boring and lame when I was doen anyway. I found it hard to find something for an area that gets direct sun all day and evening and we are on a watering ban most of the year to once a week.

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