Planning for 2008

Last time I talked about looking back at 2007 and analyzing what you did and what you have. This time we will look forward and plan ahead.
Sometimes it seems hard to think about Spring at this time of year but if we really want to make timely change we need to start planning now. If you haven’t already made a plan (a blue print) of your back yard with reasonably accurate dimensions, and the locations of all structures and gardens etc. that are there now then that is the place to start. The next step is to draw a new diagram with everything you want to change left out of the drawing. With this clean slate we can now begin to look at putting in what we want.
Many of us are eclectic. We buy something we like and start using it and then we see something else we like and the price is right and we buy and use it. There is no plan and we sit back and say this isn’t working. We know it but we don’t know what to do about it.
Each time I start a new project I think about what I want to accomplish. Now I am not as manic as some as I don’t make lists down to the last detail. I personally prefer to make several attempts at achieving my goals on paper first. Talk to your friends and see if they have any ideas. I might also go to a garden center and ask them for some ideas. Looking through magazines often helps us know what we like and what we don’t as far as style is concerned. This is the way to develop the plan.
Things we need to take into consideration.
What do we want to do in our yard?
How big is our yard?
What kind of style do we like? Formal or informal? Sophisticated or rustic?
What kind of furniture do we like?
What kind of garden structures do we want? Arbors? Trellises? Gazebos? Etc.
Do you see any patterns emerging?
To help us in this process over the next while I am going to take a small backyard and redesign it completely with your help. Are you up to it? If any of you want us to work with your back yard then leave me a response and I will give you a way of getting the info to me.
Till next time.