Gardening with Micki: Design backyard with plan in thoughts | Existence

I recently hosted two longtime friends from Oklahoma City, both of whom are avid gardeners. One, John Fluitt, is a landscape architect with an impressive client list. The other, Terry Zinn, travels the world and enjoys visiting gardens.

John designed the garden plan for my house in 2012 and I remember his first visit to my garden. He stood in the middle of the bare yard and just said, “Oh my God! Oh my!” I could tell he knew it was going to be hard work turning a barren yard into a scene.

The design plan he created included the back lawn and two side gardens, and he knew it would take several seasons to complete. We followed the plan exactly. I wasn’t a master gardener then and my gardening skills needed improvement. What I’ve learned since then is based on some serious questions to ask before planning how to plant a garden when the future looks bleak for a lawn.

Here are some tips from John and Jeff Bredenberg, authors of How To Cheat at Gardening and Yard Work.

• Does the yard have adequate sunshine and easy access to water?

• What do I expect from my garden plants?

• What are the physical limitations of my garden?

• Would you like to add color to the garden?

• Would you like to screen off parts of the garden from privacy?

• Where would you like paths and sidewalks?

• Do you want a formal or informal garden?

Another wise suggestion is to decide whether you want a curved kidney shape or a freeform for an informal look. Also decide whether you want rows or raised beds for vegetables and herbs, clumps or drifts for perennials, hedges for privacy or to mark property boundaries, trees for shade or ornamental value, groups of shrubs. Finally, decide which plants go where.

Standing in the barren garden a decade ago, John noticed that the fences along the back and sides of the yard made great markers of ownership. He was also impressed by the mature trees behind the back fence. During his most recent visit, he no longer had to complain about the once barren lawn. He was pleased that his design plan was a success.

Micki J. Shelton is a Muskogee Native and master gardener.