If you are planning the design of your perfect garden, you need to have a clear picture before you start.

If you don’t have a garden at all, the first step is to determine where your garden will go, draw a map of your property identifying areas you are going to focus on. Then the ideas will start flowing as you realize there may be other parts of your property that you could turn into a garden.

A truly essential next step is to evaluate the true condition of your soil to determine what will need to be done. You can find good soil testing kits in most garden centres and using them will save a fortune because the last thing you want is to buy plants and shrubs that will not last in your garden. If necessary, you may need to purchase some new soil.

The next thing for your garden is how you plan to enclose it. You need some kind of border for your garden. Rocks are a popular border and add a professional and elegant touch for your garden project. Any fencing material and mulch or even small shrubs look nice to surround a garden as well. I enjoy using small pebbles mounding them around the border I’ve designated as my garden. I love coloured rocks for this purpose too. The border makes the difference between good and bad garden designs.

If for any reason part or all of you garden will not get rain water directly, you’ll need to see if it’s possible to redirect water or install a simple irrigation system. Make sure your garden won’t get too much water when it rains and look at simple drainage solutions.

Always consider lighting as a final touch it’s a special touch to add lighting to your garden at night because you get to enjoy your hard work in the night as well as the day. Speak to a garden centre to see what they suggest as the best options for your purpose.