The beginning of a new year is an opportunity to reflect on the past year, but also to plan for the upcoming year. For gardeners, it is a chance to take the time to look at what worked over the last growing season and of course what didn’t. If you happen to be a gardener who found not much worked, don’t worry, there is still hope. Each of us will have had different experiences that reflect our tastes, styles and of course the level of expertise we have as gardeners.
Gardeners are never just gardeners, but will do many different things in their “other lives.” They are doctors, lawyers, teachers, janitors, chefs, parents, grandparents and work as part of most every profession imaginable. The common thread that brings them together is their love of gardening. I have often wondered how it is gardening can remove all barriers in society and bring together people who would normally never interact. I have come to the conclusion gardening is like an ever-changing tonic that adds health and happiness to everyday life. However, on the Prairies, winter can be long as the snow piles up and we long to see the tender greens of spring.
Winter is a blessing as it allows us more of that contemplation time to enable us to plan for spring. Take this time to evaluate how well your landscape worked for you. A good landscape will suit your specific needs. Most people want a landscape that is beautiful, requires only a small amount of maintenance and of course does not require endless amounts of money. If your landscape did not fulfill all your dreams, then right now is the time to start to make changes.
The first step to creating the landscape of your dreams is to think specifically about your space. Think about what it is you want to achieve. I like to compare this step to planning a vacation. In most cases, we have a pretty good idea where we would like to go for a holiday and what we want to achieve or do during that holiday time. When planning a landscape, you also need to determine your destination (create a beautiful landscape) and what you want to achieve, that is, design it to meet your needs and dreams.
Create a checklist to help determine what your personal landscape goals may be. Remember each one of us will have different needs. Do you need a space to entertain? Do your children need a play space? Do you have a dog? Do you want to grow your own vegetables? Try to think about anything you might want to do in the landscape and then prioritize those needs as very important to not so important.
This is the first step in the design process and will help to prioritize the functional elements of your landscape. This is an integral step to having a landscape that really works for you. Your landscape can be whatever you want it to be. The amount of space or size of your landscape does not matter. How complex your landscape is and how much maintenance it requires will depend on your time and level of interest in gardening.
This step is of course only the first of many needed to create a beautiful and functional landscape that truly fits your needs. However, it is that first most important step that creates the foundation that you are able to build upon. Watch upcoming columns for more landscaping tips or if you are looking for more assistance with your landscape, register for a landscaping class at the Saskatoon School of Horticulture.
— Hanbidge is a horticulturist with the Saskatoon School of Horticulture and can be reached at 306-931-GROW(4769); by email at [email protected] or check out saskhort.com.
