this was my first year ever with a garden (did veggies and some flowers) I did a small plot in the side yard. I really did enjoy it alot. well next spring/summer I want to go all out and do something really nice in the front yard I really want to do some rock walkways, I want flowers and veggies. but will the front yard look a mess once winter comes. we live in Mass/zone 6. should I turn the soil now before the ground freezes? should I draft out what I want for the yard? does anyone know of a web site that helps with this. there are 2 lilac trees at the end of the space that I do not want to get rid of (or move) I planted them when we bought the house in May. this pic is a pic of the space in May also when we moved in. right now I just have some sunflowers and marigolds around the edge.
Your photo is a bit overwhelming, in that it begs the question "where does one begin?" The good news here is that you are starting with a relatively blank slate - a flat lot, without a lot of existing issues to deal with. I think that regardless of whether you plan to tackle this yourself, or enlist the aid of a designer, a logical starting point would be to list or draft out, in as much detail as possible, all of your own wants/hopes/desires for what this garden might ultimately look like. This would include a listing of all the possible functional areas to be designed in, such as chid's play area, BBQ area, herb garden, etc. Next, I would think about the style of garden that most appeals to you. Magazines and books can be a great deal of help in defining this in your own mind. A scaled drawing, including all permanent structures and plants might be the next step, to help visualize and refine a possible plan. For me, putting pen (or, rather pencil) to paper is a great help in the formulation of any plan. I'm sure this is no solution for you, but it may be a starting point. You may want to check out some of the design references that I've seen listed on this forum in another thread(s). Good luck!
Hi KMB, Did you ever come up with a design for your front yard? Do you still need sites to look at? Newt
