I want to build a garden in the backyard - where do I start?

Question

My mom is ill and I want her to have a nice place she can go and sit outside in her backyard - I want to make her a garden with a fountain - but where do I start?? What resources are there to making your own garden - I also thought about putting in a pond... (also there are only rocks in the backyard now)

thanks!!

what is the exposure of your back yard? We have 1 large tree over the area I would put her space - it is in the corner of the yard with a wooden fence on each side.


do you have any shade trees? one


and what climate zone do you live in? We are in Northern California

Does your mom enjoy gardening, or is this just to be a place for her to sit and enjoy? Since she is disabled and she has never done gardening - this will just be a pretty place she can sit outside and enjoy.

I hope this helps more!

Thanks!!

oh - and they are small gray gravel rocks

Answer 1

this is a great thing you are doing for your mom,i'am sure she will enjoy it .there are some very good answers here. check your soil ph,and use mulch.i made a small pond i used an old washing machine pump.you may thank about starting a compost pile.good luck and give your mom my best !

Answer 2

It depends on how much space you have, where you are located, and if you truly want to do it yourself. First decide what you want and draw a basic picture- it doesn't have to be fancy- just show structures, seating, plantings, water features- all just for placement. Next, do some measurements to see if everything you want will fit how you want it-this may take some reconfiguring and moving things around. Then decide on a budget, again this may require some reconfiguring.
If you are going to do this yourself, at this point make a list of what you need (tools, dirt, brick/stone/cement for walkways, furniture (a simple bench or swing or a table and chairs set up), plantings, hoses for watering, etc.. Bring this to a DIY store e.g. Home Depot or Lowes and ask for some help from the customer service area- they'll point you in the right direction, or sometimes they have weekend and evening "clinics".
If you want someone else to do it, do everything I suggested up to the point of the budget. Find a good Landscape architect (look in the YPs or better yet call your local college or university to see if they have a program- students are often looking for projects or the professors can help point you in the right direction). Another suggestion is your local garden club or extension service.
Good Luck and Enjoy- I hope your Mom is OK!

Answer 3

You probably want a garden that falls within viewing distance of a shaded area that your mom can rest in.
The fountain sounds great, but if you are new at this (and it sure sounds like you are), then I would get some good gardening experience in before beginning any serious landscaping.
For now, find out which flowers that your mom likes, and go from there. Try to start with perennials (reblooming plants) that like some sun- That way, your mom can watch a sunbathed garden from her easy chair in the shade.
Zinnas are good hardy plants to try. Very hardy, and tolerate some drought.
If you have some gardening experience and/or are willing to invest some time in maintaining it, you can plant an elegant row of shrub roses for her. Just make sure they have 6 hours of sunlight, and follow proper planting directions (go to allaboutroses.net) Hope that helps!

Answer 4

Use a garden hose to layout the borders of the garden areas. Place your hardscape items (bench, pond, etc) in the area and move things around until you are happy with layout. You don't need to worry about pumps or filters on the pond if you don't plan to have fish in it. (Use a garbage bag or sheet to visualize pond and fountain size and placement.)

Choose how you are going to border the garden area. You can use football size rocks, or treated lumber (to make a raised bed), or a border grass like loriope. If you mother is wheelchair-bound make a raised bed that is tall enough that she can plant and weed without bending over (if she likes to garden).

Remove the rocks from the garden area. Supplement soil with topsoil, sand, mulch, soil conditioner, manure. Plan and plant. Mulch. Enjoy.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

using the tree area as the starting point, I'd suggest either building a large, comfortable bench that encircles or partly encircles the trunk of the tree would be a great way to take advantage of the shade.
Considering that the yard is gravelled, making some raised beds or using some large pots would be the easiest way to go.
There are some great fountains on the market that are wall mounted or free-standing and meant to go against a wall. you could place one against the fence--very easy to install, just need to run electrical cord under the gravel.
To make raised beds you can use either pressure treated landscaping ties stacking them to a height of at least 1 foot. or you could use cement builder blocks which are more expensive but allow you to create curving walls and they have a more natural look to them. you just need to remove enough gravel so the retaining walls have a firm level foundation. then fill with top soil and organic additives like peat moss and manure and compost. you could define the seating area with a semi-circle of these planters.
some good choices of flowers for fragrance would be: annuals--allysum(4 " high, sweet smelling white flowers), heliotrope (purple/blue 14" high very fragrant), stocks(12" high pink,mauve,yellow,white a spicy sweet aroma)
perennials---oriental lilies( 1' to 3' all colors strong and intoxicating aroma especially evenings), scented roses, scented lilies and day lilies (all colors and heights)
All the above flowers need at least part sun and would be better used in the outer perimeter of the sitting area away from under the branches.
for color in the shade some good annuals are impatiens, coleus, wax begonia, balsam. perennials--monkshood (blue 3'), hosta (leaves of all shades of green and white or gold variegations various heights), lady's mantle(16" velvety soft green leaves and chartreusse flowers), coral bells (16" delicate pink flowers, maple like leaves of green or purple), ajuga (low creeping groundcover with bronzy leaves and blue spring flowers), primrose (yellow spring flowers 8") . up against the fence and around the tree trunk you could plant foxgloves (3 to 4' all colors).
frame the walkway entrance to the sitting area with wooden trellis obelisks or an arched arbor on which you could grow sweet peas, morning glories, thunbergia, trumpet vine, clematis.
Lay down paving stones, bricks , or cement slabs to provide a patio area and for a walkway between house and sitting area.
Line the walkway with areas of plantings either raised beds or submerged pots. since this area is likely sunnier and hotter than the sitting area, you could plant fragrant herbs like lavender(unbeatable for therapeutic aroma), rosemary, thyme and some succulents like sempervivum, sedum, and maybe a yucca or agave for a bold focal point.
If the garden is to be enjoyed at night some good white and light yellow flowers that are heavily fragrant in the evenings are: morning glory "moonflower", oriental lily "casablanca", Datura (angels trumpet), brugamansia (hanging angel trumpets)--the most fragrant evening flower ever, night scented stocks(spicy), evening primrose. All of these flowers require some sun and only open fully in the evening and release their scent in late afternoon/evening.Hope some of this is helpful to you, and of course its just scratching the surface of the possibilities.By the way, Home depot offers some great free seminars on a lot of landscaping projects.

Answer 7

Start by planing where you want the garden then you should remove the rocks where you want the garden.