Designing Your Garden on Paper

Just as I was dreaming and planning the design for my new flower garden, it snowed!

We'd had a week of beautiful, spring-like weather here in the Willamette Valley near Portland, Oregon, and I was just about ready to start digging up a nice size area outside my kitchen window where I'm planning on making my new flower garden.

I've just recently moved to a little studio/cottage on my daughter's beautiful 6 acre Christmas tree farm and am so anxious to start planting flowers. I was going to begin digging and preparing the area, fencing it, putting up trellises and arbors and making gravel pathways and a tiny circular patio area.

It is nearly March and in this area, if we get snow at all, it is usually in December or early January. I was surprised to wake up to a covering of the fluffy white stuff yesterday morning. It was a beautiful sight, the fields and little trees frosted with white icing. The little Christmas trees all looked like they had been flocked.

It all was beautiful...but really cold. Record-breaking temperatures for this area. The sun was shining brightly but it was too cold to be outside and I was feeling very 'down' at the prospect of not being able to do anything in my new garden for a few more days or weeks.

I'd gotten two spring catalogs in the mail last week and had been looking at all the bright flowering shrubs and plants, planning what I would buy for my new garden. Now all plans were on hold and my blues were taking over. I really needed something to dispel this feeling and quickly!

I looked at some of my gardening books and then found a new book that I'd forgotten I'd bought. It was a gardening and art journal done by a very talented woman artist.

There were beautifully done sketches of areas around her farm, farm animals, birds, plants, flowers and in one section, a beautifully designed garden space that she had done in watercolor.

Being a watercolor artist myself, I jumped at the idea, thinking 'This just might do the trick'! I began designing, on paper, my new garden. As soon as I started drawing, my spirits began to lift.

What I Did:

Supplies Needed: A large piece of heavy weight watercolor paper, sharp drawing pencils, eraser, rulers, tape measure, watercolor paints, or watercolor pencils or regular colored pencils, masking or painters tape.

Before You Begin Your Drawing: On a separate piece of paper, make a wish list of all the things you want to include in your new garden space. Be sure to list all the things you are dreaming about. Include pathways, arbors, trellises, patio areas, fences, garden structures, placement of garden furniture, garden art, pots, planters and anything else you want. Be sure you also include all materials needed to complete the work.

List the plants, flowers, trees etc. that you want to include. Now or at a later date, before you actually purchase the plants, and any other needed structures or materials, add in the costs for each item and make a 'garden budget'.

Designing Your New Garden Area on Paper:

Mount the large piece of watercolor paper on a slant table or a flat surface with tape so it will not move around as you draw and paint.

Start by going outside and measuring the plot of land you are planning on designing. Also measure any surrounding already-existing garden areas.

Draw the full overhead view of your existing garden area on your watercolor paper. Include in your drawing any permanent structures like trees, fences, pathways, driveways and the side of your house that relates to where you will be planting your new garden. Also include any other permanent building like greenhouses, garden sheds, etc. to establish reference points. Put the actual measurements of structures and areas on your drawing.

On a separate piece of drawing paper, sketch out the new area you are planning and arrange the plantings, pathways and any other structures and areas that you want to include. You may want to change things around several times before permanently drawing it on your watercolor paper.

When you are happy with the new garden design, draw it on the permanent watercolor paper and colorfully paint your garden design.

You could also take some digital snapshots of the existing garden areas, print them out and include them on your permanent design page.

Source: Doreen Bradley Satter