1. Your Gardening Life-Style(s)
What type of gardener are you? (Your life-style as a gardener)
We all approach gardening in slightly different ways. Certain gardening tasks
may bring you great enjoyment, while others seem more like chores. You should plan
your new garden to maximize the former and minimize the latter!
Even the pace at which you install your garden is highly personal.
You may
want to install your entire garden ‘right now’; alternatively, you may be more
comfortable with letting your garden plan develop more slowly.
The following two
Tables will help you discover elements of your style as a gardener that may influence
the landscape plan you develop.
Table 1 : What garden activities do you enjoy?
Gardening Activity
Really enjoy
really dislike
Planting the plants
5
4
3
2
1
Planting seeds
5
4
3
2
1
Watering
5
4
3
2
1
Raking leaves
5
4
3
2
1
Pruning and trimming
5
4
3
2
1
Weeding
5
4
3
2
1
Raising plants from seeds
or cuttings
5
4
3
2
1
Planning the garden
5
4
3
2
1
Selecting plants
5
4
3
2
1
Researching information
about the plants
5
4
3
2
1
Applying mulch
5
4
3
2
1
Cutting the lawn
5
4
3
2
1
Repotting plants
5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
Trying to grow ‘difficult’
plants
Picking fruits or
vegetables
Other:
How will this influence your garden
design/plan?
2. Table 2: The Installation & Maintenance of Your Garden
Who (if anyone) will help you to:
Complete your landscape design:
Choose your plant species:
Who will install your landscape?
Which of the following best describes your proposed installation timetable:
install the whole garden at once
install some areas first, others later (for example, install the entire backyard first)
install only the large trees & shrubs at first; install other plants later
install the garden in small increments that you can manage by yourself; learn from
earlier installations
other:
Will you purchase all your trees and shrubs as plants, or will you grow some species from seed?
Who will be responsible for the maintenance of your garden?
Will children be active in the maintenance of the garden? In what roles?
How much time do you want to devote to your garden each week (after the installation)?
Do you like to spend time puttering around doing garden tasks or would you rather have a
garden that’s relatively low maintenance?
Do you have physical limitations which should be considered in planning the garden?
Are there any neighborhood/city/county ordinances that may relate to your garden plan?
7/10/2008
