Worksheet to help you discover what you want your new garden to look like. Helpful in planning a new garden.

1. What Will Your New CA Garden Look Like? – Worksheet
The ‘New California Garden’ is all about choices. The style of your garden – and the plants
you include - should reflect your values, your priorities and your sense of style. This Garden Style
Worksheet will help you consider factors which you may want to include in your New CA Garden.
Table 1
Description of the Garden
Very important
not important
Looks neat & tidy most of the time
5
4
3
2
1
Features straight rather than curvy lines (in
shapes of beds, paths, etc)
5
4
3
2
1
Has mowed lawn(s) – at least a small one
5
4
3
2
1
Features clipped shrubs and/or hedges
5
4
3
2
1
Looks as if it was carefully planned
5
4
3
2
1
Has a ‘natural’ look – like it was designed by
Mother Nature herself
1
2
3
4
5
Features lots of species & types of plants in a
relatively small area
1
2
3
4
5
Total Score (add up all the points in Table 1)
_________
Table 2
Garden Characteristic
Very important
not important
Has native plants that can be eaten for food or
used for hobbies (native dye plants, etc.)
5
4
3
2
1
Includes non-native fruit trees and berry bushes
5
4
3
2
1
Includes plants that have special meaning to
your family; for example a rose that belonged to
your grandmother
5
4
3
2
1
Includes garden accessories that please the eye,
such as sculptures, mosaics, fountains, etc.
5
4
3
2
1
Includes a vegetable garden that is separate
from the rest of the garden
5
4
3
2
1
Is influenced by the gardening styles of your
culture of origin (example: a Japanese Garden)
5
4
3
2
1

2. Garden Characteristic
Very important
not important
Attracts lots of butterflies
5
4
3
2
1
Serves as a home for birds
5
4
3
2
1
Attracts hummingbirds
5
4
3
2
1
Attracts plenty of pollinators like native bees,
beetles and other pollinators
5
4
3
2
1
I like my garden to look a little ‘eaten’ because
that means caterpillars live there
5
4
3
2
1
Includes bird nesting boxes, water sources
5
4
3
2
1
Includes a ‘water feature’ like a fountain, small
pond, stream
5
4
3
2
1
Allows me to see attractive views of the
surrounding countryside
5
4
3
2
1
The garden feels like an outdoor room,
surrounded by walls, fences or hedges
5
4
3
2
1
There is something flowering just about every
month of the year
5
4
3
2
1
Includes shrubs and trees that are literally
‘covered with blooms’
5
4
3
2
1
Has a peaceful, restful look
5
4
3
2
1
Many yellow, orange and red flowers
5
4
3
2
1
A predominance of blue & purple flowers
5
4
3
2
1
Many of the flowers are large & showy
5
4
3
2
1
Lots of plants with silvery or white foliage
5
4
3
2
1
Includes plants with interesting and unusual
shapes as specimen plants
5
4
3
2
1
Has sweet- (or spicy) smelling flowers
5
4
3
2
1
Plants with scented foliage
5
4
3
2
1

3. Garden Characteristic
Very important
not important
Mostly includes native plants that would have
grown naturally in the immediate area
5
4
3
2
1
Reminds me of a prairie or grassland
5
4
3
2
1
Looks mainly golden brown by the end of
summer
5
4
3
2
1
Trees & large shrubs (at least 8 feet tall)
provide summer shade
5
4
3
2
1
Is predominantly sunny & warm
5
4
3
2
1
Includes fire-resistant plants near the house
5
4
3
2
1
Annual wildflowers bloom in spring/summer
5
4
3
2
1
Vines and climbers cover arbors, walls or fences
5
4
3
2
1
Includes native ornamental (bunch) grasses
5
4
3
2
1
Leaves from trees, shrubs and grasses are left in
place to create a natural mulch
5
4
3
2
1
Reminds me of a forest or woodland
5
4
3
2
1
Includes water-wise plants from other
Mediterranean climates & desert areas
5
4
3
2
1
Places to sit are tucked in around the garden
5
4
3
2
1
Plenty of paths that let me enjoy all areas of the
garden
5
4
3
2
1
I feel like I’m in another world when I step into
the garden
5
4
3
2
1
There are ‘hidden rooms’ in the garden; places
which are quiet & private
5
4
3
2
1
Looks sort of old-fashioned
5
4
3
2
1
Other:
5
4
3
2
1
Other:
5
4
3
2
1
Other:
5
4
3
2
1

4. Summary: top design priorities for my garden
Review the answers you provided in Table 2.
Then list your top 10 garden design
characteristics, prioritized by importance, below. This list will help you design a
landscape plan that reflects your own unique style and values.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
7/10/2008