5 Steps to Design a Beautiful Patio Garden

Designing a beautiful patio garden makes a great wintertime activity. It gives you the time to dig deep into the subject. There are many things to consider including your intent, the budget, and where you will place your plants. However, planning a beautiful patio garden doesn’t have to be difficult or break the bank. With the following 5 steps, you can be ready for spring when the first buds appear.

1. Privacy and Protection for Your Patio Garden

Consider your intention for the patio. Are you upgrading your home for a sale? Or, creating a private garden retreat? Or, a gathering place for your friends. Get out the tape measure and consider the size of areas for plants, people, and features. Meanwhile, you must consider the sun, rain, and privacy of the area. Walk around and look at the entire space. Take notes or make sketches for your final phase planning.

2. Patio Gardens Start With a Firm Foundation

A patio garden should start with a firm foundation. An inexpensive option is to clear out any grass, level the dirt, and place paving stones, brick, or flagstones for a strong, terrace effect. Better Homes & Gardens has a fantastic article on how to build an easy DIY patio foundation yourself in only 6 steps. You can also build a simple deck using an article from This Old House with instructions and video included. Their deck was 10X16 for around $1,000 USD but I also saw a 10X10 DIY floating deck for less than $500 at Pretty Passive’s website. When creating the foundation, keep in mind drainage and traffic patterns for entrance to the patio area. A slight (1/2 inch) slope to the outside edge of the patio will help rain drain quickly. Divert drains to your flower beds to help irrigation.

3. Flat or Leveled Sections for a Beautiful Patio Garden

Keep in mind that you can combine a patio and deck for leveled sections. In addition, the use of curved or decorative blocks can create raised beds. They can also create a section for water features or a patch of lawn. Brick or blocks can line a pathway so consider traffic patterns between sections. Is there an eating area or bbq? Consider how easy it is to gain access to your kitchen from these food center areas.

4. Cost and Budgeting for the Patio Garden

Planning a patio garden should not be stressful. Therefore, using a spreadsheet can help you budget for all the anticipated costs. Are you planning to hire a landscaper? If so, make sure the landscaper’s cost proposal matches your own. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, keep copies of receipts in an envelope and track your spending as you proceed. Remember that you do not have to do everything at once but try to keep within your budget. If you are unsure of the , building material or plant costs, visit a home or garden center to browse or look online. Consider whether you want a water feature or bbq area and include the costs for plumbing or equipment. If you want a copy of the free budget spreadsheet for Excel pictured above, leave a comment in the comment section below “send me the spreadsheet”. I’d love to share it with you.

5. Graph It All Out

After you consider all your options, it’s time to get out the graph paper and layout your garden design. I like to use colored pencils. Make sure that you note the measurements of bbq grills or patio furniture. Then, take into consideration architectural measurements for human movement patterns:

• number of people being seated or entertained
• seating arrangements
• size of the furniture
• space allowance between furniture (typically 1.5 to 2 feet)
• area around furniture or features for passage or entrance (a minimum of 3′ behind a chair).
• space between conversation groups 5′-6′ and the maximum diagnol across a group conversation 10′.

In addition to traffic patterns, you want to consider planters, pots, or garden beds. With most planters and pots, you can estimate the amount of room needed based on the size of the pot or planter. Garden beds should consider the overall spread of the plant. Most plants can be researched online to show their maximum height and spread. Placement from the house or other object should be 1.5 times the spread of the plant. A small shrub 2 feet, medium shrub 3 feet, and large shrub 4-5 feet. Hedges can be planted for screening with a 4-5 tall hedge 18 inches between plants to allow for a dense screen.

Conclusion

To design a beautiful patio garden next spring, doesn’t have to be complicated. As long as you take the time now to do your research, calculate a budget, and draw out your ideas, you can plan the perfect retreat. My reason for creating this blog post was that I find myself giving up on the fight with the jungle. Between constant vines creeping over the lawn, not to mention leeches in monsoon season, and ants in the summer, I’ve decided to regroup. I’m planning my own beautiful patio garden. Potted plants, stamped concrete (another idea!), bamboo for screening, and a firepit for a bbq are all in my design. What would your beautiful patio garden design be like? Leave a comment in the form below and definitely let me know if you want a free copy of the excel project budget planner — instructions included.