It’s always good to start with a plan. My backyard garden plan has four phases. It’s ambitious, and because I am doing the work myself it will take between four and six years to complete. The plan is also subject to change, depending on several factors, foremost is cost. I’ve got a strict budget, but since I’m doing the labor myself I can spend the money on things like plants, which will be nice.
THE FOUR PHASES
Phase 1: Prep and Compost
Phase 2: Green Fencing, Pathways and Hardscaping
Phase 3: Productive Garden
Phase 4: Decorative Garden
The main idea or concept for my garden is natural wilderness. I plan to use primarily native plants for the decorative portions. I want my garden to look spontaneous, as though everything just happened to grow that way, but showcasing the most interesting features of each plant. I also want to promote and attract local wildlife, like butterflies, bees, birds, etc.
However, I will include some non-native species, like clumping bamboos and willows for the green fences. This is important because I don’t want the deer to eat them. Deer are probably the biggest pest known to home gardeners, and they deserve an entry of their own. Suffice it to say, my plan is geared towards reducing their access to my yard. It’s difficult to make anything deerproof, but smart planning can help.
Before starting any project, it’s important to contact Miss Utility for your area. Miss Utility is the government program that keeps track of and marks all underground infrastructure like water mains, cables, electric and gas lines, etc. You definitely don’t want to damage any of these essential services. I contacted them a few weeks ago, and they have since come out to my property and marked everything. In my case, I only have one line to worry about, an electric line that runs from the back of my house to my neighbors. I have notated the placement and am now ready to start.
Let Phase 1 commence!