Now it's time to begin sketching which plants might go where in your garden beds. The average gardener arranges plants in beds with the tallest plants in the rear and the smallest near the front. If you are designing a garden bed to be observed from a window, then this might mean placing the shorter plants close to the house. Moreover, island beds often have tall plants in the center and smaller plants toward the edges of the beds.



A common plan might include plants that are less than one foot tall in the front third of the garden bed, plants that are greater than three feet tall in the rear third of the bed and plants between one and three feet tall in the center third of the garden bed. You should never adhere to the guidelines too sternly; save you want your garden to look like stair steps in contour. You can bring a few of the taller plants forward and plant several of the shorter plants farther back to produce a more assorted topography.

To generate a smooth gradation of heights, the tallest plants should be no taller than at least two-thirds the width of the bed or half the width of the bed, especially with island beds.

You can choose plants so that your garden affords color and interest throughout the budding season and even in the winter. Spring bulbs are good for early color. Herb perennials have precise times during the budding season when they flower, usually within a range from one to six weeks. Many annuals, once they begin flowering, persist to bloom until or after autumn frost.

As you continue to outline your plan, note when you anticipate each species to bloom. Many lucrative designs start with penciling in fall plants or plants that offer winter interest, as these are usually ignored in garden plans. Then you can work back through the four seasons to fill in with summer and spring plants. You can also plan for appealing color combinations.

Spectacular blooms seize our attention, but you shouldn't ignore the rest of the plants in your planning. Many plants have foliage that adds interesting visual textures and color to the garden. Plants also come in an assortment of shapes. Some plants grow into cushions, clumps or mounds; while others are spiky and upright. Still others are bushy and round. Some gardeners even mix the different forms in close proximity for a speckled effect, as others arrange plants with comparable forms together.