Many of us want a beautiful garden to relax in and to show off to our neighbors or anyone who happens to pass by our house. When we get this great idea to landscape our yard we get the itch to start before our time - but before we start digging into the soil we first need to slow down, sit down, and design it. This means that all those plans in your head need to be put on paper.

Examine your yard (front and back) and imagine in your head what you want to see in your garden. Make a list of everything you want it to have. This list can include trees, flowers, herbs, shrubs, a fountain, and even a pond if you have enough space. Once you have made this list try to think of where you would like to place everything and how you would like it to look. Try to put on paper what you would like. You could always ask someone more professional to draw it out for you and can even ask them if the plants that you want are going to work in your garden.

Remember that any plant you choose must be able to grow easily in your garden. Because of this you need to place them in places where they can get the desired amount of sunlight. Depending on what time of year you will start planting will depend on what flowers you can grow. You may want to wait till spring to grow the ones you really want and that will brighten your garden.

You want your garden to last for a very long time - which means that you need to choose plants that are durable and will be able to grow well with others and to last longer then most. This will save you money in the long run and keep your garden from looking shabby.

Don't be afraid to mix the plants up and to make things look more colorful and alive. Pick plants that are both small and large. Just make sure that the plants can grow together. You don't need a larger plant choking out and hiding the smaller ones. You may want to place them far enough part to ensure this.

You can have a pond or fountain in your backyard - which makes for a great center point to any garden and a place for you to relax. Around these beautiful center pieces you can place smaller and more colorful flowers that will help to set it off and draw the eyes of people to it.

Once you have chosen what you want and picked where you would like them placed you can break ground and begin planting your very own special haven.