A perfect garden is an asset to any home, not just for resale value, but also for spiritual value and it need not cost a fortune at all. Not even the upkeep should result in any exuberant fees.
The first thing you need to know is that the perfect garden is the one that has the least amount of hassles and upkeep. While you might (or might not) like to dig and shuffle around in your garden over weekends, you need to know that your garden is not going to die on you if, for some reason, you are not able to take care of it anymore.
There are a few ways to start a perfect garden, but the first item on your list should be to find out which plants are indigenous to your country and area. With indigenous plants your garden will not need special care. The weather will provide for its watering needs and the ground for its nutrients, so in the end you will need to do a minimum amount of watering and composting (which is also an environmental plus).
The next item on your checklist should be to look at how long each plant lives. Some plants live for a year, some for two and some for as long as they have roots. Also take into consideration whether they are green all year round, tend to loose leaves, when they flower and if they bear fruit. These things will all add to your upkeep. If they shed leaves or bear fruit, you will have to pick these up. If they flower only in summer, try and find another plant that only flowers in winter and plant them next to each other. Avoid plants that only live for a year or two as they will need to be replaced.
Put a little investigation into certain plant types that will cover your bedding and open areas and also plants that might repel insect. Strawberries are a great creeper and will cover your whole garden, while onions and spring onions are items to plant to repel insects (yes, fruits and vegetable plants are wonderful accessories to any garden so include as many as you can). Creepers also keep the ground moist and when other plants shed leaves, it is hidden by the creepers thereby aiding natural compost of your garden.
Once you have the list and you have decided which ones you like best and want in your garden, you need to divide the list into three categories: Plants that desire constant sunlight, plants that desire some sunlight and plants that desire shade. This will be important as it will determine where in your garden your plants will go. Map out your garden and spend some time figuring out when which areas of your garden have sun, which areas get no sun and which areas get full sun. Now you can just place the chosen plants into there designated areas.
Be creative when deciding which plants go where. If for instance you do not have shade in your garden, plant the plants that want shade under larger trees or shrubs. If you have chosen a lot of flowering plants decide whether you want to mix and match or want each color on its own. Also take into consideration how big or tall a tree will grow and do not plant them in areas that will hamper their growth or get in the way of, for instance, painting the gutters or putting in a fence.
Once you have decided where each plant should go, go out and buy them or, better yet, get a samples or seeds from your friends. Plants that are not grown in nurseries are generally a little tougher since their living conditions have never been perfected. If you do buy from a nursery, try to find one that grows their flowers in their own back-yard (or the equivalent of) and not in perfected conditions. Your plants will not have perfected conditions and you need a plant that is tough (this is almost the same principal when it comes to dog-breeding: the bastards are always tougher than the thoroughbreds).
Once you have planted your specially chosen assortment, it should be no time before they take root and start shooting for the sky or, in the case of creepers, for the control of the earth. You will find pleasure in a garden that is a joy and not a burden. It will also serve a purpose if you decide to plant a few veggies or fruits.
Happy Gardening!
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