To get started with gardening you need ideas. So you need to know where you can get inspiration.

The best place to start is the nearest public library where you will find a large selection of books on plants, plant designs and gardening in general.

To cut down on the volume of reading you need to do, take out several books on different topics such as water, trees and herbs and read through them to get a good all-round education. Then take out just two or three which are based on garden design. Find ideas that you like and think how they might fit into your site.

Don't try and read all the books cover to cover: you'll become confused by the variety of styles and the individual author's preferences. Instead, go through each one, reading sections that interest you.

Factors to be considered

When you first start gardening, there are many factors to think about. These include privacy, demarcation of areas in the garden, safety, access (either for garages, parking, wheelchairs or children), hiding ugly features and making the available space, if limited, appear larger.

You will also have to take into account the needs and wishes of anyone using the garden so your choice of plants, features and design needs to be considerate.

Some organizations such as the Red Cross run an open garden scheme during the summer months whereby local people who have special gardens open them to the public on certain week-ends. They charge a small entry fee, and some of the profits go to the charity involved.These can be a great way to see which plants will suit your area and it is the chance to talk to the owners about what has worked (or not).
When you visit the gardens try to find out from the owners the basis of their design, color and formality/informality, and how the garden has come to be the way it is. Try and find out if they used a designer and what they thought of them.

It is amazing just how many differing styles of garden you can see just by walking around your local area. Try just walking out wherever you live, whether it is in the heart of the city, suburban area or in the country; and look at the different kinds of garden you find.

Even in places where you would not expect to see 'gardens', you will find council gardens, display tubs in shopping malls, and planted areas on a roadside.

As you walk, assess why some of the gardens look the way they do. Are they purely for display or are they used for particular purposes such as to define areas or to provide barriers of safety (e.g. kerbs).

Do the people who live there cherish them? Or are they just something in front of the house?

Do the gardens strike you as formal or informal? Do they provide privacy, or are they completely open? You do not have to write answers to any of the above questions, but think about them as you walk around your own area.

You will find your thoughts towards gardens subtly changing, because you will be looking at gardens in a different way.

So, when you want to get started with gardening, seek inspiration everywhere, not just in design centers or books but go out and see what real gardens are full of.Above all, the rule is to enjoy your gardening.

Learn more about this author, Sammy Stein.
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