The season trembles into the autumn fall, when getting cozy in the kitchen near a freshly baking oven is appealing. This is the time to dream and to prepare effectively for next Spring and Summer.


To design a your own garden room, first ask yourself where you would be if you could be anywhere else in the world. Imagine that place. Is it a place that you would visit over and over? If it is, it is definitely worth the paper and ink to draw it out.

Collect pictures of that place from books and magazines and spread it out on your table.

Perhaps put on some music from that country and a glass of your favourite juice of the vine. Take a deep easy breath, and imagine….Just let go and imagine. Write that down!

Which doorway will be surrounded by your garden? The best place is sun in the morning and bright shade for the rest of the day with a touch or sun in the late afternoon and evening. But sun in the morning is crucia to prevent black spot and fungusl. Total shade garden’s are tooooo intensive and not often successful. Although perhaps mosses and ferns with a fountain that is continuous could be magical. It would be a texture garden as there are many colors and textures of moss and fern.

Now….get serious! Take the pictures and compare the forms and colors to the perennials that thrive in your zone. It is all about finding your vegetation zone and then trying to imitate the vegetation of the dream zone.

Look this up in your perennial encyclopedic book. All the perennials listed for your climate zone are the ones that you can successfully plant in your garden and have them grow bigger in every season and be happy with good food, soil, and water. Pick the colors you like for each sub-season of bloom (spring, late spring, summer, late summer, fall). After all you want blooms for each period of time. Take the pictures and compare the forms and colors to the perennials that thrive in your zone. Modify your soil to fit the drainage and acidity needs of your plants.

If you have room for garden architecture in your ‘room’, search the internet for companies who take orders and send using the net. ‘British Edition’ Garden magazines have many companies listed in the ads at the back. Take a look at the ‘follies’ you can include!!