Raising your dream garden space in Kane County

The arrival of spring can evoke many feelings.

But especially for homeowners, those first warm days - or perhaps even the final days of winter’s reign - can bring with it a sudden desire to get outside, get dirty and perhaps at last raise up that garden of their dreams.

Megan Provencher knows that task can seem daunting. But Provencher, senior landscape designer at Wasco Nursery in St. Charles, said would-be gardeners should rest easy, as with a bit of care and foresight, and some willingness to try and try again, anyone can create a space on their property that will generate, in turn, other feelings, like pride, accomplishment, comfort and joy.

“Gardening isn’t hard,” Provencher said. “It’s just a bit more planning and education.”

STUDY THE SPACE

Before digging in, gardeners should first put in the time and effort to gather the facts about the spots on their property they’ve designated as their garden’s future home.

Provencher said no space is too large or too small to consider.

“You can work successfully with whatever space you have,” Provencher said. “What is more important is to learn how that space works.”

She suggested gardeners answer certain questions, including:

- How much sun vs. shade?

- What is the soil type and condition? Does the soil require amendments to be productive?

- What pre-existing “obstacles” may be present, including pathways, fences or other kinds of screening that may interfere with a garden’s success?

“You may even work in some container gardening in your space also,” Provencher said. “Once you know the characteristics of your garden space, it’s easier to choose plants to thrive in the spot.”

DRAW THE EYE

Provencher said she regularly helps homeowners map out their garden dreams. And every time, the process requires intentionality and thoughtfulness.

“I always have a million things running through my mind when I approach a garden design,” she said. “It’s a complex process to build a garden, so I try to think of all the things that can go wrong or right in a garden so that the gardener will be happy with their space - and the plants will be, too.”

Before getting too far ahead, Provencher said gardeners may wish to consider whether their garden should have a focal point, or attention-grabbing central element.

“It really depends on the garden, but focal points can help a garden flow better,” she said.

These can take a variety of forms, including fountains or other water features, statues, benches, bird houses, obelisks or varieties of plants boasting “unique colored leaves or stems or plants with unusual growth habits, such as weeping plants or interesting evergreens.” She added “plants with movement, such as large ornamental grasses that sway in the wind” also can serve in a starring role.

“A well-placed focal point can help guide the eye to that part of the garden and engage your senses as you enjoy the garden,” Provencher said.

And a “well-placed focal point” can also help distract garden visitors “from views that you may not want highlighted, such as trash cans, neighbor’s yards, or street views.”

But Provencher also cautioned aspiring gardeners against adding too many of those visually arresting elements and instead to aim to promote “good flow.”

“No one likes a busy garden,” she said.

MIND THE GAPS

When designing gardens, maintaining appropriate spacing and proper plant groupings are key, Provencher said.

“It’s extremely important to maintain proper spacing between plants if you wish to keep a low maintenance garden,” she said.

If plants are grown too near each other, gardeners will find themselves in a constant tussle to keep their plants pruned and trimmed, or they can lead to plants that are “misshapen” or short-lived, “because they wish to be larger than you are letting them get.”

If plants are grown too far apart, she said gardeners will all but invite weeds to fill in the blank spots.

“Properly spaced plants will naturally grow together and overlap without crowding each other,” she said. “However, they will crowd out weeds. If there is no open real estate for weeds to germinate, then they won’t be such an issue.”

Provencher further recommended gardeners' effort to grow plants in complementary groupings.

“I’m a firm believer in ‘Right plant, Right spot,’” she said. “You are not limited by the size of your space, but you want to make sure that you choose plants that will grow and thrive in the space they are given with little interference from you.

“A garden is a plant community and in every community, there are different needs to be met.”

She said some plants will perform best if grouped with others that, for instance, can keep them from flopping over, declining, dying - “or worse, go nuts and take over a space.”

“Knowing what type of plant community your plants want is key to success,” Provencher said.

For instance, Provencher said she may choose to group a spring blossom like peonies with grasses. The peonies will bloom in the spring but will maintain deep green foliage long into the summer. Then, the grasses will take their turn as “the star of the show,” growing tall in the warmer weather as the peonies take a back seat.

“You now have coverage in your garden from April until the following March when you cut down the dead foliage on both,” she said.

EXPERIMENT (AND FAIL. AND TRY AGAIN.)

Even experienced gardeners will find themselves confronting failure from time to time in the garden.

But Provencher said gardeners should avoid overthinking their choices or “fuss too much.”

She said there are no “plant police” who will spring up to enforce any “rules” of gardening.

“Sometimes, it is more an experiment to see what works in your own garden,” she said. “Something that works for you might not work for your neighbor.

“It’s OK to experiment and fail,” Provencher continued. “If you want to try a plant - try a plant. If it does well, then you did great and had fun. If it struggles, you can always move it to a new home.”

But Provencher said aspiring gardeners should take advantage of the expertise of local gardening pros, who know the local growing conditions and can help steer toward plants and “communities” that can thrive in a particular setting.

“It’s OK to lean on the experts to help you learn and grow the best plants for your garden,” Provencher said.

She said she and other pros take the time to help new and seasoned gardeners alike plan out their spaces to reap success.

“I try to take the guesswork out of the garden so they can still have a beautiful space to enjoy without all of the unknowns sneaking up on them later down the road,” Provencher said. “No two gardens are the same, so it’s important to listen to the ultimate end user and make sure that the plants and space will meet their needs.”