how to plan a garden

Some friends of mine have asked me to help them plan a new garden area for their backyard....from scratch. It's a typical suburban lot. I haven't even been over there yet.
This is fun because I can't afford to do much more with my own!
I am working on taking some pics of the yard now before spring....thinking out easy plants for borders (short and tall), good shrubs. They want a 'garden room' like I created...an oasis of sorts away from the rush of life....
What would you guys do if presented with this fun project?
I can't wait to get started!

Like yourself, I'd take photos. I'd also be looking at anything that grows in the garden or in the locality, plants can tell you much about the type and fertility of the soil present, even the weed in the wall is worth a look. A soil test for pH might be worth a look too. I'd then take measurements and sit and plan on squared paper several designs to see what look best.

I'm in the process of (yet again) rejigging the front garden so I'm in a similar situation.

Measurements to go with those photos, so you can transfer existing features (house, deck, trees, shrubs, etc.) onto a scaled graph.

While you're taking photos and measuring, look around the lot carefully - are there any low spots that stay moist? Tree stumps that can't be removed, power lines, utility meters, etc.? Work them into the landscape plans and be sure that meter readers can still access the meters without stepping on new, fragile plant material.

A trip to the library for some books on landscaping/garden design. Let the homeowners take a look-see and tell you what they like and don't like. Also ask them some questions about how much time they want to spend on maintenance - do they like spending an entire Saturday morning deadheading perennials, or do they want to have something that's low maintenance (no such thing as a no-maintenance garden!)

A search through your classified ads for used bricks, bulk compost, or other materials you might need. If you have a means of picking these items up yourself, you can usually get them very cheap or even free; if they must be hauled in, you'll pay for the delivery, but it doesn't hurt to start looking and calling early to line up what you'll need and get the best possible deal.

Before doing any serious digging, call your utilities to have them mark gas, telephone, water and electric lines - this is usually free, can be done with one phone call, and definitely something you want to do ahead of time. Since they will sometimes use a biodegradable spray paint to mark the lines, pick up some inexpensive wire and nylon flags from a home improvement store and immediately flag where they've marked. That way if the project takes a while, they won't need to re-mark, and you won't accidentally hit a line ;o)

excellent start, thank you. I have the pictures and amalready getting some ideas. I laminated them on full size 8 1/2x11 sheets so we can draw with dry erase markers as well.

We should probably call for the lines ASAP.
I'll post pics as it comes along! Here's the back of the yard to start with. I'm excited. I picture a wandering path....a water feature in the back, a rounded shade garden and a few other beds....