The Secret of Successful Landscape Design (And Why Many People Get It Wrong)

The same problems often arise when we talk about landscaping and try to create an outdoor space that we really enjoy.

Firstly, there is an excess of ideas. Inspiration abounds: saved photos, favorite plants, dream landscaping… but in the end, everything remains a blur. We like everything, but we don’t know how to put the pieces together. The result? A garden that goes in all directions, without coherence, without a clear intention.

Sometimes it’s the other way around: you feel overwhelmed before you’ve even started. Too many things to consider, not enough time, no idea where to begin… so you put it off. You tell yourself you’ll see to it later. And later never comes.

Or worse: we rush in without a plan, caught up in a kind of springtime urgency. The classic example of impulse buying. You go to the nursery just to “look” and come back with 30 plants. Except that – surprise! – you have no idea where to put them. So you place them as best you can… and you end up with a layout that is half started, half abandoned, with plants that are dying and others that are taking over everything.

And then there’s information overload. You read three books, watch six videos, take notes on two lectures, ask your neighbor for advice and spend hours on gardening websites. In the end, you have a lot of information, sometimes contradictory… but you don’t know what to do with it. You’re floating in a sea of data, without a compass or direction.

What is missing?

It reminds me of myself! Impulsive, whimsical, often overwhelmed by all the possibilities that life offers… Sometimes paralyzed, unable to act. Other times, rushing head first. The solution? What has helped me through many challenges is a very simple thing: structure, structure, structure!

Here is the approach I follow to create a development plan for a client – and one that you can use to do it yourself:

1. Reflection – Think About What You Want

Before you start designing anything, take a moment to think about what you like, what you don’t like… but above all, how you want to use your yard on a daily basis. Is it a place to relax, to entertain friends, to grow a vegetable garden, to set up a cinema area, a swimming pool, or to create a storage space? Write down your ideas, take photos, explore your neighborhood or look for inspiration online: your real needs should guide your choices.

2. Inventory – Understand What You Have On Hand

Take measurements of your property and draw up a list of everything on it: buildings, trees, structures, shaded areas, soil type, etc. This comprehensive picture will enable you to design a layout that is realistic and well-adapted to the constraints of the site.

3. Analysis – Turn Your Observations Into a Strategy

Organize the data collected to identify problems to be solved, elements to be enhanced and possibilities for improvement. This is the time to see if certain components of your land support or hinder the uses you wish to make of it: for example, is a very shady area really suitable for a vegetable garden? This analysis allows you to clarify what you want to change, keep or adapt, and to lay a solid foundation before moving on to creation.

4. Exploration – Play With Ideas to Structure the Whole

Use the bubble method to represent the different areas (dining area, relaxation area, games area, vegetable garden, etc.) and test several configurations. The aim is not to settle everything at once, but to find a harmonious and fluid layout.

5. Detail – Organize Your Layout in Depth

Refine your sketch: place the areas in their exact location, with realistic dimensions. Think about circulation, transitions, access and the integration of furniture and other equipment.

6. Planting – Choose the Right Plants for the Right Places

Based on your observations in the field (sunlight, humidity, soil type), select plants that are well suited. Organize them according to their height, size and flowering period to create a sustainable garden that is attractive all year round and easy to maintain.

7. Consultation – Gather Opinions From Those Around You

Share your plan with the people concerned: relatives, neighbors, professionals or your municipality. Their comments can help you avoid mistakes, raise good points or enrich your project. This is also the time to take stock of the budget: what can you do yourself, what do you prefer to delegate, and where to start in order to respect your rhythm and your means. A crucial step to turn your dream into reality, without stress or unpleasant surprises.

8. Finalization – Fine-Tune and Prepare for Implementation

Make the necessary adjustments, finalize your plan and add a creative touch with colors or textures if you wish. At this stage, your vision is clear and structured… all that’s left is to take action! Your project is well documented, and you can be proud to present it. It will become a valuable reference for the future – whether it is to find the cultivars chosen to answer questions from the curious or to plan work.

One Last Detail…

But there is one thing that no structure, however well thought out, can replace: the inspiration that only nature can offer.

Yes, you can plan, organize and structure, but you also need to let yourself be touched. To walk outside, to stop, to observe how the movement of the leaves, how a plant grows where you wouldn’t expect, how the birds, the wind and the light transform a simple garden into a living place.

That is also the secret of a beautiful design: reconnecting with what nature has to offer, gently and patiently. Listen to and trust your intuition.

So yes, follow a method. But above all, take the time to get outside, to listen to your garden, to dream a little. Because a successful garden is not just a well-designed project: it is a relationship that is built with the life that surrounds you.