The issue when you are thinking about creating a garden is: do you have a choice of where to put it. For example, you may have a very large garden or you may be looking for an allotment from the local council. However, if you do not have a choice, then you will have to decide on the kind of flowers you want for your garden according to its position and condition.

If, however, you are lucky enough to have a choice, then the main consideration is the sun. In fact, even more significant that that is what kind of plants you want to grow. If you want flowers that like the sun or if you like flowers that cannot bear it, then the location of the garden is vital.

In the northern hemisphere, most gardeners would choose a south-facing garden, if they had the choice, but not everyone. Some gardeners are interested in marsh plants or woodland plants, for instance. If you do make the majority choice and go for a south-facing garden, then your planting beds should run from north to south, because that way they will receive maximum exposure to the sun’s energy.

If, however, you cannot obtain a south-facing garden, but you can acquire one facing southeast, then your flower beds should run north-west to south-east for the greatest exposure to the sun. Other directions can be worked out in a like manner.

The plan, whichever way your garden is facing, is to get the sun shining as near to 50% on each side of the plants as possible. The only real way of gaining success in this question is by having a south-facing garden in the northern hemisphere or a north-facing garden in the southern hemisphere.

When you have worked out the best place to put your garden, or which way it is facing, you should start planning it. This can best be done on graph paper. The first step is to draw a scale diagram of your garden. Once you have done that, you should prepare the ground by either clearing it of rubbish or clearing the scrub.

If your garden has decent turf, plan on your graph paper where you want your flower beds to be and draw them in. Then cut these areas out of your garden.

Depending how much area you have set apart for plants, you can now either dig it over or rotovate it. Whichever means you choose, do it to the best of your ability, because once you have plants and bushes in your garden, you will not find it so straightforward again. Dig plenty of manure into the earth while you are about it.

Now that you have a decent environment for your future plants, you can go about choosing your plants. This has to be done with the orientation of your garden in mind, if you want to make the most of the space that you have available to you.

If you want to modify a south-facing garden, this can easily be done by adding trees and bushes to provide cover, but it is not easy to heat up a cold north-facing garden.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on a number of subjects, but is now concerned with visual comfort lighting. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Outdoor Wall Lamps.