Many of us flip through gardening magazines, all the while thinking that it takes years, a professional, or tons of money to landscape the gardens featured in the glossy pictures. This isn't necessarily true. You can design a breathtaking garden on a budget and be the envy of the neighbourhood by following some of the following tips.

Know what you like and what works
Drive around your neighbourhood and see what's out there, paying attention to what grows well in sunny, partly sunny or shaded areas. You can jot down what you see in a dedicated notebook so the information is easy to find once you get home. Start gathering page clippings from magazines and collect some pictures of the designs that interest you. This can help you decide what garden style you like. You'll have an easy reference for plants and placement too.

Select location and colour
Next, look at your notes and clippings and choose the colour scheme you'd like to have in your garden. Again, don't forget to keep in mind that some plants thrive in sunny, partly sunny or shaded areas. Are you looking for something bright and vibrant or something more calming and soothing? Consider starting with a foundation of shrubs and accenting with some perennials, bulbs, ornamental grasses and annuals for more seasonal colour. Perhaps you want all flowers. Decide on a shape that compliments your house style. Straight styles give a more formal appearance while curves give a more informal feel. If you don't feel confident selecting colours, you can always visit a garden centre and visually select contrasting and complimentary colours.

Plan ahead
Decide how much you want to spend on your new garden. Do you want to start with a foundation and gradually add to it? If so, purchase the most expensive plants and shrubs first. Use these as a focal point for your garden. Start watching for sales and discount plants at garden centres and nurseries. Tell everyone you know that you're starting a garden and would love it if they could give you divisions of their perennials or seeds they have saved from their garden. Let family and friends know that you have a wish list of plants that would be the perfect gift idea. Don't forget to ask your local garden club when they are having their sales too.

You can also start some plants from seed yourself. Many seeds are very easy to direct sow and a little can go a long way. Some easy-to-grow seeds include: Asters, 4 o'clocks, Sunflowers, Pansies, Violas, Impatiens, Morning Glories, Zinnias, Marigolds and Poppies.

Design away
Now you're ready to design. You can sketch out your ideas beforehand. Keep the following in mind as you design:

• 1. Scale - Judge the size of the area and choose plants that aren't going to be too large, wide or small for the area. Keep in mind the plant's size once it has met its mature growth.
• 2. Balance - Try to achieve a good balance of small, medium and large plants - evenly dispersed throughout your garden. Balance offers visual stability. It can be created with space between plantings or the visual weight of your design. This can be created with lines so that your garden is pleasing to look at from all angles.
• 3. Focal Point - Your focal point will be the area that your eye is drawn to first. This can be your prized flowers, tree or shrub.
• 4. Rhythm - This is visual flow. The eye wanders throughout the entire garden design, but comes back to the focal point. It can be achieved with repetition and contrast.
• 5. Harmony/Unity - This is when plants have a way of appearing connected and a part of one another. This can be achieved with colour, texture and groupings. Unity is lost when your plants look too separate or your colour choices make one plant look lost among the rest.
• 6. Colour - This impacts the entire design process. Check out some gardening magazines or visit some local garden centres for suggested colour schemes and designs. It's also best to arrange and rearrange your containers where you want to plant them before you start digging.
• 7. Accessorize (Garden Art) - To add some interest and whimsy to your garden, consider making your own stepping stones, garden markers, terra cotta bird baths, painted rocks, fun wind chimes, etc. These are simple projects that can add a lot of interest to your garden area. The sky is the limit on what you can create, so don't forget to use your imagination!