How to: Create the garden of your dreams

“The first thing I do in the morning is take my cappuccino and stroll into the garden to look at the beautiful plants,” says the homeowner of this lush retreat north of Toronto. Designed by Randy Tumber of Tumber & Associates in Orangeville, Ont., the garden has won provincial, national and international awards for technical achievement and water features, among others. But talking to Tumber, you sense the accolades are secondary. He speaks of exploring the hearts and minds of his clients in the info-gathering stage and of how evoking an emotional response is more important than a flashy presentation.

Here are his thoughts on what makes this a special garden and how to translate these principles into your own piece of paradise.

1 Goals
Gathering info is the first step in the design process. What do you want from your garden? How will you use it? For quiet meditation? Entertaining? Do you have a green thumb? “It's crucial to know the goals and aspirations of my clients,” says landscape artist Randy Tumber. These homeowners love the simple things. They entertain close friends here, but in small groups.

2 Integration
Designing a garden that suited its environment and the Frank Lloyd Wright-style architecture of the house was paramount to Tumber and the homeowners. Native plants like pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) were a natural choice and are also low maintenance.