I second everything above. what i am writing are things I would have told myself that work for me, maybe it will help someone else too.

step one for me was mapping my property with respect of where the sun is and how much sunlight each part of my yard gets (backyard faces blazing SW full sun). then assessing the soil type (alkaline clay). Then assessing water source (in ground sprinkler system for me). I think that is the most basic. If i plant a acid loving blueberry plant that wants well draining soil in my alkaline clay it wont do well and it will fry in my full sun zone 9 yard. If you have never seen a beautiful pink flowering dogwood in your zipcode but supposedly it does well in your state, you may want to look at your microclimate. Some plants are uphill battles and not worth the amendments or pampering needed. if you plant things native and hearty their beauty is like an (almost) free gift instead of a neverending labor.

Find your own style. cottage, tropical, formal, xeriscape, whatever. Get inspiration. Go to a botanical garden, look on pinterest or instagram. Figure out what you like.

I would choose plants that if possible have long bloom periods and/or interesting foliage when not in flower. When I first planted alliums I was shocked how short a time they bloomed. You have to decide if the juice is worth the squeeze, if the real estate in your yard is being used up by something that doesnt bloom a long time, etc. many things dont bloom year round so you might as well like it the rest of the time. Also, make the backbones perennials! If you planted all annuals, you would be reinventing the wheel every year. lots of cost, time and labor. Plant it once, have it forever instead.

I would build a rough shape of a garden with tall plants in the background, mid height in the middle and short plants in the foreground so you can see it well and get to it easily.

I would make the basis of my garden evergreen shrubbery and grasses so there is shape, color, structure and movement. i like symmetry so I try to consider that. I love medium green foliage but I have found that bright green foliage and silvery foliage are good foils that add dimension, so even though i don’t gravitate naturally to that color and texture, If i add pops of it it can make things stand out. Its like trying to paint a picture with no highlights and shadows - if you dont add some contrast it starts to look flat. Or boring.

I have tried to make a ”four seasons garden” so i have only trees with autumn show or spring show. In spring, the redbuds start to flower pink, the alliums bloom, the roses bloom. In summer the crepe myrtles bloom, the daylilies and zinnias bloom, in autumn my japanese maple, red oak, crepe myrtles, and maple turn red, and the roses bloom again. my ornamental grasses make plumes (pennisetums) that blow in the autumn wind. This way there is always something beautiful happening and to look forward to! :) Even though I LOVE roses, if i didnt have everything else going on; there would be lengthy gaps of time without blooms.

my color palette is white, purples and blues so i have nepeta, blackfoot daisies, russian sage, salvias, african daisies, marque moon white daylilies. The silvery foliage is from the nepeta, russian sage and lambs ears for texture and color. I plan on adding vincas or white dianthus next season as well. If you choose a palette it can look cohesive or intentional.

I take note what is blooming when i am out and about in my area and when. If lantanas are blooming all summer long all over my zipcode they will probably work for me too. I look at what landscapers use. A lot of times they are more heat and drought tolerant because they are not usually being fussed over daily by a home gardener. maybe weekly or biweekly.

some of the best ways I have learned plants names and types are catalogs. I think Bluestone Perennials or White Flower Farm. Just be cautious because not everything will work in your zone, with your soil type, your precipitation amount, your winter etc.

i have heard about planting a spear shape like agastache or salvia, with a disk shape like coneflower, daisy, with a spray shape like yarrow, verbena and then a larger focal shape like a lily, rose , dahlia ( basically a recipe like thriller, filler, spiller) and they go well together.

sorry for the long manifesto but that is all what i have pieced together in the past couple of years. :)

the last caution that i would tell myself! beware VINES! i love them BUT I will be forever fighting a trumpet vine that I planted way back when. Its like a mythical creature that every time you pull out one root, five more sprout. Its popping up all over my garden and under my decking. beware invasives and it can’t hurt to google pros and cons of a plant before you are locked into an unwinable duel with one.