It's a big deal building a house, let alone buying a property. From getting the finance for a build to making a thousand and one decisions and selections … time and money adds up fast.

Did you factor in the garden during that process?

More often than not, your beautiful new house overlooks a patch of dirt that is now your "garden".

So where do you start?

These horticulturalists reckon that with good planning and patience, you can develop a good looking yard without too much expense. Then, within a few years, you can have a thriving area with nice trees, veggie beds and a cottage garden.

South Australia garden designer Amy Vaughn started her own garden design business two months ago in the suburb of Penola. She's been kept busy.

The first step in planning a garden is to think about how you want to use it, Amy says.

She asks clients to tell her local garden spots and plants they like, and considers things like if they have children, or if they want to grow vegetables?

Starting from scratch can be overwhelming and expensive, as is deciding how to structure your garden and build "green spaces".  But Amy suggests taking it on one project at a time.

"Just get the lawn in first ... Then you can go through with the line-making [paint] spray, work out where your beds are and clear out the lawn."

The next thing to consider is the right support system you need to ensure long-term success.

"The first thing I'll usually check with people is do you have a plumbing system set up? Do you want to put drippers in?," Amy says.

"Water generally doubles your growth rate. So if you have the right water levels for a lot of your plants, you're just going to get foliage really quickly."

"There is no such thing as a no maintenance garden ... it's just about you setting it up properly."

Find out what soil you're dealing with.

"There is no point trying to grow a beautiful English garden on the coast because you're going to waste a lot of money on plants that won't grow," Amy says.

Sandier soils are likely to have less organic matter and need more amending than other, more loamy soils.

Loamy soil is an ideal mixture of coarser and finer particles of sand and silt, with a little clay and varying degrees of organic matter, according to Gardening Australia.

New home owners should be mindful that most builders will put down some sandy loam over heavy clay to try and break up the soil. This doesn't do much.

Adding gypsum or organic materials (like compost) are good ways to help soil hold a bit more moisture.

When planting, dig holes in the soil at least twice the size of the pot to break up the soil, then add some organic material.

This is especially important near verandahs and patios where builders tend to use a lot of fill.

And don't forget fertiliser.

"I know we [garden people] bang on about it a lot. But fertiliser twice a year, autumn and spring. Always do it," Amy says.

Mount Barker horticulturalist Patrick Gove spends a lot of his time helping people select the right plants for their Adelaide Hills climate.

Aspect (which way parts of your garden face) is a major factor, taking into account where and when the sun will hit.

Say you're wanting to plant something a bit more tender like a Japanese maple on a north-facing block: "I'd suggest planting it where it's going to receive the easterly sun," Patrick says.

"And then utilising the house or a fence to block out that [harsh] westerly sun as the sun sets."

By the same token, planting a sturdy tree in the right spot can shade you in the heat of the afternoon sun. Energy and money efficient!

If you want big trees, get them in the ground first. Ground cover grows quickly and can be added after.

When it comes to medium trees, lipstick maples, crepe myrtles, crab apples, magnolias and flowering plums and cherries are all pretty fast-growing. And pretty!

When it comes to evergreens, most native options like wattles and eucalypts are relatively quick too.

But be careful when it comes to the real fast-growing trees. While a tempting option, trees that grow fast tend to grow very large.

You can start growing some deciduous trees before planting them.

"Bare root transplanting" involves keeping trees in a pot during winter months while they're not actively growing.

"Once you pot them up they're committed to that for at least six months to a year before you can really transplant them [again]," Amy says.

"They need to get over the trauma they've just suffered."

Make sure they go into a pot with some potting mix that day.

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