One of the nicest things about buying a newly-built home in Calgary is that everything is ready. You won't be renovating, re-roofing, weather-proofing or upgrading the insulation. You can expect more energy efficiency and room for modern lifestyles than in an older heritage home. But nine times out of ten, the one thing that won't be ready to go when you move in is the garden.

Depending on how new the development is, garden may even be a generous term. What you may have to work with may be no more than a wide expanse of grassless dirt. On the bright side, if you love a beautiful garden, the possibilities here are nearly endless and starting from scratch gives you free reign to develop an outdoor space that truly suits your needs.

The first thing to come to terms with is that your first and greatest adversary here isn't the barren yard surrounding your beautiful new home. Your greatest challenge is a fickle Calgary climate that tends to run hot and cold nearly all year long. Once you accept this and agree to let go of your dream of a tropical jungle, forests of orchids or spanish moss, everything is going to be just fine. Calgary gardens that defer to the Calgary climate are not only stunningly beautiful for the wide array of interesting plants they can incorporate, but warm the heart with their hardy persistence.

As you're planning your paradise, you'll want to consider whether your yard is south or north facing, where the different elevations are, soil type, naturally occurring rock and available windbreak. Plants that do well in Calgary gardens are drought, cold and wind resistant. The best way to get a clear idea of how to respond to the unique conditions present in Calgary Gardens is to get a bunch of good books that are specific to the Calgary climate with a clear understanding of our long summer days, gorgeous Chinook winds and sudden winters. The truth is that you won't learn how to manage a Calgary garden by reading most American magazines or books on the market these days.

Of course there's no need to wait to know what you're doing before you begin. Trial and error is a perfectly acceptable way of discovering what works and what doesn't in this climate. If you prefer to remove the margin of error however, hire a professional landscaper to get you started. A landscaper can help you with the initial design and plant selection. The good news is that you really don't have to worry about having it all complete in the first year. Building the perfect garden is a long-term project that can be carried out over a number of years or even a lifetime.