As a novice gardener with limited knowledge of plants, one should not be detered from visualizing what inspires you in your dream garden. Without having a gardening background, you can at least know what elements of gardening that appeals to you, such as: colour scheme, fragrance, shade, privacy, attracting fauna, low maintenance, flowering plants, evergreen plants, etc. Once inspired, with a list of your choices you can express those thoughts to a person with horticultural experience. Based on your criteria, the plant specialists can help you materialize a proper plant selection that accounts for hardiness, soil condition, sunlight and all those specific considerations.

In order to find those helpful people, you might want to try talking to nurseries, professional gardeners, landscape designers, and landscape architects. They can present you with sketches, a list of proposals, a scaled landscape plan and a site consultation visit. Be prepared to pay a fee, ranging in price, to be able to use their time and know-how. Most nursery staff are good at giving free, but limited advice, as long as you intend to give them business and as you go along with a cart, buying their products.