How to design a garden from scratch
Before you can plan your new dream garden, it’s essential to know what you are working with.
If you’ve just bought a new home, resist the urge to get stuck in with your spade as soon as the ‘for sale’ signs are taken down. Take it slowly. Live with your garden for a few seasons before making major landscape design decisions. It’s essential to know what you are working with. Survey your site to assess such factors as soil type, wind exposure, access issues and key plants – then you’ll be ready to sketch your concept plan.
Boundaries and house position
You may already have a site plan of your section showing the correct boundaries and the position of the house. If not, check with your council as they should have a site plan on file for your property. Make a copy to use as the base plan.
If you don’t have an existing plan, you’ll need to draw your own. Measure all the boundaries and position your house, any large trees, driveways and other built structures onto your plan.
Connecting your house & garden
On your plan, indicate which rooms of your house look out onto, or open into, your garden. This doesn’t have to be absolutely precise, but should provide a general idea of where each of these rooms is in relation to the garden. In this way you can plan outdoor features such as a piece of art, bench seat or lovely tree to be seen from indoors, as well as create good connections between the inside of your home and your outdoor living spaces.
Rooms with a view
Note on your plan where the best views are from your garden, and from inside your house. Some of these views and vistas will be within your boundaries – a tree in your own garden perhaps – or borrowed landscape, such as an historic church in the distance. Ideally, these views will also help you to decide where sitting areas should be located.
While you’re at it, make note of any unsightly views, such as where your garden is overlooked by neighbouring properties and may need screening to block eyesores.
List the key features
Mark the position and condition of existing features such as sheds, decks, driveways, paving, pergolas and swimming pools. Even if you are planning to relocate any of these at a later date, it’s important to note where they are in the interim as budgets and long-term plans can change. Also locate on the plan all the trees and plants you’d like to retain. List any built structures that need replacing or demolishing.
North, east, south & west
Knowing where north is is critical, as it means you can work out approximately where the sun will be in your garden at different times of the day. There should be a north point on any official council site plan. Tracking the sun’s movement through the garden helps ascertain which areas are the sunniest (and shadiest) throughout the year. Check in the morning, midday and again in the evening. Record this information on your base plan.
While you’re at it, observe which parts of your garden receive the most sun and wind, and mark on the base plan any damp or really dry parts of your garden too.
On the level?
If your section is sloping, you’ll have to build retaining walls to create flat terraces as outdoor living areas need a level platform for seats and tables. Unless you have the practical building skills required, it pays to seek professional advice when constructing retaining walls.
For areas that need retaining, such as garden beds, try to follow the natural contours of your site as much as possible to avoid expensive earthworks. Clever planting can go a long way in disguising sloping terrain and low terracing is not difficult (nor expensive) to construct.
Underground movements
It’s important to know where underground services such as gas, electricity, water pipes, drainage runs and telecommunication cables are located because this will affect where you can plant trees, excavate patios or build permanent structures.
Your council may have a drainage plan on file, while utilities providers can send you a map of cables and gas pipes. Mark these on your base plan and don’t accidentally dig them up.
Test your soil
Soil conditions vary considerably, even on a small plot, with pockets of clay, long-buried construction rubble, dry banks and boggy low-lying areas. Knowing where the good soil is will help determine your garden’s final layout. The main areas of planting, particularly edible gardens, should of course be situated to take advantage of the best soil conditions, whereas it doesn’t matter what the soil is like if you’re laying paving or concreting over the top of it.
Down the drain?
Boggy soil will severely limit your planting choices – and saturated winter soil can sound the death knell for many trees and shrubs, including fruit trees. To check your soil, dig holes at least 500mm deep and fill them up with water. If it drains quickly, your soil is free-draining. If it ponds for longer than a couple of hours you’ll need to investigate drainage system options, or build raised beds.