Bank holiday inspiration!
Visit a garden this weekend and grab some great ideas
Top tips to help you be inspired by a bank holiday garden visit
There’s a lovely long weekend coming up – perfect for pottering about in the garden. But it’s also worth taking time to step back and see how the experts do it and there are so many gorgeous gardens the length and breadth of Britain to visit. You can pick up lots of hints and tips to take back home to your own patch, but you’ll get the most from your trip if you follow our handy hints when wandering around a stunning garden. Remember our tips and your visit will be doubly worthwhile. We’ve also listed some of our favourite gardens around the country for you to enjoy.
Take photos as you go round to mark the occasion and to remember details of close-up plant combinations, general vistas and plant labels.
Ask a gardener, if you can track one down, any questions you have about the plants you see, or how any can be incorporated nto your own garden. Glean as much useful information as you can to take home!
A notepad is an essential, so you can jot down countless plant names, planting combination details and anything else that you can try and incorporate into your own garden.
As you walk around, consider the aspect of different areas of the garden you’re visiting. Shady spots, sunny spots or exposed areas, for example, will reveal plant gems that work really well among them.
Take in the scents and aromas, pick some favourites, find the sources and work out where you might be able to site them at home.
Take a close look at patio areas with containers – what plants do they have in them? Containers are tricky things to get right, with the right soil and plants, so viewing the best will inspire you!
Don’t get too ambitious! Think of aspects of the larger garden you like and then think about where it can go in your garden on a smaller scale.
Learn about the area’s soil and climate, with regards to the plants it can grow well. If the garden you’re visiting is near yours then all the better, as you can then easily copy some of its plant styles.
Note the colour, design, heights and spreads of the plants you like. Write down what looks good together, matching, contrasting and blending, and plan accordingly.
Look at how the hard landscaping fits in with the soft, take away tips on brick colours or types of support, features in nooks and crannies or perhaps the way a seating area is laid out.