PLANNING YOUR PLOT
Whether you’re starting from scratch or have inherited an established garden, here’s how to make the most of your outside space
Amodern garden is rarely used only for growing flowers and food — it also doubles as an extension to the home, an outdoor room for relaxation, play, entertaining and exercising. Few people are lucky enough to move to a home with a perfect garden, but improving what’s there or creating something entirely new is possible with good planning, thoughtful design and learning about plants, mainly through trial and error.
FIRST STEPS
When it comes to revamping a garden, the first step is to identify how it will be used, so that the new layout suits your lifestyle and needs.
For most, a patio or decking area geared towards entertaining is essential but, increasingly, people also want to chill out in a tranquil sanctuary, soothed by the scent of flowers and sound of water. On top of this, if you know you won’t have much time, you might want a plot that’s low maintenance, or if you have children or grandchildren, you could plan a hard-wearing play area. At this stage, consider whether you want to encourage wildlife into your outdoor space, so you can set aside somewhere for nature, and also if you’d like to grow flowers and vegetables, whether that’s in beds, planters or raised containers, or a mixture. Don’t forget about storage too, such as sheds and chests, for tools and furniture.
GATHER INSPIRATION
Before starting to sketch out a design, it’s worth flicking through magazines and plant and outdoor furniture brochures and books for inspirational images of gardens, plants, colour themes and furnishings. Also take into account the natural restrictions of your garden – is it on a slope, does it have difficult soil or is it too shady or sunny? – your budget and, realistically, how much time you’ll be able to spend on its upkeep. If budget is tight, focus on improving the difficult areas of your existing space, so changes create that maximum impact for minimum effort and expense.
IMPROVE, DON’T MOVE
Consider what can be saved but made to look better, especially with more permanent structures such as paths, patios, decking, lawn, beds and borders, hedges, screening, walls and fences. Tired paving, for example, can be transformed by jet-washing and re-pointing joints, while a fresh layer of gravel can restore an unkempt path.
Decide early on about lighting — installing an electrical supply as an afterthought can be difficult and costly. Outdoor lighting changes the mood and adds a touch of magic. In addition, looking from indoors on to a floodlit patio makes the interior seem more spacious.
Also study the plot, noting where sun or shade falls at different times of day and, ideally, in all four seasons. Places for seating and eating should be protected from wind, nosy and noisy neighbours and full sun or deep shade, so look beyond the garden’s boundaries to see how protected or overlooked the site is.
Most importantly, analyse the soil type (find test kits online) to ensure new plants are compatible — unsuitable impulse buys are a waste of money. Gardening guru
Beth Chatto, always advises ‘right plant, right place’ and, with good labelling and a wealth of information available on the internet, it’s never been easier to search out plants for specific conditions.
It helps to view the space as a series of multifaceted, linked activity zones, separated by walls formed from stone or brick, trelliswork, fencing panels, bamboo screens or hedging. Each ‘room’ is designed just as you would an interior, considering proportion, colour, texture, furnishings, ornaments, lighting and stylistic themes. Garden ‘rooms’ also have floors, with a wide range of coverings to choose from, as well as
ceilings in the form of tree canopies, pergolas, canvas awnings and overhead beams — the only variable is the plants.
The average garden is small, so consider space-efficient ways of defining different spaces. For example, paths, lawns and planting can double as natural divisions. Living screens can quickly develop from fast-growing plants such as non-invasive bamboos, miscanthus grasses or evergreen photinia and pittosporums. At this stage, ideas for such practicalities as disguising compost heaps, hiding refuse bins or siting a rotary dryer need to be incorporated into the plan, and pathways planned accordingly. And, don’t forget to take into account what views you’d like from the windows.
As a general rule, the area closest to the house should be architectural, with hard landscaping creating a smooth transition between the house and outdoor space. Further away, the design becomes less formal. Use walls, terraces, patios, paths, trees and overhead structures to provide a permanent framework to hold the constantly changing shrubs and seasonal flowers.
Once the basic shape is in place, consider colour schemes. Choosing a single paint colour to use on all woodwork is unifying. Try Farrow & Ball or Cuprinol Garden Shades for a range of exterior paints that complement the natural environment. When it comes to hard landscaping, there are two golden rules. The first is that new paving or brickwork should blend with the existing architecture of the house. Second, avoid choosing more than three different landscaping materials within a small space. Before making a final choice, bring home paving samples to study wet and dry, and to check that they blend with existing materials.