DESIGN TIPS

• With no need to mow,

you can put your plants wherever you want.

• Combine your gravel

with barefoot-friendly stone or timber pavers.

• Put in plenty of airy grasses and perennials to make your garden easygoing and so -looking.

• Lots of greenery creates a lush feel, even in a dry zone.

• Keep existing trees –

they provide shade, look wonderful and are natural carbon sinks (they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere).

• Look for plants with contrasting textures.

• Random repetition of the same plants creates rhythm and guides your eye through your garden.

• Allow groundcovers,

such as lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina) or thyme, to weave through taller plants.

• Put pavers at entrances to make them ceremonial. It also prevents gravel being traipsed inside. 2 Waterwise plants don’t have to be bland and boring. And here is your proof! Plant self-seeding bright orange California poppies among lovely Mediterranean lavenders to create gorgeous and bold colour combinations.

3 INSTALL art, such as these hoops, from which you can hang strings of coloured light-reflecting crystals for extra wow. 4 how cute is a barrel cactus! These li le bundles of joy produce delicate flowers at their centres in spring and summer. 5 kangaroo paws are brilliant but they have a real visual rival here in the rust patina of these tall, elegant glazed pots.

6 texture adds interest and difference – just a rectangle of gravel sets this firepit apart from its sleek paving surrounds.

Combining gravel with airy perennials and grasses creates a look that’s easygoing and soft

3 4 5