Super structures

Garden buildings

Practical or ornamental, a garden building can be one of the largest, most dominant features in a garden, so it needs to be chosen with care from the wide range of buildings available, not only in terms of style, materials and size, but also with regard to how each is incorporated into its location.

Elegant buildings naturally make a stand-alone focal point, whereas the more utilitarian buildings are discreetly tucked away out of sight. Others are integrated with planting or partly veiled beneath trees.

Any structure, whether practical or decorative, should suit the overall style of the garden and integrate with the design, especially if it is a major focal point, such as a gazebo. As a rule of thumb, ornamental buildings blend in best when they are in proportion and harmonise with the house’s architectural style, as well as blending with the materials used in the existing hard landscaping. Once the framework is correct, imaginative planting will draw the structure into the overall scheme, softening and enhancing.

The biggest challenge with practical buildings is to cunningly screen it from view, while maintaining accessibility. An ordinary lean-to storage shed can, for example, be tucked away out of sight on a side wall or adjacent to the garage. But if there is insufficient space for it to be sited anywhere other than within view of the house, a shed can be screened from view by shrubs or trellis or painted a nice shade to make it a decorative feature.