Liz and Will’s tips for designing your own garden

■ Before starting work, design the overall scheme. Of course, small things will change during the course of the project, but the style, framework and major structures should all be planned in advance.

■ Don’t be afraid to clear a garden and start from scratch. Initially, we made a big mistake in keeping two mature sycamore trees at the furthest end. During our first summer, the wood pigeons lived there, dropping mess on the dining table below, while the trees dropped sticky stuff on the plants. Eventually, we had the trees removed, and the stumps ground out.

■ Even in a small space, include a couple of dramatic specimen plants such as our Magnolia grandiflora and a clump of golden bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea), which whispers in the breeze. The key is to keep them pruned to fit the limited space.

■ A garden continually evolves, so keep scouring gardening books and magazines for ideas to weave into the garden. We never copy exactly, but adapt elements to fit the purpose and space.

■ Accept that you’re going to make mistakes along the way – gardening is very forgiving. They can always be rectified.