The basics of good design
Look at the views from your windows – the kitchen especially – and assess if your current garden looks pleasing from the most frequented spots.
Whether your garden is old or new, analyse what you don’t like about it and set about making amends. Can you see it all in one go? If that’s the case, start off by creating a journey through it – even if the garden is tiny, it can still be divided up with small internal hedges or taller shrubs so you are tempted to explore and find hidden nooks that are lovely to sit in.
Focal points – objects or small trees – will draw you on and make you want to explore. Push canes into the ground to mark their possible positions and use trails of sand on the ground to mark out where you’d like beds. Leave them there for a few days while you eye them up and walk around, imagining what they’ll be like.
Think of wildlife as well as yourself when you plan your plot. Refuse to rely on chemicals and instead cherish the organic nature of your patch of earth and grow plants that are happy in a given situation – sun or shade, good drainage or moisture-retentive earth. Plants want to grow – it’s up to us not to get in the way.
Aim for a design that is interesting but simple – rather than overly complicated – and avoid too many different hard landscaping materials. As a rule of thumb, three different kinds is a maximum. Any more than that and your garden will start to look bitty and overly busy.
What to include
Make sure you put in your essentials – such as somewhere to sit, a path that is even – and interesting – to traverse, and screening from neighbours. But be considerate when it comes to fence height – 2m will give you privacy without robbing your neighbours of too much light.
Make beds as deep and wide as you can and plant relatively closely in soil that has been enriched with organic matter. Not only will the plants grow better, they will also cover the ground faster and leave little room for weeds.
Think vertically as well as horizontally – use arches, wigwams and pergolas to lift up your display wherever a tree would be too large or too dominant.
When it comes to fence colours, the darker it is, the more a fence recedes into the background, especially when there are plants in front of it. Dark grey and black aren’t nearly as oppressive as you might think – instead they disappear into the background when beds and borders are established.
If you want to include containers, it’s best to have a small number of large ones, to create greater dramatic effect. Large pots also dry out less quickly on hot days, so you won’t have to become a slave to the hosepipe. Install a drip irrigation system for pots if you lead a busy life.
Water, in the form of pools and water features, is hugely beneficial for both humans and wildlife. But moving water needs to create a restful sound, not a raging torrent that sends you dashing indoors for… well, you know.
KEY POINTS Use at most 3 different hard landscaping materials Ensure beds and borders are deep and wide Make space for water and wildlife