FIVE TIPS TO CREATING A RICH GARDEN

Treat your outdoor space like a living room and imagine you’re giving it a makeover with new layout and colours.

Just as you’d do when arranging your indoor areas, choose where you want to sit in the garden, what the focal point will be and where you want to shut off spaces by using shrubs to create more intimate areas.

Link the materials in your garden to those in your home. If you have a stone or brick exterior, reflect that as a detail in the garden wall. If you have wood inside, opt for decking. Just a detail, such as a plant that reflects the colour of your inside wall, will unify your indoor and outdoor spaces to give the effect of one living area.

Create a garden for all seasons. Even if you only have a windowbox, think about how plants will look in winter, and how their structure will change throughout the year. Something like winter-flowering cherry blossoms cheer up a space in the cold spells.

Set out to have fun. If you have lawn space, grow something wild for the kids to run around in – long grass is wonderful to play in and gives you a lovely display without costing much.