Top Tips on What To Consider When Designing A Garden

Top Tips on What To Consider When Designing A Garden

Designing a garden can be a very personal venture, as each of us will consider different elements key to creating a blissful haven from the busy pace of everyday life. Whilst you may have a good idea of exactly how you would like your garden to look as a finished project, why not take a moment to read these useful top tips on what to consider from landscaping and gardening expert, Dan Curran, Co-Founder of Ginkgo Gardens:

  1. Firstly when designing a garden, it is important to plan, plan, plan. As with anything, designing a garden will take time and research. Access the site well, you don’t want to find that you buy all your plants or have something built for the space (i.e. a water feature) only to find that there is not enough room or that the soil condition is not right for the plants. Define areas for privacy and spaces for hard and soft landscaping and think hard about the planting and what you want to achieve.
  2. Think about how you want to use the space, decide early on if you want to have beds, pots, trellises, garden furniture, fountains etc, as long as you have checked that it will all work together, there should be no problems.
  3. Do consider who will be using your garden. Will it be used for children? Will pets be using it? Will you want to use it for entertaining? You can create different spaces for different uses taking into account the size of the garden.
  4. When choosing your plants, think about the sun’s position on your garden and the light requirements for each plant. Some plants require full sun to thrive, while others will grow equally well in full sun or part shade.Magnolias, for example always prefer a spot in the garden with lots of light to thrive. Also it is important to group plants together which will flower at the same time, so you are not left with large gaps in your beds.
  5. Don’t just think about the visuals, consider the scents of plants. Think about when flowers will be blooming and fragrant, as well as what scents will complement each other.
  6. Grass or No Grass? It is lovely to have some fresh green grass in your garden, but depending on the size, you may prefer to have the space paved over for a smarter, more urban look (also removing the need to maintain the lawn). Alternatively artificial grass is fantastic as it is easy to maintain and looks really smart.
  7. If you want to include a summer house, why not take a simple garden shed and transform it with a good wood stain, using slates on the roof rather than the normal roofing felt is another trick to make it look wonderful. One just has to grow a rose over it and perhaps some planting in front and you have a haven of peace and calm.
  8. When designing a small garden always think about access which can be a common problem in small urban gardens. Whilst home owners may want to include water features or children’s play areas, it may not be feasible given the space. Think about what would be sustainable and convenient in the space you are designing.
  9. Think about what theme you want to follow for your garden, a good place to start is looking at the architecture of your home. Try to complement the lines and style of your home’s architecture in your garden if possible, after all, your garden is an extension of your home.
  10. Finally, think about the future. Make sure you provide your plants with enough room to reach their mature size. Keep in mind that mature size is typically based on the ideal growing conditions which will vary depending on your garden.

 

Ginkgo Gardens are a specialist horticultural business serving the domestic market, property management companies, social housing groups, hotels, schools and business headquarters in London and the South East.

 

 

 
 

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