All gardens vary greatly in shape, size, levels, and we all have very different requirements about what we want and need in our gardens, so every design will need to be carefully considered to make sure everything fits and looks balanced!

Before you start thinking about what you would like where in your garden, you first need to consider what those things are; storage, dining space, entertaining space, areas for children to play, trampolines and of course if you would like open lawns and how much planting.

Consider your storage; choosing the wrong item and putting it in the wrong place can really make or a break a design. You don’t want something way too big that will dominate the space, but likewise if it’s too small and you can’t fit your tools etc in then that’s no good either. However, if you only have a small garden, and want lots out of it, do consider what you really need to store. A garden building or storage unit can be one of the biggest items in a garden, so it’s really important to integrate it into your design and ensure its proportions work in the space available.

What about furniture? Is the furniture something you already have and you are looking for a new patio or deck, or do you want to purchase something new? Either way you must look at how big the furniture is, and how you want to move around that furniture to ensure the hard landscaping you install is neither too big or too small. This is an issue if you create a space that is too small and you can’t fit the furniture in, but also if the area is too big the furniture can look out of proportion and detract away from the overall design. Get the proportions right and everything will look balanced, and be useable.

Focal points. Some gardens and designs have a focal point, maybe it’s a water feature or a specimen plant. Sometimes, that focal point is to detract from something like a boundary wall, other times its to draw the eye to a particular part of the garden. Something too small could get lost and not have had the desired impact, too big and it could dominate the garden so factor in where it is going, what will be around it, and what it’s trying to achieve.

Planting, consider not just the plants you pick, but the size of the beds you choose, especially raised beds. Firstly consider the proportions of what you want to plant, you don’t want a really narrow bed with lots of tall shrubs fighting for space looking unbalanced. For raised beds, especially those built from walling or sleepers, consider the width of the materials and how much planting space you will have left in the middle. Leave it too narrow and you won’t be able to fit anything in, but if making the beds wide enough means you are left with narrow spaces unusable for anything else, maybe the location of the planting needs to be re-considered. Planting is integral to a successful garden and shouldn’t just be assigned to the areas left after the hard landscaping is installed.

Finally, consider practicalities like BBQ’s, washing lines, bins and compost. If they are items you need to have in your garden, consider where they can go to be practical and easy to access, provide enough space to be useable, and don’t put them in full view detracting from the rest of the garden. If they have to be located in a highly visible place, consider screening them with trellis, fencing or planting.

Hopefully these are some useful points to consider when looking at changing or enhancing your garden. Whether you have a blank canvas or an established space you are looking to adapt, it’s always worth planning first to avoid disappointment. And if in doubt, get in touch to consider having a professional garden design done for you, where all of these considerations are taken into account.