side of the paper. Repeat the procedure with the width of the garden and plot it on the short side of the paper.
Right angles – 90° angles Check for right angles by measuring the diagonals. For example, if your garden is in any way square or rectilinear, then the crossed diagonal measurements should more or less be equal.
Awkward shapes You can plot an awkward shape by drawing a straight line from two fixed points – say between two trees. Step off at regular intervals along the straight line and measure how far the curves of the awkward shape are out from the stepped-off point.
Items that you need to mark in on the site plan
• NSEW
• Midday sun
• Outline of boundary
• Items that you want to keep or modify
• House
• Mature trees
• Neighbours’ trees
• Underground pipes and cables
• Doors on house
• Windows on house
• Drain access points
• Main gate
Paths and drives
If the site plan is a record of items and structures that you have no choice but to leave unchanged, you have the option here of whether or not to mark in the position of the paths and drives. You could say that, since the position of the front door and the front gate are fixed, it follows that the paths will also stay the same. This does not necessarily follow, however. That said, it is usually a good idea to draw them in.
Slopes in cross-section
The easiest way of recording a slope is to draw a cross-section view. Draw the length of the slope on a piece of graph paper and label the line ‘top’. You need a spirit (carpenter’s) level taped to a 2 m (7 ft) long batten. Working from the top of the slope, hold one end of the batten on the ground so that the level is true, and measure the vertical distance from the overhanging end of the batten down to the ground. Mark this in on the drawing. Continue down the slope until you have a record.
MAKING THE MASTER PLAN
Tracing the site plan Put a sheet of graph paper over the site plan and use the underlying plan to work out what you want in your new garden. You might well have to go through this procedure a dozen or so times before you have a drawing that suits all your needs.
Pencilling in your design Once you have achieved a good preliminary plan, set it under another sheet of graph paper and trace it off with a pencil. This new drawing is your ‘master plan’. You should now have two finished drawings – the site plan that records the bare bones of the garden, and the master plan that sets out the design of the new garden. You can photocopy the master plan so you have lots of copies.
Separate details Some items are so complex in themselves that they will need working drawings. So, for example, with a water feature, you will need a plan view, a front view and a cross-section showing how it is constructed.
Colouring in Some people make coloured drawings to show how the garden might look at various times of the year. To make a coloured drawing, set a sheet of plain paper over the master plan – hold it against a window and make a tracing. Tint this drawing with coloured pencils or watercolours.
Calculating materials
Save time and money by calculating quantities and ordering in bulk.
Area
Rectangle – Multiply the length by the breadth to give you the area. A plot 30 x 15 m = 450 square m (100 x 50 ft = 5,000 square ft).
Circle – Area of a circle is pi x radius squared, with pi being 3.14. For example, with a 3 m (10 ft) diameter circle the sum is 3.14 x 1.5 squared, meaning 3.14 x 2.25 = c.7 sq m (3.14 x 25 = c.80 sq ft).
Irregular – Draw a square grid over the shape. Find the area of a single square. Gauge how many whole squares you have and multiply them by the area of a single square.
Volume
The volume is the area of the base multiplied by the height.
For example, a tank measuring 90 x 90 x 90 cm has a volume of 729,000 cubic cm (3 x 3 x 3 ft = 27 cubic ft).
Turf is sold as regular shapes – usually about 30 cm (12 in) wide by 45 cm (18 in) long
Soil is sold in cubic metres, by the jumbo bag or truckload
Gravel is sold in cubic metres, by the jumbo bag or truckload
Bricks are sold individually or by the thousand
Stone is sold by the piece or in cubic metres
Concrete is sold ready-mixed in cubic metres or by the jumbo bag
The best plants for the job
With thousands of plants to choose from, the challenge is to get the right plants to suit your location. See the Plants section of this book on pages 54–77 for some of the best choices in each category.
Trees: Small trees offer good year-round colour and texture – foliage, blossom, fruit and bark (see pages 54–55).
Hedges: Hedges make good boundaries, attract wildlife and add year-round colour and interest (see pages 56–57).
Herbaceous perennials: These are the plants that last a few years before being lifted and divided (see pages 60–61).
Shrubs: Shrubs are ideal for small gardens (see pages 54–55).
Wall shrubs: Wall shrubs are a good option for small courtyard gardens (see pages 56–57).
Climbing
