Although you might start out with preconceived notions – the garden has to be formal, or you want to grow vegetables, for example – the finished garden will of necessity be a coming-together of what you dream of having and what you actually have on the ground – the location, the size of the plot, the character of your home, and so on. The best way of getting started is to list your needs, think hard about the possibilities, and take things from there.
How do I get the best out of my garden?
YOUR NEEDS
List your needs in order of priority. Your needs might be unspoken, but you probably know absolutely for sure what you don’t want. If this is the case, then list what you don’t want, and then, by a process of elimination, gradually work through to what you would like to have.
THE POSSIBILITIES
Look at the size and location of your plot, and the size of your bank balance, and consider the possibilities accordingly. You might want a huge lake, but if you only have a modest-sized garden, with a modest-sized bank balance to match, it is probably better to modify your “needs” and opt for a good- sized pond.
IMPROVING AND EVOLVING
Gardens generally improve and evolve simply with the passing of time. Plants get bigger, new plants can be grown, lawns can be changed into flower beds, and so on.
Even the smallest patch can be turned into a gentle, soothing haven.
GARDENING STYLES
Although there are only two basic styles of garden, informal and formal, there are many variations on these styles. For example, you could have an informal cottage- orchard type garden, or an informal wild garden. Much the same goes for a formal garden. You could have a classic garden with all the features relating to a symmetrical ground plan, or you could have a Japanese garden that is formal in its layout.
INFORMAL
A natural patio complete with apple trees and meadow grass.
Wildlife areas introduce a new dimension to gardening, and are perfect for a small, quiet, out-of-the-way position.
FORMAL
A small formal garden which has been designed so that the plants can easily be changed to follow the seasons.
A single stone ball can be an eye-catching feature.
THEMED
Areas of gravel create the perfect base for a Japanese garden.
ASSESSING YOUR GARDEN
A successful garden is nearly always a marriage of what you actually have and what you would like to have. The first step is to spend time in the garden. Look at the space, the levels, the walls and so on, and then decide what you want from your garden. Do you like gardening, or do you simply want to enjoy being outdoors? Consider your finances and your physical capabilities. Generally think through the possibilities and then slowly begin to make plans.
Where do I start?
SIZE
Garden size is relative. If you are not very keen on gardening and just want a space to relax and read a book, half an acre (0.2 of a hectare) is a huge area, but if you want to grow all your own vegetables then the same area is perhaps a bit poky. Big, small, long or wide, treat the space like a room in your house and make the most of all the existing features.
SHAPE
Making the most of an unusually shaped space – thin, wide, triangular, L-shaped, or whatever – can result in a uniquely exciting garden. A difficult corner plot can be a problem, but then again such a shape offers you the chance to create a really unusual garden, one that stands out from its neighbors.
EXTREMELY SLOPING SITES
Extremely sloping sites can be great fun. You have three options. In ascending order of sweat and expense, you can make something of it as is, you can build raised decking to create level patio areas, and, most difficult of all, you can create one or more terraces. If you want terraces but need to keep costs down, and don’t mind hard work, the best option is to dig out and move the existing soil.
ORIENTATION
Stand in the garden at various times of the day, and look at the house and the trees and the position of the sun. As you cannot move the house within the site, you have no choice other than to design the garden so that it makes the most of what is on offer in the way of sun, shade and privacy. Decide, for example, if you want the patio in full sun, or the vegetable plot in full sun and yet out of sight of the house.
Design the garden so that it makes the most of the sun.
Balcony gardens
The best way of coping with a cramped balcony garden is to use a variety of containers; these may be fixed to the balustrade, used as window boxes, hanging from the walls, arranged in tiers or in groups on the floor, placed in groups just inside the door to the house, and so on. Use container plants to blur the boundaries between the inside and outside space.
Roof gardens
Much depends upon the size of your roof garden, but as a generalization it is always a good decision to spend on a quality floor such as tiles or decking, really good furniture, and as many pots and containers as you can get into the space.
EXPOSED SITES
Ordinary garden plants hate wind. The key to creating a garden on an exposed site is to build as many windbreaks as possible – walls, fences, sheds and the like – and then to grow tough plants on the lee or sheltered side of the breaks. Once the plants are established, the enclosed space will be that much warmer and draft-free – a good environment for a whole range of medium to fully hardy plants.
SOIL TYPES
To a great extent, you have no choice but to work with your soil – its particular type and conditions. The soil type will influence
