process – adults, children and even pets. Make sure everyone is happy with the end design.
Deciding what to drop If you have worries, such as the kids falling into the pond or plant allergies, then simply leave these elements out of the design.
Eclectic or sweet harmony? Most gardens veer towards harmony but, if you know what you like and you want a glorious unrelated mishmash of styles and forms, the choice is yours.
Scaling down Sometimes you do have to compromise. If an element is dangerously large, or there just is not enough room for all those oak trees, you have no choice but to scale down.
Cost and time When it comes down to it, most designs hinge on money and time. You could spread the creation time over several years, get friends to help with the work and beg and borrow plants, but you might also need to cut basic material costs – stone, wood, cement and the like.
DESIGN TECHNIQUES
This is the exciting bit. You have visited grand houses and show gardens, taken many photographs, developed a passion for just about everything, and generally looked, collected and clipped until your mind is racing with ideas. When it comes to good design, it helps if you follow the rule that says “form follows function.” This means that your final design should be a balanced blend of both your functional needs and your ideas and passions.
How can I use my inspiration?
A long, formal pond or canal links the patio with the rest of the garden. The natural earth-colored bricks and symmetrical layout give this design a traditional or classic feel. The planting is less formal.
A decking patio with seaside overtones – the matching raised beds are topped with turquoise crushed stone to draw the eye. This is an entirely modern design that focuses on color, texture and function.
GOOD DESIGN, POOR DESIGN, TASTE AND STYLE
In the context of design, a good starting point is to say that things and structures have to work – gates must open, seating needs to be comfortable, steps must be safe, and so on. If you are worried about what constitutes good taste or good style, then the best advice is to relate to tried and trusted classical forms. If you go for untried, cutting-edge forms and imagery, then you may risk, certainly in the short term, your design being described as being in poor taste or poor style – sometimes possibly for no other reason than that it has not passed the test of time.
DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM AN EXISTING DESIGN
There is a fine line between drawing inspiration from an existing design and copying a design. If you visit a garden and are so excited by it that you go away and create a garden that pays homage to it, you are drawing inspiration from it. If, however, you replicate it stone by stone and flower by flower, you are merely copying it.
FRESH, ORIGINAL IDEAS
Using fresh, original ideas is always good. Try to be original with the small things – the little details – and big original ideas should follow. There is no credit in being original just for the sake of it, however. Of course, it is always good to aim for originality, but do not worry too much if you fail.
GARDENS EVOLVE
The wonderful thing about gardens is the way they evolve. You start by putting in structures – paths, walls, and hard areas – and gradually as plants grow in size and number, and as your behavior changes, so you will find that you will, almost by necessity, modify the shape of the structures to fit.
Harmony and contrast
Taken literally, the term “harmony” describes forms, colors and textures that are similar one to another, to the extent that they look happy together. Red brick, stone and wood might be described as being in harmony. The term “contrast” describes forms, textures and colors that are dissimilar or opposite. The strange thing is that contrasts – say dark against light, or rough against smooth – can be a joy to the eye. For example, polished marble can look all the more exciting when it is set against a contrasting material like rough-hewn oak.
You can use a color wheel like this to help you make informal decisions.
LANDSCAPING TIPS
Work with what you have: do your best to keep and use what you have – mature trees, dips and hollows in the ground, natural features like rocks and pools.
Soil stability: be wary about making big changes with wet or waterlogged soil, or soil on a sloping site. Take advice if you have doubts.
The house must look comfortable: aim for a landscape that holds and nestles the house, so that the house looks “happy” in its setting.
Get the best viewpoint: shape the garden so that it looks its best when seen from the house. If you get it right, the house will also look its best from various vantage points around the garden.
Draw inspiration from nature: the easiest way forward is to draw inspiration from a slice of nature – a forest glade, a valley, the side of a hill.
Materials in harmony: all new materials look their best when they are drawn from the locality – local bricks, local stone, local wood.
Scale in harmony: aim for structures that complement the house in size, rather than structures that overwhelm the house.
PLANTING TIPS
If you liken planting to painting colors on a canvas, you can take the analogy one step further by saying that you must hold back with the planting until the canvas – the structure of the garden – has been well prepared.
Climatic conditions: the plants must be suitable for your climate – it is no good going for delicate plants if your site is windy and subject to frosts.
Soil conditions: the plants must suit the soil – you must not choose chalk-loving plants if your soil is predominantly clay.
Sun and shade conditions: look at the way the sun moves around the garden, note the areas that are sunny and shady, and position the plants accordingly.
Scale: take note of the potential size of plants – the width and height when fully grown. Be especially wary of some of the fast- growing conifers.
Year-round color: aim for a broad selection of plants, so that you have year-round foliage, bud, stem and flower color.
Container-grown plants: these can be purchased and planted all year round.
MAKING NOTES AND SKETCHES
