Designing Your Garden

All gardens benefit from careful planning and design. Modern gardens are seen as outdoor rooms and have to fulfill many functions. When designing your garden you should have a plan of how you want your garden to look.

When designing your garden it is always a good idea to measure and then draw a plan of your existing garden. This should include the house, boundaries, shrubs, services such as water, electricity, gas, sewerage and telephone cables. It is best to use graph paper and choose a scale such as 1cm equal 1metre. Try to draw everything in the plan as close to scale as possible. Trees should be drawn as circles showing the width of the canopy and a small dot or circle in the centre for the trunk. Note where the midday sun appears and indicate the position of features such as shaded areas, suntraps, slopes, damp areas and existing vegetation.

Decide what you want from your garden and make a list of any essential features such as a vegetable plot, a path or a shed. Then draw up a wish list of things you would like to have - a water feature, a climbing rose, an apple tree, and then arrange them in order of preference.

Once you have a base plan of your garden, and you know what you want, place a piece of tracing paper over it and draw another plan with all unwanted plants and structures removed. On this sheet you can also divide up your garden into different areas. There are three main areas - the part of the garden that can be seen, such as the front garden, the service part of the garden which would contain things like bins, washing lines and compost heap; and the private area. This is the most important space, as here you will want to spend time relaxing and entertaining family and friends.

You should consider how much time you want to spend in the garden. Some people are happy to spend every spare hour tending their plot, while others have neither the time nor the inclination for this. If you are of the latter type you might want to avoid high maintenance features such as lawns and a vegetable garden may not be a good idea for you. On the other hand don't just avoid something because it sounds complicated. Many aspects of organic gardening, such as no-dig systems and mulching will actually save you time.

The choice of how ornamental your garden should be is entirely up to you and your particular taste. You should be able to relax and enjoy yourself in your garden and it could be a reflection of your own personality. If you are a very tidy person you might favour the formal look, while if you don't like things too regimented the informal or cottage garden might suit you better.

If you have always wanted to grow your own food you do not need a huge garden. Even a small space can be used to raise a range of fresh fruit, herbs and vegetables. The most important point is to ensure that you have got the right conditions for the crops you want to grow.

In recent years wildlife gardens have become very popular. The aim of a wildlife garden should be to increase the number of all species, the beautiful ones as well as the less attractive ones. The best wildlife gardens will contain a range of habitats and will usually include a water feature, long grass, shrubs, trees and lots of flowers and fruit. In addition a variety of height is needed to create the most diverse habitat.

When preparing your final plan you should first sketch in your list of essentials. This will show how much space there is and whether you can fit it all in. If there is not enough room for all the items listed, those with low priority will have to be left out.

Next you should consider how much space will be required for each feature and fit them precisely into the plan. Balance and scale are of utmost importance here. You should try to visualize how it will feel to stand in the garden. You need to consider your planting scheme carefully. You might wish to hide boundaries, such as fences or block out eyesores with either climbers or taller plants. Position small plants where they can be seen, such as the front of a bed or the edge of a path. It would be a good idea to group plants that have similar growing requirements. Try to incorporate meandering paths and naturally flowing shapes in order to create visual interest.

You should also consider how your garden will look from inside the house. Certain planting schemes could link the house and garden. Paths can be used to link different areas of the garden, using materials that are in keeping with the style of your house. Using the same materials give a sense of uniformity. If paths are on a slope you might want to add steps. You should also think about any ornamental features you might want to include, such as pots, urns, archways, pergolas, seats, bird baths or water features. These would all make interesting focal points and provide that individual touch.

Marion Aston has a gardening website http://www.gardeningdelight.co.uk and has also written a number of articles on gardening and garden design.