Are you planning to design your first-ever garden? Or making use of an outdoor space you got after buying a new house? In any case, gardens refresh our lives by improving the atmosphere of our surroundings, invite us for getting useful sunlight, guard us against rain and wind, and most importantly, it makes our visuals relaxing with nature.
But, from where to start when designing a garden? We’ve collected suggestions from garden designers, along with our personal experience. So continue reading for simple and creative tips for garden design.
Find out your preferences
Before jumping to design tips, make sure you know what type of garden you are planning to build. Ask yourself the following questions:
● Do you want to have an eastern layout – curves, irregular shapes, materials like rocks, water to symbolize nature? Or your garden should be based on layouts of western traditions – straight lines, symmetry, and rectangles? By understanding the two types, you can mix them according to your preference.
● Know what purpose your garden will accomplish – either the garden is supposed to raise food, or be visually pleasing?
By finding out what type of garden you want to design and for what purpose, you can mix and match each type and get most out of the standard designs.
Shape your garden
Take a look at your garden from your window. The most notable shape you’ll see is your lawn. So to set your garden in the right direction, you need to shape up your garden. No, it shouldn’t necessarily be of rectangular shape, try a circle, oval, or square shape. But whatever the shape, it should be good and strong.
Use pretty flowers elegantly
The finest garden designs begin with structural plants filled with beautiful flowers. The size of plants should be according to the area. So you can use evergreen plants at the end of each side like punctuation.
Most importantly, try to use five to six different plants and arrange them elegantly in patterns. Consider them like a group middle school group photo, with shorter ones at the front and taller ones behind.
Once you’ve built this frame, add pretty flowers to fill the gap. Add your dining or sitting area near long, narrow plants. You can choose scented plants like lavender. We’ll recommend you to consider star-jasmine near the sitting area, where you can enjoy the scent without plants hanging over you.
Trees – architecture to a garden
Trees are the foundation of any fine garden design as they can benefit you and your garden in multiple ways. They can block the harsh sunlight as well as can be used to hang a chair, lights, or beautiful decorations. Also, trees can give architecture and solid structure to your garden.
So, if you want to block an unattractive view, or filter air and noise pollution, trees can be a great help!
Style and colour of paving
The style and colour of your paving can give a strong look to your entire garden. For example, golden stone laid in a mixed arrangement will set an English country look, or grey and white stone arranged in a random pattern creates a French country feel. Silver or black paving laid in a regular pattern will set the perfect scene for a glossy and modern look.
So, following are the examples if you want to know what colour and style will suit your garden:
● White or grey stone looks amazing with white and purple blooms
● Silver and black paving looks great with vibrant colours, like orange, red and yellow
● Golden stone works best with soft-toned flowers, such as pink, pale yellow and lavender.
Garden furniture
If you have got a smaller patio, folding furniture or seating that you can tuck under a table will look good. While you can add swing seats, hanging chairs, day beds, sun loungers or a teak garden set for a garden with larger space.
Provide enough space and room for people to sit comfortably without being stuck as comfort is most important when it comes to relaxing. You don’t want to overcrowd your garden with furniture.
Don’t forget about other must-haves, like chimneys, fire pits, heaters, etc. planning space for them is essential, as they’ll be used in winters.
Pay attention to the fences
Mostly for small gardens, fences are the most notable in view. So, you need to make them look good. You can pick the same, but creating visual links will be better. Considering the material used, you can always whitewash them if you are not able to change them.
Remember, first establish your fence with neighbours and ask them before doing boundary-related work.
Lights bring character to a garden
To create an atmosphere in your garden, lights can be an effective tool. Not only this, lights can bring character, appeal and ambience to your space. So layer up the lighting in your garden by choosing from a variety of sources – standing lights, candle lanterns, table lamps, bulb strings, etc. This will not only add a charm to your garden but also let you enjoy your evenings or cloudy weather.
Small space hack
Here is a tip to maximize your space even if you have a small garden. Consider vertical planting by making use of walls and planting upwards. Also, there are many foldable furniture options in the shops that you can use to enjoy your day for easy and instant seating. Thus, a small space is no more a hurdle in designing a beautiful garden.
Don’t forget about the wildlife
Do your best to create a positive impact on wildlife. You can add bee-friendly plants to your garden, or even try asking your neighbours for creating a hedgehog freeway. You can also buy bird feeders and hang them on tree branches or fences.
Wrapping up!
When you’re creating your garden, there are endless designs and patterns that you can make and bloom. By following these ten simple tips, you can design the most elegant version of your garden and enjoy your time with nature. As it is said, a garden is a friend that you can visit anytime!
Sponsored content