Garden Design
Get the very best from your garden by zoning spaces. Before having any landscaping work carried out you need to know and understand your garden space well. Think about all of the following: – which views do you like the most, which views would you like to mask, where does the sun shine on your garden from the early morning to the evening. Do you want a low maintenance garden, do you want lots of colour, do your prefer structured gardens, is your garden going to be for family use, is it for relaxation, do you have children, pets or both. All of these factors are very important and will determine where certain zones should be placed in your garden to get the most use out of the space and zones you create.
Create a wish list
Write a list all all the things you’d potentially like in your garden. If you’d like a dining area, how many people does it need to be able to seat. Would you prefer to create a cosy nook where you can hide away and read your book in peace with a glass of wine. May be you have children and would like to create a zone especially for them to play in. Would you like a relaxation area with a water feature and small pond, or would you like a large pond. The ideas are endless but write them all down. We will work through all of your ideas with you and narrow them down to create your ideal space that not only looks beautiful but is functional.
Think outside the box
You don’t have to have garden borders either side of your lawn for example. Instead opt to use large, deep, boxes made from a variety of materials such as Aluminium, wood, rusted steel etc, etc. These can be used to create zones and screens where you would like them in your garden. Each box could be planted out with evergreens and a variety of seasonal flowering plants. You could even use one or two of these boxes as vegetable beds. Again the idea are endless and will cater to your needs. Pots, containers and hanging baskets can also be placed around your garden space to create interest and seasonal colour.
Planting
In the U.K. we tend to look out at our gardens more than we actually use them, therefore make sure your planting is near to the areas you can view from the house.
Hard landscaping
Use different materials for the different zones you are creating to differentiate between the areas. For instance you could opt to use a porcelain paving that has a pattern on it for the area where your alfresco dining area will be. Then you could use gravel around a water feature in a contrasting, or complementary colour to the patterned paving. You might choose a decking area that’s made from real wood or composite wood in a colour that gain either contracts or compliments the other materials. There are so many different types of paving that can be used to create different zones in your garden. The mix of textures and materials will create interest and define your garden zones.
Think for as long as possible about your garden design before rushing in and doing anything. You’re going to be living with the plants/patio/paving you opt for, for a very long time. Take your time. Make sensible decisions based on the reality of what you can and can not manage in your garden. Patience and planning are key to any great garden design. Green Onion Landscaping is here to help you, use our knowledge and expertise to help you plan your new garden design. This is what we do for a living, we love our jobs and we are very good at it too.
Garden designs created from scratch don’t grow, mature and evolve overnight. Garden design is something which takes time and lots of it. Five years from the initial planting of your garden design it will begin to look like a young version of what it has yet to become. After 7 years you will not be able to age your garden design, at 12 years everything in your garden design will be mature except trees. From then on your will be cutting back and restraining your garden, keeping it looking manicured, watered and fed. This is why it’s very important to think long and hard before planting lots of shrubs and trees that you’re then going to have to find the time to look after. Green Onion landscaping can advise you on what plants trees and shrubs to use in your garden design to create the look you’re after. We design gardens all year round.
Which plants should you use in your garden design
My advice is to always grow the flowers shrubs, trees and plants that you like the most. There’s no purpose in purchasing plants for your garden that you don’t like. Find the plants that will thrive in your garden best then use these variants. Use ideas that you’ve seen on visits to other gardens. All garden designs can be scaled up or down to work in your space. Don’t copy other people’s ideas, try and think outside the box. You want your garden to be special to you and your family. Your garden should reflect you, what you love and what makes you happy.
Contrast your plant colours in your garden design
How plants interact and complement each other is worth noting when designing your garden borders. Chose plant colours which blend or contrast to make a statement in your garden borders or pots. Note the light in your garden. Where is it bright? Where is it shaded? This is key to answering where you should plant certain colours of shrubs, or where you should consider placing your potted plants or hanging baskets. A beautiful bright hanging basket can bring a dull corner of your garden to life.
What should you remove from the garden space
Always remove anything ugly from your garden. This is essential. Your garden should be picturesque and beautiful, a place where you can spend time enjoying all the views and relaxing. If there’s an ugly great obstacle in your garden, for instance, water butts or compost bins, remove them or screen them off.
