Design Considerations

A garden is composed of many layers, with each one playing it's own important role in developing the garden to it's fullest potential.

The elements in the garden create the style, e.g., formal gardens, modern gardens.

When designing a garden, the site must be examined carefully:

• Assess the enclosure, the size and the orientation of the garden
• The exposure, soil type, and drainage levels are also very important
• Identify the positive aspects of your site, e.g., existing trees
• Also identify the unavoidable eye sores, e.g. manhole covers

There is an elemental response between the materials used in a garden, and how they interact within the site as a whole.

Visualising a finished garden - Important Steps

• Each garden designer has his/her own style of approch to the project, so choose a designer who can relate to your needs
• Draw a concept plan, and examine how all the elements interact
• Identify the functional and aesthetic requirements, e.g., a children's play area, a fuel storage area
• Good design should feel balanced in scale, shape, movement and proportion
• Ensure that the style of the garden and the choice of materials reflect the atmosphere of the site and your personality style
• Utilise the existing focal points to their full advantage
• If building a new house or extension, ensure that water requirements, levels, and electrical requirements are decided upon before construction
• Often on a new site, excess soil can be used to create mounds or divisions, so do not remove it from the site
• It is advisable to calculate the cost of the plan in advance, and perhaps implement the building in stages if it requires a larger budget
• Professional design costs are in proportion to the degree of planning and drawing packages required to communicate and build the garden
• Water features, barbeque areas, clothes lines, etc., require careful planning when deciding on their design and where they are to be placed in the garden
• The finishing touches, e.g., wind chimes, sculptures, plants, are what really give your garden a more personalised and welcoming feel
• Plants should be chosen to compliment the style of the garden, and to create focal points
• The designer should select framework plants and sculptural plants to create the overall style of the garden, and then select decorative plants for those all-important finishing touches
• A focal point governs how the eye travels in a garden. A well balanced garden has focal points strategically placed to ensure a view that is the most pleasing to the eye
• Visual nightmares and unavoidable eyesores should be screened off, moved, or disguised in order to avoid spoiling the better focal points in the garden

Garden Styles

There are many different styles of gardens, and here is a selection of possibilities for you to consider:

• Country style
• Modern style
• Formal style
• Woodland garden
• Mediterranean style
• Oriental style
• Low maintenance gardening
• Decking
• Front gardens including driveways
• Water gardens

Each of these styles have their own individual appeal and often relate to the personality of the owner as well as to the site. Why not visit our picture gallery to see examples of these.

A common mistake in designing a garden is focusing on one single item, e.g., a cobbled driveway, or decking, or other elements without considering the whole site as an entity, and how these items will interact. It is good design sense to plan the garden out fully beforehand.

The Front Garden

• It should have a welcoming feel
• Cars should be placed away from the front door if possible
• Lighting is very important
• Privacy and protection are also major considerations
• It is advisable to examine the perspective of the front garden to ensure that there is a balanced feel to the site

Water Features

Water brings sound and movement into the garden. When creating a water feature, it is important to take the following points into consideration:

• It is esential that the design of the water feature suits the situation
• Water features can be designed in either a formal or informal style depending on the personality of the client, or the properties of the site
• The planning, preparation, and selection of pond materials are vital in ensuring that the water feature withstands the tests of time and the elements
• Safety is another major issue when planning a water feature. A safely designed pool is a must if there are young children around, e.g., place a small grid over a pool. A self contained water feature is considered safe, e.g., a millstone surrounded by cobbles with water trickling over them
• Further planning is required when selecting the appropriate pump and lighting
• Consider the mood you would like to create in the garden. Still water creates a mood of relaxation, whereas running water is visually exciting and pleasing to hear