No matter what type of garden we have in our home, most property owners love their outdoor
space. Whether it is a small backyard or a large courtyard, a garden is a space that we can make our
own. After all, it is an exciting prospect to create a garden design that works well with our property’s
character and sense of style. That said, no matter how passionate we feel about making our garden a
space suitable to our home, it is not always a simple task to think about how to design a garden
layout.
Ultimately, when it comes down to it, the garden layout is the basic layer of our garden, and an
effective garden layout will make the difference between a beautiful, organised garden and
dis-organised chaos.
Take a look at the following ways in which you can design the layout of your garden.
Sketch a rough design
Whether you are a first-class artist or not-at-all creative, it is a good idea to do a rough, annotated
sketch of your garden and proposed garden design.
In the initial stages of sketching your garden layout, simply section your garden into what details you
would like to appear where. You could label areas such as ‘decking’, ‘guinea pig hutch’, ‘pond’, ‘water
feature’ and ‘wild flowers’.
Later on, you may want to think about what areas of the garden receive more sunlight, or where the
rain tends to fall in your garden.
What’s more, depending on how much sunlight your garden receives, as well as the size of your
garden and your personal preferences, you may want to choose and research the types of plants you
wish to plant in certain areas of the garden.
Think about the primary use of your garden
Although this sounds like an obvious consideration, you’d be surprised at the number of people who
tend to choose initial aesthetics over practical use of the garden. The last thing you want to do, for
example, is plant difficult-to-keep wild flowers, if you won’t be spending lots of time gardening.
Likewise, there is no point in dedicating a large space for an expensive outdoor wooden table, if you
are not going to dine Al Fresco.
Consider the natural features of your garden
As we mentioned before, you’ll need to think about the shaded areas of your garden, where the sun
sets, where the rainwater falls, the soil type, as well as other natural features when designing the
layout of your garden.
Drains, for example, will need to be installed in areas where the rainwater is directed. Additionally,
your planting area or vegetable garden will need to be situated where the soil is at its best.
You’ll also need to think about whether your garden needs leveling off. If your garden features
natural slopes, for example, and your proposed garden layout requires a flat surface, you’ll need to
level off the turf.
Contact us at Floral and Hardy if you would like to find out more about how to design the layout of your garden or would like to ask
Floral and Hardy about leveling off your garden, as well as about types of soil, drainage and other
key garden features, then please do not hesitate to contact us at Floral and Hardy.
Find out more about our Garden Layout Service.
