Have you got a picture in your head of your ideal garden?
Is it informal with curvy, billowing shapes, soft colours and scented plants?
Or maybe it’s more formal with straight lines, topiary and structure (include scented plants too because every garden needs perfume).
The point is that you need that image in your head before you start making any major changes to your garden. Call it having a vision or setting a goal, you don’t need a label, but once you decide what you want you’ve a better chance of getting it.
Spend a bit of time thinking about what you want, it’ll definately save you time in the long run and will probably save you some money too:
- What does your ideal garden look like?
Is it a soft, romantic vision, or something completely different?
- What’s your style?
Would it be neat and calm with clean lines and just one or two colours ( green and white?)or bold, bright and colourful?
It works best if it reflects your character, and that of your house.
- What would you like to use the garden for?
Somewhere for your young children to play, or a quiet, contemplative place to relax in?
A place to entertain friends and family?
Do you want somewhere to grow vegetables? Even the smallest space can accommodate these.
A clearer picture is probably forming in your head by now, so note down your ideas and add a few sketches, if that’s how you like to express yourself.
Tear out magazine pictures of gardens and plants that you like, or any other images that appeal to you and get you feeling creative.
Don’t rush this stage, take your time and store all these together in a box …. and keep adding to them.
Eventually you’ll see a style emerging, giving you a clearer idea of what you want your garden to look like.
You’ve compiled a Brief and that’s the crucial starting point to any design.
Now you can start thinking about the proportions of the garden, and how it will all fit together.
Have fun
Jill.
images: Jill Anderson
I am enjoying your blog so very much. I live in the US, south and only wish sometimes we had the weather to grow beautiful borders like you do in your country. Thank you for a beautiful few moments each day to go “garden traveling” from my armchair!
Hi Carolyn, thanks for your comments, it’s nice to hear from you. We are fortunate to have great weather here for a wide variety of plants, and its’ warm and sunny at the moment. Feel free to leave comments on blogs in the future. Jill
Stumbled across your blog and love it. Elegant, practical ideas, succinctly communicated – thankyou!
I have lived in new house in Hampshire Uk with a 1 acre empty rectangle of grass for a year, and am enjoying your posts so much about design as I plan. This early stage set of questions is great as am newbie to garden design. I loved the before and after of the long rectangular rural garden.
THe only critisism of the blog is that I don’t seem to be able to find a search box to search for articles?
thankyou again.
Hi Patti, a new plot can be overwhelming, so I’m glad the post has been helpful. It’s a good idea to live with the garden for a year & see it through all the seasons. We’ve been here a year & I’m putting the garden plan together now, it’s worth getting it right on paper before the work starts. Thank you for your kind comments, good point about searching for articles. Best wishes, Jill.