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Whatever your preference of garden style, like the inside of your house, the biggest influence on its character will be you. Be guided by the different approaches and design principles that are shown here and in other books and magazines, and don’t worry about making the odd mistake – even the most confident gardener does that.
Graham Lucas
Blue Aquilegia ‘Hensol Harebell’, double flowered buttercups (Ranunculus acris ‘Flore Pleno’) and the soft pink flowers of Pimpinella major ‘Rosea’ combine to evoke that romantic, cottage garden look.
Cottage garden
Even though modern gardens with shiny metal, glass and plastic have become features of many garden shows, the traditional cottage garden style is still very popular. It is certainly the most romantic, and also the most comfortable style to live with. The main element of this traditional style is its informal plantings, mixing together masses of perennials, especially spires of delphiniums, hollyhocks and verbascum together with annual flowers such as lavatera, sweet peas and marigolds and climbers like honeysuckle and jasmine and, of course, deliciously scented roses. Old clay pots and traditional garden furniture add to the charm of this style.
Tropical garden
Possibly the furthest away from the cottage garden is a tropical style garden. Even in a climate not especially associated with heat, a tropical style is surprisingly easy to achieve. However, it looks best in an urban situation and works very well with modern furniture and accessories. Tender plants such as bananas and cannas will require some extra care to overwinter them, but it is well worth the effort.
The big impact for the tropical style comes from dramatic foliage. Large-leaved plants such as fatsia and paulownia work well with more architectural plants such as palms, bamboos and New Zealand flax. For flowers, fuchsias work really well, especially Fuchsia magellanica.
Plants for a tropical-style garden
Abutilon × hybridum (flowering maple)
Arundinaria (bamboo)
Brugmansia × Candida (angel’s trumpet)
Canna (Indian shot plant)
Eriobotrya japonica (loquat)
Fatsia japonica (Japanese aralia)
Fuchsia magellanica
Paulownia tomentosa (Chinese foxglove tree)
Phormium (New Zealand flax)
Trachycarpus fortunei (Chusan palm)
Even in a cool climate, a summer planting of tender plants creates a tropical effect. A variegated brugmansia and purple-leaved cannas provide both attractive foliage and flowers – but they will need winter protection from frosts.
Mediterranean garden
Even if you don’t live in the Mediterranean, many plants suited to that environment are surprisingly easy to grow, which means it is quite possible to plant a Mediterranean-style garden – just as long as you have plenty of that essential ingredient, sunshine. Despite being sun-loving and tolerant of dry conditions, many Mediterranean plants are also frost hardy, although they do need a well-drained soil to keep their roots dry in winter. Terracotta pots work well as containers and plants such as olives and citrus trees add that authentic touch. Using grit as a mulch around plants also looks very effective. Look for plants with bright colours, which are evocative of the Mediterranean, and many plants from that region also have aromatic foliage.
Gravel also forms an excellent backdrop for a Mediterranean-style garden. The first gravel garden I ever saw was at Beth Chatto’s now legendary garden in Essex and I was quite overwhelmed. I could not believe how many beautiful plants were thriving in such seemingly inhospitable conditions. If you are thinking about converting a lawn into a gravel garden, you will first have to remove existing turf and eradicate perennial weeds. If you have a large area, hire a turf cutter to save time and your back. Turf weighs a ton! (Don’t waste any turf – once removed, pieces can be stacked upside down and covered with black polythene for 12 months. This will rot down and make a crumbly, even textured loam suitable as topsoil.)
The area will need digging over, and if the soil is not already sandy or gravely, you will need to add plenty of grit or gravel as well as some well-rotted organic matter. You may consider hiring a Rotovator for this equally back-breaking task, but any investment made now will bring great rewards to your garden for years to come. Remember that plants from the Mediterranean region need full sun and dry roots in winter. Also, they look much better if they are spaced further apart than most plants.
Plants for a Mediterranean-style garden
Cistus spp. (rock rose)
Cordyline australis (cabbage palm)
Cupressus sempervirens (Italian cypress)
Lavandula stoechas (lavender)
Olea europaea (olive)
Pelargonium spp.
Phlomis fruticosa (Jerusalem sage)
Rosmarinus (rosemary)
Santolina virens (cotton lavender)
Vitis vinifera (grape vine)
Excellent drainage and full sun is essential for these succulents. Aeonium arboreum, opuntia and aloe add that Mediterranean feel to any planting.
Formal garden
Choosing between a formal or informal style is like deciding whether to wear jeans and T-shirt or a tweed suit. Most of us like a bit of both, although not at the same time, which is why it is wise to choose a style appropriate to the occasion and stick with it. Of course, in many gardens there is the opportunity to try out several styles, but the smaller the space, the better it is to use just one.
Formal designs work really well in small spaces and can help them appear bigger than they actually are. Furthermore, the formal style can take on quite different characteristics. For example, a formal Japanese-style garden would focus more on glorifying nature and use more natural lines as well as asymmetry. Conversely, formal gardens in the West usually reflect man dominating his landscape by using symmetry, geometry and proportion with a greater emphasis on hard landscaping details, and it is these things that essentially characterize the formal style. The use of focal points such as pots, sculptures or topiary is also associated with a formal setting.
The use of symmetry and focal points creates a strong feeling of formality in this garden, even though the planting style in the rest of the area is more relaxed and flowing.
Wild garden
Many people are now increasingly aware of wildlife and wish to attract birds, bees and butterflies into their gardens (see here). Whenever you create a garden area they will all come, but to attract the greatest variety of wildlife, think of adopting a wild garden style, possibly just in one area, rather than for your whole garden.
If you have the space, grass that is left unmown is a wonderful feature. Mow a pathway through the long grass, and then you can explore the many wild flowers that appear in the long grass. These will, in turn, attract many butterflies, moths and other creatures. Plant native trees and shrubs, too, and also make use of cultivated varieties of native plants. Honeysuckles can be grown up any new or existing trees that you may have and they will attract moths, which will, in turn, attract bats.
Introducing water is possibly the single biggest thing you can do to attract more wildlife to your garden. An informal pond with plenty of native marginal plants (see here) will quickly attract frogs, toads and many invertebrates. A wildlife garden, then, is more of a feature than a garden style, but it does have a particular look, and can still be a very colourful affair.
Grass left unmown allows wild flowers to grow. Here ox-eye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) look delightful among the long grasses, and will encourage wildlife, too.
Contemporary garden
A favourite style for smaller urban spaces, where there may be no strong feeling coming from historic architecture or countryside views, a contemporary style usually relies on a degree of formality, often using strong geometric lines and plants with architectural qualities. Hard landscaping materials are usually sleek and modern, with stainless steel, glass, plastic and industrial metalwork being popular. A clean, uncluttered look is essential for creating a contemporary style of garden; smooth rendered walls are more effective than brick or stone; and because foliage often works better than flowers in this type of setting, masonry can be painted to be the main source of colour in the garden. Containers and furniture must also reflect the fashion of the garden. When selecting plants choose simple blocks or lines of single varieties; grasses, bamboos and evergreen shrubs work especially well with modern materials.
Plants for a contemporary garden
Buxus sempervirens (common box) clipped into geometric shapes
Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ (feather reed grass)
Carex buchananii (leatherleaf sedge)
Equisetum ramosissimum var. japonicum
Euphorbia mellifera (honey spurge)
Fatsia japonica (Japanese aralia)
Festuca glauca (blue fescue)
Miscanthus sinensis
Phyllostachys nigra (black bamboo)
Pittosporum tobira (Japanese mock orange)
The use of modern materials and carefully positioned sculpture all help to create a clean, crisp contemporary feel to this garden.
Drawing and developing a plan
If you decide not to get any extra help, the best thing to do next is to make a simple plan of your garden. It sounds boring, but without a plan you’ll find it difficult to imagine what will easily fit into your garden space and the best way to arrange your garden. Don’t worry if you think you cannot draw, you don’t need to artistically gifted to sketch out a simple plan, and that’s all we are doing here.
Follow the steps opposite so you can achieve an outline of your garden from which you will then develop your design ideas. You will need to take measurements of your garden first. If you do not have a long enough tape measure, use lengths of string have measured and cut to a set length (for instance, a 5m (5yd) and 10m (10yd) length). Tie the lengths of string to a cane at each end, stretch them out, and measure the remaining distance with your tape measure. Add the two measurements together to get your total distance.
When you have completed your scaled garden plan, scan or photocopy it so that you have new copies to hand on which to sketch out different ideas. Tracing paper could also be used.
KIM’S TIPS
Allow yourself plenty of time to measure your garden. It is much easier and quicker if you ask someone to help you.
A well-designed garden uses definite shapes and lines as its basis. The way these shapes evolve at a design stage is by using a grid of lines laid onto your plan of the garden (see Step 6, opposite).
Using a grid helps to ensure that the different spaces and features of your garden are at the correct scale to each other and, more importantly, to the house itself. Use it to help you to design paths, lawns and hard landscaping areas that are in line and in proportion to each other.
Jerry Harpur/Design: Simon Fraser, Hampton, Middx;
The plan drawn on the opposite page shows a scale drawing of this contemporary urban garden. The design is set at 45 degrees to the house and has been based on the angles suggested on a 1m (1yd) grid. The triangular beds play host to a water feature as well as architectural planting, and the eye is led through the garden to a sunny, west-facing arbour at the end.
How to draw up a plan
KIM’S TIP
Take some photographs of your garden from upstairs, too, as it will help you to get a better idea of your garden’s layout.
Developing your plan
Before going any further, get back in the garden, this time with your camera. Take photographs from different places and at different angles. Stand with your back against each of your downstairs windows too, as these photographs will highlight the view from inside your house. This is a very helpful adjunct to your ground plan. Sometimes a view from a living room or kitchen window can be important, especially in the colder months when you won’t go outside into the garden so much. Photographs show you how your garden really looks. It’s like having a fresh pair of eyes viewing it for the first time. You can also draw your ideas directly onto your photographs, or onto tracing paper placed over them.
It’s also necessary to think about what you really want from your garden. So before you move onto thinking about what are the essentials of good garden design (here), make a list of which features you feel are most important for your garden, as these can have a bearing on your layout. Use this list as a starting point for assessing your own requirements:
• A patio or decking area with table and chairs for relaxing and outdoor dining.
• A children’s play area, possibly with their own patch of garden.
• Other seating areas in different parts of the garden.
• Lawned areas, formal or informal.
• A vegetable or herb garden.
• A garden shed, essential for storage of tools, bicycles, toys, etc.
• A barbecue area, close to your outdoor dining area.
• Water features.
• A pergola for shade, shelter and privacy.
• A greenhouse.
• New pathways, for practical or design purposes.
• New fences and hedges for privacy and shelter.
• A washing line.
• A place for the dustbins.
• A kennel for your dog.
Taking your outline garden plan, start to work through your list in conjunction with the ideas on the following pages, beginning with the most essential features. Decide on the best place for each feature, and roughly mark their positions either on one of your photocopied plans or on a tracing paper overlay.
An outdoor dining area is number one on most people’s requirements
. . . and don’t forget about the children either.
How are you going to use the garden? Almost certainly you will want an outside dining space. Ideally this should be situated close to the house, within easy reach of the kitchen, to make it easier to dress the table and serve food. Dining al fresco is such an enjoyment and is something that you can take delight in at most times of the year. Make sure that this aspect is catered for in your overall garden design. Outdoor dining areas should be private too, so consider screening or the planting of some hedges if required. One clever way to provide more privacy is to erect a simple pergola across the top of the area, which would provide shelter from the sun and rain in addition to the extra privacy.
Do children need catering for? If so, they will need an area where they can play without worry of damage to plants. Any play area should be within close supervision from the house so you can keep an eye on the children and be immediately able to attend to their needs. There are many ways to encourage children to get more involved in the garden, and for them to have their own little patch to grow flowers and vegetables on is a great idea, even if it is only in containers.
A second seating area? If you have the room, a second seating area in a different part of the garden can be very useful. In summer or winter, one area may have a more pleasant temperature than the other. Ask yourself where is the last part of the garden that you get the evening sun? It may be the perfect place for an outdoor dining area or at least it could be a position for a seat or a bench. You may also want to create a secluded place where you can sit and read or just enjoy a snooze on a sunny afternoon. Or you could plant a hedge that will provide a 2m (6ft) tall screen or use a part of the house, a dividing wall or the garden shed to provide a quiet enclosure. If your garden is small, perhaps use a central decking or patio area surrounded by plants.
Do you want a lawn? In a small garden ask yourself if you really need a lawn. In the summer it may need cutting twice a week, every week, there will be occasional weeds to deal with and, of course, a lawnmower to buy and maintain. If you are going to keep your lawn, remember that you can easily change its size to fit your new garden layout, making it larger or smaller, or a more interesting shape (see here). You might want to consider changing some of the lawn to hard landscaping or have a path through borders instead. Smooth, rounded corners are much easier to push the lawnmower around than sharp corners, making the lawn quicker to cut and generally easier to maintain. It’s also possible to fill in any hollows or smooth out bumps in an existing lawn. In fact, even an existing lawn in a poor state of health can be completely rejuvenated, saving money on otherwise replacing it.
If you do decide to replace your lawn, or create a new one, I would recommend turfing it (see here). Seed sown lawns are slow to establish and more weeds germinate, while the new grass seedlings are developing. The other brilliant thing with turf is that it is instant.
Lawns provide a soft surface that is ideal for relaxation or recreation. They do require some simple regular maintenance though (see here).
Vegetable plot? Many people nowadays are interested in growing their own vegetables. We get much pleasure from our vegetable plot and nothing can beat having your own supply of home-grown vegetables and herbs. Even a small space can provide a few vegetables. A vegetable plot or raised beds need to go on your plan in a sheltered but open, sunny part of the garden and preferably somewhere the hose reaches!
Would you enjoy a water feature? Water features are really popular. There is nothing more relaxing than watching fish in an ornamental pool and listening to the gentle sound of trickling water. Water features do not necessarily need fish, however, and there are some very simple ready-made features in most garden centres that circulate water using a pump, providing an attractive feature and, of course, that all important sound. These types of features also pose no dangers to young children, as there is no pool of water. If there are no children about, then there are many opportunities to install water into your garden in the form of a pool, in a way that fits your particular garden style. (See also here.)