Collins

first-time gardener

A step-by-step guide for the gardening novice

Kim Wilde

Copyright

First published in 2006 by

Collins, an imprint of

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

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This paperback edition published in 2008

Text © 2006 Wildeflower Ltd

Editorial, pictures and design © 2006 HarperCollins Publishers Ltd except for pictures credited here.

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Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

PART 1: Gardening basics

What makes a good garden?

Aspect and light

Climate and weather

Soil

Basic botany

PART 2: Planning your garden

Assessing your requirements

Choosing a garden style

Drawing and developing a plan

The essentials of good garden design

Garden shapes and solutions

Typical problems and solutions

PART 3: Garden structure

Getting started

Choosing your materials

Boundaries

Patios and paths

Lighting

Water features

Raised beds

Pergolas, arbours and arches

Garden seating

Hardscape decoration

PART 4: Garden plants

Let the plants do the talking

Planning your planting

Form and texture

Colour, colour, colour!

Good planting

Containers

Spring containers

Summer containers

Winter containers

PART 5: Garden techniques

First things first

Organic gardening

Controlling pests and diseases

Forking and digging

Composting

Sowing seeds outdoors

Sowing seeds indoors

Planting annuals, perennials and shrubs

Planting trees

Laying turf

Watering

Feeding organically

Pruning and training

Propagating

Overwintering

Growing edibles

PART 6: Reference

The gardener’s calendar: spring

The gardener’s calendar: summer

The gardener’s calendar: autumn

The gardener’s calendar: winter

Kim’s recommended plants

Glossary

Acknowledgments

About the Publisher

Introduction

Gardening for me began as a therapy, a way to restore myself from a hectic schedule of travelling and performing. I vividly remember returning from a working trip abroad still dressed in tight black trousers and a shoulder-padded jacket and going straight out into the garden to train my pyracantha. I haven’t changed much and still often garden in completely inappropriate clothing such as nightdresses and platform mules! Now, as a busy working parent, my garden has never been so essential and has most definitely saved my sanity on more than one occasion. In our increasingly stressful and busy lives, a place to relax and re-charge our batteries is more and more important; modern living often sets a pace that can wear people down. A leafy sanctuary provides the perfect antidote, somewhere that offers peace and tranquillity, a place to unwind and share quality time with family and friends.

Gardens are not only good for the spirit, but good for the environment too. Plants absorb atmospheric pollutants as they produce food for themselves to grow, a process called photosynthesis, which at the same time releases oxygen back into the atmosphere. Plants also encourage wildlife, whose natural habitats are increasingly under threat from modern living. The simple pleasure of seeing birds, squirrels and ladybirds in the garden must not be underestimated. While being close to nature has a positive impact on our mental health, our gardens can become havens for wildlife, providing them with food, water and shelter without making any compromises to a chosen garden design.

The educational value of gardening should not be underestimated either, and schools are increasingly incorporating it into their teaching, often by creating wildlife or sensory gardens. In fact, I strongly believe that gardening for children is a natural; I’ve never come across a child yet who wasn’t completely entranced by a pot of garden soil! Encouraging them to appreciate their natural world is a greater gift than any bought in a toy shop. Research shows that gardening can no longer be treated as a trivial pursuit, but instead it can be used as a valuable tool in helping vulnerable adults overcome a wide range of health and social problems by boosting their self-esteem and confidence.

Gardening not only provides the feel-good factor, but is a wonderful way to exercise. Of course, by this I don’t mean a gentle potter in and out of the shed. Like all moderate cardiovascular exercise, it can help lower blood pressure and even heart disease and strokes. Just being out in the sunshine helps the body to make vitamin D, which is essential for healthy bones.

First-time gardening

First of all decide what your level of commitment is. Do you have the budget and the energy for a whole garden makeover, or do you simply want to make the best of what you’ve got? Write down your garden wish list, not forgetting to include the more practical elements like where the shed or the washing line goes, but don’t restrict your imagination.

Think, too, about how you would like to style your garden. For instance, if you live in the country, you could reflect the natural, rural surroundings by using timber fencing, old bricks and rustic arches, setting the perfect stage for roses, lavender and marigolds. Urban homes often suit garden styles that reflect the design and materials of the house, and perhaps the use of ‘architectural’ plants with strong place and presence; very small urban gardens may even reflect the styling from within the house.

I wanted my own garden to have a more formal design close to the house so I planted clipped box balls and used reclaimed York stone and granite setts for the hard landscaping. I also made a small formal herb garden close to the kitchen’s back door (within easy grabbing distance from the plot to the pot!). Further away from the house, gravel paths meander and ornamental grasses and daisy-like flowers, such as echinacea, are planted informally, reflecting the natural style of the surrounding meadows. Ultimately, styling a garden is a very personal choice, but always take into account the location, the site and the style of the house.

Measure your garden and take time to experiment with different design ideas using simple shapes, remembering that strong design does not have to be complicated. Small gardens often suit a more formal design than an informal one, perhaps using simple shapes such as squares and circles. Setting a design at 45 degrees to the house is a tried and tested design option that encourages the eye to move from left to right, creating a space that feels much bigger than it actually is. Also think about incorporating a change in level to create interest; pergolas and arches to add height; potential seating areas to enjoy different parts of your garden; perhaps a simple water feature.

It may seem to the first-time gardener that there really is far too much to have to take into consideration, and this is exactly how I felt when I started. But don’t be discouraged if the pieces of the puzzle don’t fit together as quickly as you would like. The first steps of any pursuit are always the hardest – remember learning to drive?

I have loved writing this book and sincerely hope that anyone reading it will start their own personal journey into a magical and absorbing world. I have made many good friends along the way who have shared my love of plants and gardens and I dedicate this book to them.

Part 1

GARDENING BASICS

A garden can transform the quality of your life and that of your friends and family. We all have memories of gardens as children, perhaps an apple tree, Grandma’s roses or the smell of freshly mown grass. Whether you have just a small window box or a larger garden space, you can discover the gardener in you, the gardener that I believe lives within us all. Creating your garden can be a very personal and exciting journey, and armed with some gardening basics we can all have our own personal Eden.

Garden Picture Library/Ron Sutherland

This picture shows how good design doesn’t have to be complicated. Here a rectangle and semi-circle form the basis for a stylish urban garden. The space has been divided into rooms with the use of trellis, which together with the planted containers, provides height and helps screen the seating area and lawn from each other.

What makes a good garden?

We all have our own idea of what would be our perfect garden. I know that many times I have visited gardens and thought how wonderful they are. I often looked in awe at these lovely creations and thought how difficult it would be to design such a garden for myself. Remember, however, that beauty is in the eye of the beholder – garden design is entirely a personal matter. No two of us are exactly the same and it is in that difference that we find appreciation, enjoyment and pleasure. So whatever your particular aesthetic leaning, be confident to set out to achieve the look that pleases you. If it is right for you, then who can say it is wrong?

If you begin to look closely at what a garden is, how it has been constructed and also understand how it works, then creating your own great garden begins to become a real possibility. We can all learn a lot by visiting other gardens, and looking at how they are planned and arranged. We can then apply those principles to our own garden space. You will be surprised at what encouragement and inspiration you will pick up from other gardens. Don’t just visit large, splendid gardens, many good ideas and inspirations can be had from just taking a stroll through your local neighbourhood. Not only is there the opportunity of picking up some good ideas, you will also begin to learn about which plants grow well in your particular area. Just as importantly, you will see those that struggle to survive and so you will be able to decide whether or not they will even be a part of your planting plan.

Books and magazines are also packed with inspiration. Magazines in particular are great for cutting out pictures of gardens, favourite plants and planting schemes that appeal to you, all of which can be kept. Why not start a seasonal profile, cutting out images of plants that look good at different times of the year, to help you plan for year-round colour? Details such as these are easily forgotten. Rosemary Verey’s Garden Plans was the first gardening book I owned and was the inspiration for the initial layout of our garden. I knew little about gardening and garden design then and have since developed a more personal style of gardening, but it was a helpful starting point. We’ve all got to start somewhere, and as I often say, ‘You don’t have to be different to be good . . . to be good is different enough.’

Nor does it matter if you only have a small garden: the principles of good layout and design still apply, whatever size space you have to work with.

Working with the landscape

Well-planned gardens use their available space efficiently, taking advantage of any natural features such as an eye-catching view. In an urban landscape this may be an attractive nearby building, a mature tree or a view of the cityscape. In a more rural setting, there may be an opportunity of a view across open countryside, perhaps to mountains, hills, a distant steeple or a faraway, isolated village.

Many garden designers call this ‘borrowing the landscape’ and this technique can be used to wonderful effect, often creating a visual illusion of extending the garden horizons. Look around your garden to see if this is an element that you can take advantage of in your own design. If there are no natural features that you can incorporate in your plan, it is perfectly possible for you to create beautiful vistas within the garden itself.

Focusing attention

In larger gardens, statues and sculptures are used on a grand scale to create focal points. However, simple features such as a specimen plant, birdbath, water feature or seat can also be used as very effective focal points, drawing the eye to them. In a smaller space, the use of a focal point can help make the area feel larger than it is.

I find that seats are a particularly good item to use in this way as they also offer an attractive invitation to sit and rest. Think carefully about where you place a seat. For instance, is there a place in the garden that gets the last spot of evening sun? This would be a good location for a seat. A seat also gives you an opportunity to think carefully about what you plant around it. I would suggest that night-scented plants should be considered. There is nothing more pleasant than to experience the concentrated scents from flowers and foliage in a sheltered spot in a garden, on a summer’s evening, when the air is still and warm.

The continuous brick path and formal layout of the clipped box (Buxus) naturally lead the eye to the statuary beyond. It’s a perfect focal point.

Creating different spaces

Garden designers will often make the best possible use of space in a garden by dividing it into several smaller units, or ‘rooms’. This makes the space more interesting to the mind and to the eye: a garden that cannot be seen in one glance invites further exploration. You will want to wander round it, to visit all the rooms – and this is often why a visit to an average-size public garden can take so long! The clever layout means we walk over the same piece of ground, often crossing our tracks and also viewing the same features from different angles.

The division of the garden into rooms can be achieved in many ways. The planting of evergreen shrubs or hedging is an effective divider, providing year-round colour and maintaining an integrity of structure throughout the year. Or you might prefer a less permanent divider, such as trellis, which can offer you an easier means of changing the layout of the garden as your own ideas change and develop.

Whichever way you choose to create the division of the garden, this design strategy can also serve some very good practical purposes. Utility areas can be screened out of sight and areas of shelter will also be created, which can be used to the benefit of both people and plants. Furthermore, a room design is a way of allowing you to choose either diversity in the garden, where each room is differently themed and planted accordingly, or indeed to choose continuity between rooms by implementing the planting of the same structural plants in each area. My garden has developed into a series of rooms from a shady courtyard to a sunny, late summer border. I have used various hedge solutions as well as trellis to help both divide the space and provide shelter.

This small area has been turned into a garden room by using rusted iron containers and a matching archway, which successfully divide it from the main garden area and simultaneously create a wonderful entrance.

Light and shade

Well-designed gardens also use light to best effect. The contrast between bright light and shade in a garden can have many different qualities. Shafts of sunlight falling into an otherwise shady area will transform a space, especially where these shafts light up a water feature. Too much light, however, can also be a problem. I am sure you know how welcome it is to seek the comfort of shade on a hot, sunny day. If shade is not a natural part of your garden, it can be created by the careful siting and planting of trees. Or use climbers, as in my garden, where a leafy vine-covered seating area provides pretty, dappled shade and so is the perfect area for relaxing and entertaining.

Evening light can be usefully employed, too. Planting trees or shrubs with coloured leaves in such a way that they are backlit by the setting sun can create a dramatic and pleasing effect at the end of the day. Ornamental grasses also look particularly beautiful when backlit. We have giant feather grass (Stipa gigantea) planted in a position where it casts a silhouette in the morning and is then bathed in warm sunlight by late afternoon. As the sun sets behind it, the seed head plumes look quite lovely.

My outdoor dining room, where a vine-covered pergola provides shade from the midday sunshine.

Keeping things to scale

Correct scale in a garden is vital. For example, planting a large viburnum next to a delicate bellflower (Campanula) is not going to be a successful combination. On visiting a great garden it’s easy to take scale for granted, but we would soon notice if it wasn’t right. This applies in smaller spaces too: correct scale means features such as sculpture, pots, furniture and plants sit at ease within the garden and also with each other, working both individually and as a whole. An out-of-scale sculpture or feature will upset the overall balance of the garden.

Consider the relationship of all elements within the garden with regard to scale. Successful use of scale means all elements are in complete harmony and it will be imperceptible that you have carefully considered this aspect.

Hard landscaping

The choice of hard landscaping materials is another important consideration that affects the feel of the garden. Patios, steps, timber decking and gravel areas are among many options available, but should be in proportion to the surroundings. Don’t spend time, effort and money creating hard landscaping features when they are simply not required. An over-landscaped garden can look cold and soulless, lacking the essential balance between plants and man-made features. Where hard landscaping is required local natural materials, such as stone, brick or gravel, always sit more comfortably in a garden (see here). Never choose more than two or three materials as the overall look can quickly become restless and cluttered, and always refer your choices to your location, the site and the style of your house.

Limit the use of landscaping materials to achieve a sense of unity and allow the plants to do the talking.

Aspect and light

The aspect of your garden plays a significant role in how your garden looks and feels, and to the kinds of plants that will flourish there. A garden with little shade that is baked by the summer sun may even be too hot to use in high summer, whereas shadier gardens will have a much cooler feel to them. In both these instances, the range of plants that you can choose is quite different. Plants that originated in the Mediterranean region such as lavender (Lavandula), rosemary (Rosmarinus) and lavender cotton (Santolina) will enjoy basking in the heat, and will have adapted through time to thrive in such conditions. Those plants with woodland origins such as ferns, snowdrops (Galanthus) and camellias are adapted to grow in shade and may suffer if planted in the same hot, sunny position. Many gardens have planting opportunities for both aspects, so make a note of where the sun shines in your garden throughout the day, and then make your plant choices accordingly.

In a sunny garden

In the northern hemisphere, gardens that have an open, south or westerly aspect are usually hot and sunny for most of the day. The way in which the sun falls in your garden is an important consideration in the planning of features, and as the sun sets in the west, this aspect will be bathed with warm evening sunshine – a great bonus for those of us that work during the daytime – and so is an obvious choice for an evening seating area. During high summer, a south-facing, warm, sunny wall may be uncomfortably hot, but during the colder months any warmth at all will be welcomed. In our open, south-facing garden, I especially enjoy my seat by the kitchen door, so that I can take pleasure in a little winter sunshine; perfect for enjoying morning coffee outside while I let the dog out!

If your garden is particularly hot and sunny due to its aspect, consider planting trees to create some light shade and shelter, or consider an arbour or pergola (see here). Remember, too, that even in the hottest, driest spot, there are sun-loving plants that will flourish (see here).

An open, sunny aspect is perfect for many perennials and shrubs.

Here are some favourite sun-loving plants in my garden: French lavender (Lavandula stoechas), globe thistle (Echinops sphaerocephalus ‘Niveus’) and the soft yellow Phlomis russeliana.

Small trees to provide light shade

Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Brilliantissimum’

Amelanchier lamarckii (snowy mespilus)

Betula utilis var. jacquemontii (Himalayan birch)

Cercidyphyllum japonicum (Katsura tree)

Crataegus laevigata ‘Paul’s Scarlet’ (May hawthorn)

Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Sunburst’ (honey locust)

Malus × robusta ‘Red Sentinel’ (crab apple)

Prunusx subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ (Higan cherry)

Rhus typhina (velvet sumach)

Sorbus cashmiriana

KIM’S TIPS

 Use a compass to help you establish which direction your garden faces.

 For gardens in the southern hemisphere, all directions are reversed. So a south- or west-facing garden is predominantly shady, while a north- or east-facing garden enjoys plenty of sun.

In a shady garden

A northerly or easterly aspect will almost certainly mean more shade, but this doesn’t mean it needs to be dark and dull. First, consider thinning out some of the trees and tall shrubs to let in more light, and plant golden-leaved plants to lighten the shade, such as the golden-leaved mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius ‘Aureus’) or the golden-leaved dogwood (Cornus alba ‘Aurea’). A plant with golden foliage will brighten any dark corner and many prefer to grow in part shade as full sun may scorch their leaves.

The shade cast by deciduous trees and shrubs will not come into full effect until the leaves appear. So if you underplant with spring-flowering bulbs, such as snowdrops (Galanthus), daffodils (Narcissus) and bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), they will complete their flowering season before the tree canopy closes up. Low light levels in shady gardens can make things appear to be smaller, so be bold with everything from layout (use generous paving areas) and ornament (choose large containers) to planting. Several exotic-looking bold architectural plants, such as the castor-oil fig (Fatsia japonica) and the Chusan palm (Trachycarpus fortune!), tolerate a little shade.

In shady courtyards, brightly painted walls will substantially increase light levels, while strategically placed mirrors will reflect more light into the space as well as making it appear larger than it is. Water, too, will reflect light, adding sparkle to shady corners while offering sympathetic planting opportunities for fabulous foliage associations, such as shade-tolerant ferns, foxgloves and arum. The larger blue-leaved hostas are easy to grow in such situations and are slug resistant too.

Not all plants like full sun. Many ferns (above) are first and foremost woodland plants so, like foxgloves (Digitalis,) and hostas (right), they are happy when growing in partial shade.

Top bold shade-tolerant shrubs

Aucuba japonica (spotted laurel)

Camellia japonica (common camellia)

Fatsia japonica (Japanese aralia)

Hydrangea quercifolia (oak-leaved hydrangea)

Mahonia × media ‘Charity’

Phormium tenax (New Zealand flax)

Prunus laurocerasus (cherry laurel)

Skimmia japonica

Trachycarpus fortunei (Chusan palm)

Viburnum davidii

Shelter

Shelter too is an important factor to take into account. Keeping out the wind increases the warmth of a garden significantly. Many plants can suffer from wind exposure (for example, they may have torn, tatty leaves), plus the soil dries out more quickly. Buildings, walls, fences and hedges all contribute to successfully reducing the exposure to wind. This, in turn, makes the garden a far more comfortable place for plants and people alike.

In windy situations, solid walls or fences may create turbulence on the sheltered side. To avoid this, use a slightly open fence, such as woven hazel, through which wind passes, but at a reduced speed. Hedges also allow for this filtering effect and can be a cheaper option than erecting fences or walls, while simultaneously providing colour and interest within the garden.

Formal hedges such as yew (Taxus baccata) may need clipping twice a year. Informal hedges such as laurustinus (Viburnum tinus) are generally left unclipped and are therefore more labour saving. Remember to plant evergreens – plants that do not shed their leaves – where privacy is of prime importance. Where security is an issue, plant tough, prickly hedges such as holly (llex × altaclerensis ‘Golden King’), Berberis darwinii, firethorn (Pyracantha ‘Mohave’) and hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), which all provide tough protection.

Top evergreen hedging shrubs

Berberis darwinii

Buxus sempervirens (common box)

Cotoneaster franchetii

Elaeagnus × ebbingei

Escallonia ‘Iveyi’

Photinia × fraseri ‘Red Robin’

Prunus laurocerasus (cherry laurel)

Prunus lusitanica (Portuguese laurel)

Pyracantha ‘Mohave’ (firethorn)

Taxus baccata (yew)

Viburnum tinus (laurustinus)

Hedges can add to the style of the garden, as well as providing structure and shelter.

Climate and weather

It is important to gain a broad understanding of your local climate. This will allow you to use it to your best advantage. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Sometimes the weather can be the gardener’s friend and sometimes it can be our foe.

If you gain a general understanding of your local climatic conditions in terms of its extremes, you can use this to influence the choice of plants in your garden. If you have cold and frosty winters, then it is no use expecting exotic plants to survive outside without protection. Alternatively, if you have long, hot summers, then there is not very much point in choosing plants that like to keep their roots wet.

Unfortunately, most of us only achieve a good understanding of our climate and its effect on our plants through trial and error. But a little bit of research and planning will increase your knowledge and save you valuable time, effort and money. There is a saying that, There is a plant for every condition.’ Bear this in mind when choosing plants, not only for their specific positions, but also in terms of your prevailing climatic conditions. Do this and your garden will thrive. The most important climatic conditions to consider are temperature, wind, rainfall and humidity.

Even in cool temperate weather, microclimates within gardens can enable frost-sensitive plants such as tree ferns and Geranium maderense to be grown.

Temperature

There are two main aspects to consider – air temperature and soil temperature. Both of these are vital factors in determining the successful growth of plants. Almost all plants purchased from garden centres are now informatively labelled. There should be a maximum and minimum temperature given, between which the particular plant will do well. In some nurseries, stock is not always so well labelled, so don’t be afraid to ask someone who works at the nursery if any plant you want to buy fits in to the maximum and minimum temperatures in your garden.

Frost is a hazard and can put plants at great risk. A frost occurs when the temperature falls below o°C (32°F) on clear, still nights. Local weather stations measure the temperature 1.5m (2yd) above ground level, so if the forecast in your area is for a temperature of 4°C (39°F), the temperature of your plants at ground level could be close to freezing.

Severe frosts can damage or put at peril even hardy plants, but in general terms it is important to know when the danger of spring frosts is likely to be over in your area. It is only after this date that you should plant out tender plants and summer vegetables. If a frost is forecast, it is advisable that you protect any plants that you know to be at risk from such a low temperature (see here).

You’ll often hear the term ‘frost pockets’ used by gardeners. Frost pockets are low-lying areas such as valleys and hollows where cold air (which is heavier than warm air) flows downhill, accumulates and causes frost. So if you live in a valley or hollow you should take extra care against frost.

Climate change: Almost all scientists now agree that the earth’s climate is changing. The effects of global warming are much debated and contentious, but there is widespread expert opinion agreeing that there will continue to be a general rise in temperature, with a resulting frequency of flooding and droughts, as well as other extreme weather conditions all over the world.

Global warming will deliver a mixed bag to us gardeners as milder winters will allow a greater number of tender species, such as citrus fruits, to be grown outdoors in temperate zones, as well as increased yields of many vegetables, fruit and flowers due to increasing levels of CO2, which plants absorb in photosynthesis. Problems will include an increase in pests and diseases as well as increased maintenance to cover the longer growing season, and certainly many species of plants will suffer or face extinction. As gardeners we are all in a position to make a positive difference to our environment simply by planting and caring for plants appropriate to our environment. Recycling organic matter, improving the soil and planting for wildlife are just a few of the ways we can start to redress the balance and help to heal a planet that is under stress.

Plants you can expect to see more of include olive (Olea europaea), ginger lilies (Hedychium), banana (Musa basjoo), Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis) and century plant (Agave americana).

At present, this Agave americana might not survive an average temperate winter. However, with milder winters due to climate change, such plants will become more commonly seen. In the right conditions, and over 30 years, these plants can grow up to 2m (6ft) high.

Wind

When it is severe or continuous, wind can cause much physical damage to plants. The best way to protect your garden from wind is to create windbreaks. These are simply plantings of trees or hedging that will reduce the speed of the wind by taking the brunt of the wind themselves, thus ‘breaking’ the wind. Natural windbreaks are generally more successful than man-made ones. So, if you have an area of garden that is particularly exposed to the wind, you should consider planting a screen of trees or shrubs that themselves are wind resistant. Ask advice from your local garden centre as to which plants these would be for your area.

Hedges are the perfect barrier for providing shelter from wind within a garden.

Rainfall

Rainfall is an essential aspect of climate that provides the water for your plants to grow. In areas of low rainfall, irrigation schemes can be very effective, but even they still depend on rain falling at some time. Most of our gardens still receive the water that they need through regular rainfall. Unfortunately, rain does not fall at predictable intervals and in consistent quantities, so your plants need to be able to cope with this variability in rainfall. This can sometimes present two main problems:

Waterlogging of the soil, occurs with consistent heavy rain where drainage is poor.

Drought conditions, where rain is sparse over long periods and the soil has dried up and the ground has gone hard.

In both cases, action can be taken to improve matters. Drainage of waterlogged soil can be improved by the addition of coarse grit. Cultivation of the soil will further improve matters (see here). If the problem is persistent, a more complex solution has to be found, such as installing underground drains. This is an area where professional help should be sought.

In dry soil conditions, the addition of organic matter will assist water retention, but generally a regular watering regime has to be undertaken to ensure that the soil is kept moist. If you have free-draining soil and persistently dry conditions, then you should choose plants that suit the conditions. Grasses and many plants from the Mediterranean region are suitable for dry conditions. There is always an answer for whatever the situation.

Plants for wet positions

Betula nigra (river birch)

Caltha palustris (giant marsh marigold)

Gunnera manicata

Ligularia ‘Gregynog Gold’

Lysichiton americanus (yellow skunk cabbage)

Matteuccia struthiopteris (ostrich fern)

Persicaria amplexicaulis (bistort)

Rheum palmatum ‘Atrosanguineum’ (Chinese rhubarb)

Rodgersia aesculifolia

Trollius europaeus (common European globeflower)

Humidity

Humidity is the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere. It is also affected by the moisture content of the soil. At one extreme, high humidity can encourage the growth of mould and fungal diseases, while a low humidity can increase the rate at which plants dry out and wilt. Low humidity can be improved in a garden by introducing water features and soaking all hard areas and soil, occasionally hosing down with water. Gardeners often refer to this as ‘damping down’. The opposite extreme to low humidity occurs mainly in rainforests, where plants adapt to these very particular conditions. Careful selection of moisture-loving plants is therefore important.

It is unlikely that you will have a perfect balance of all of these elements of climate in your garden, but a basic understanding of your local conditions will help enormously. Knowing that you can take some steps to work with the climate and not against it will help to improve your gardening results.

Euphorbia myrsinites naturally grows in exposed rocky places, and so is ideal for planting in a drystone wall.

Astilbes are moisture-loving plants and are best grown in partial shade.

Soil

Getting to grips with the stuff that you grow things in can save you a lot of wasted time and money. A plant adapted for boggy conditions will thrive in a heavy, clay soil with poor drainage. Planted in a well-drained, sandy soil, lavender will thrive just as it does in its native Mediterranean soil. Of course, you can contrive soil conditions by planting in containers or raised beds, but as it’s usually not possible to change your type of soil, it is essential that you understand what you have.

You don’t need a degree in chemistry to gain an understanding of the many different types of soil. Although you could spend many years learning about and specializing in soil types, the structure of the soil, the balance of nutrients in the soil and the constituent make-up of the soil, it just isn’t necessary when you start out in your gardening endeavours. Instead, a simple appreciation of soil types and their respective strengths and weaknesses will do to get you started.

What is soil?

Soil is the growing medium for your plants. From soil, your plants will draw their water and their nutrients. The soil provides a base in which the plant is physically supported too. The fact that soil can do all of this shows you just what an amazing natural material it is.

Some people are lucky enough to have a good soil for gardening that needs little in the way of support and improvement. Others are less fortunate and have a soil that needs to be enhanced by improving the structure of the soil by adding organic material, such as manure, and improving the nutritional value of the soil through the addition of fertilizers (see here). The types of soil that you may encounter are shown opposite.

Rhododendrons and azaleas both grow best in a soil that has a low pH value, which is usually referred to as ‘acid soil’.

Soil types at a glance

CLAY SOIL

RECOGNIZING THE SOILHeavy, sticky soil that is difficult to work and dig.If you take a handful and squeeze it in your fist, it will keep the shape that you have squeezed it in to.PROS AND CONSOften rich in nutrients and highly moisture retentive.Often needs the addition of substantial amounts of grit, sand and organic matter to make it more workable and to help the drainage of the soil.SOIL IMPROVEMENTImproving the soil (see here) will make it easier to work and easier for the plants to access the rich supply of nutrients from the clay.

SANDY SOIL

RECOGNISING THE SOILThe opposite of clay soil, it is a dry soil that is very free-draining.A handful will flow freely through your fingers.PROS AND CONSGenerally easy to dig and to work with.Requires regular watering, although the soil’s ability to retain water will be improved by organic matter.Not as nutrient rich as clay soil.SOIL IMPROVEMENTAn annual autumn application of well-rotted manure or leaf mould as a top dressing, will greatly improve the structure of this type of soil. The application of fertilizer helps too.

PEATY SOIL

RECOGNISING THE SOILVery rich in organic material and good at retaining moisture.If you take a handful, it will be crumbly in texture, rich dark brown in colour and when squeezed will release some moisture.PROS AND CONSVery fertile but it can sometimes be too wet.SOIL IMPROVEMENTToo much rain can make the surface soil bind together. Annual mulching can help prevent this happening.

CHALKY SOIL

RECOGNISING THE SOILA crumbly, shallow soil.It is stony and very free draining.PROS AND CONSHas a reasonable supply of nutrients but it is usually alkaline, so not suitable for some acid-loving plants.SOIL IMPROVEMENTBenefits from a regular addition of organic material to aid nutrient levels.

SILTY SOIL

RECOGNISING THE SOILSimilar to sandy soil but a little more moisture retentive.PROS AND CONSUsually has a high level of nutrients, but it can dry out too much.SOIL IMPROVEMENTBenefits greatly from the regular addition of organic matter to help prevent drying out.

Soil structure

Topsoil: This is the soil on the surface of your garden. It is the soil level that contains almost all of the organic matter that has been dug in to the soil or applied as a top dressing to the soil in autumn.

The topsoil is the most supportive and nutritious of the soil levels for your plants. It is from the topsoil that the plants will draw most of their moisture and nutrients. The depth of top soil will vary greatly from place to place. You are very lucky if you have two spade depths or more of top soil in your garden.

It is in the topsoil that almost all of the organisms and insects that live in the soil will be found. Many of these are beneficial to the soil. One of the gardener’s best friends is the earthworm, which plays such an important part in the incorporation of organic material into the soil. Through all its wriggling around, it is a tireless worker in aerating the soil, improving the drainage and providing ideal conditions for encouraging root growth in plants.

Some new gardens have little or no topsoil at all, and if this is the case it will need importing into the garden. Topsoil is not cheap, but be aware that if you find yourself in this situation, it is crucial you don’t stint on importing it. Any penny-pinching at this stage will come back to haunt you in the years to come! Existing topsoil can also be increased with the addition of generous quantities of organic matter (see here).

Stephen Dalton/NHPA

Worms have been conditioning our planet’s soil for millions of years by recycling organic matter.

Subsoil: This is the level below the topsoil and it usually differs in colour from the topsoil. It is often lighter in colour. One reason for this is that none, or very little, of the applied organic material reaches down to this level. The subsoil will still contain nutrients from which your plants will benefit, but it will not be anywhere near as fertile as the topsoil.

If, when you are digging, you reach subsoil, stop! Do not incorporate subsoil into the topsoil. You will know you have reached subsoil not only with a change in colour, but also as this layer will be more densely packed than the topsoil. You will undoubtedly have worked hard to achieve your desired structure and quality of topsoil. It will not assist you to then integrate subsoil into this valuable mix.

KIM’S TIPS

 It is likely that most people will have a soil that is a mixture of two or more of the basic types described on the previous page.

 What I look for in a soil is a good open structure that is crumbly and with an evenly moist texture.

 Even if you don’t start with an ideal soil, it is possible to work towards a more ideal one with perseverance and, of course, a little general knowledge. So whatever type of soil you have it is good to know that you can improve on it.

 The properties and condition of soil are absolutely fundamental to the level of your success in the garden. Plants, like children, will respond well to good nourishment!

The pH value of your soil

Depending on what you intend to plant in the garden, it may be useful for you to know the pH of the soil. Some soils are naturally acid, and some soils are naturally alkaline. There are plants that will only grow in an acid soil and, conversely, there are plants that will only grow in an alkaline soil. However, this is looking at both extremes of a soil’s acidity or alkalinity. Local climate will give you a clue as to whether your soil is alkaline or acid. High rainfall areas often have acidic soils as the rain leaches out alkaline elements in the soil, whereas alkaline soils are typically found in low rainfall areas. Classic acid-loving plants include heather, camellia, rhododendron, pieris and hydrangea. Classic alkaline plants include lilac, clematis, wisteria, rosemary and ceanothus.

Soil can be tested to see how acid or alkaline it is. The test is known as a pH test. The pH value ranges on a scale of 1 to 14. A pH value of 1 is very acid and a pH value of 14 indicates that the soil is very alkaline. A value of 7 is regarded as neutral.

Testing your soil

If you wish or need to know the pH of your soil, you can buy a soil testing kit from your local gardening centre. They are simple and easy to use:

1 Mix a small amount of soil with a chemical solution in a test tube.

2 Shake the tube and the solution will change colour.

3 Match the resultant colour against a colour chart supplied in the kit. This will correspond to a pH value and tell you to what degree your soil is acid or alkaline. Neutral soil has a pH of 7; a lower number indicates an acidic soil and a higher number, an alkaline soil.

The best soil

It is generally accepted that a neutral to slightly acidic pH would be the most beneficial in order to grow the widest range of plants. So a pH value somewhere between 5 and 7 would be ideal.

Alkaline soils are a problem if you wish to grow rhododendrons and heathers as both of these species thrive in acidic soils. Alkaline soils are also problematic because of their high level of calcium. Calcium increases the rate of decomposition of organic material, making it necessary to add manure to the soil more often.

Rhododendrons are not difficult to grow, but they do require an acid soil to do well.

Lavender originates from the rocky terrain of the Mediterranean and manages well in dry, stony soil.

Improving and buying soil

The most important thing you can do to keep all the plants in your garden happy and healthy is to improve your garden soil. The best way to do this is to increase the amount of organic matter that it contains by adding your own garden compost or well-rotted farmyard or stable manure. This last needs to be at least a year old because fresh manure can actually kill plants.

Organic matter consists of the dead and decomposing remains of animal and plant life and gives better overall soil fertility. Among other things it provides nutrients for plants, improves drainage, and helps retain moisture in the soil. Garden compost, farm manure, leaf mould and spent mushroom compost, are just some of the more common sources of organic matter. Any of these are not only good for improving the soil, but they can be used as a mulch to conserve moisture and suppress weeds if spread generously across the surface of a bed. Over time, worms will incorporate the mulch into the soil below. Organic matter incorporated into clay soil in the autumn will open it out, allowing more freedom for the circulation of air and water, promoting healthy root growth. Digging organic matter into sandy soils in the autumn will improve water and nutrient retention by acting like a sponge. Incorporate it into the soil whenever possible. I also make good use of potting compost that has already been used for seasonal bedding plants, spreading it across the vegetable garden and lightly forking it in before sowing seeds.

If you are starting to tackle your garden for the first time, the more you can do to improve your soil before planting the better. I have seen newly planted shrubs in poor, unimproved soil that, after a couple of growing seasons, have hardly made any growth at all. In soil that has had plenty of organic matter to bulk it up, the same shrubs would be almost mature in the same time.

The soil in our garden was originally poor, dry and free draining; I have selected plants that are suitable for this type of soil but I also continually improve the soil.

It is hard work though! When you finally manage to persuade your local farmer or stable owner to deliver you a load of well-rotted manure you will suddenly realize that it’s heavy, and it takes a lot of effort to move it all around the garden! But once the job is done, you can sit back, safe in the knowledge that the worms will get to work on it, pulling it down into the soil, and eventually the organic mulch will add nutrients and structure to the soil.

KIM’S TIPS

 Plants are only as good as the soil that they grow in, so develop a regular habit of making your own compost, and enriching your soil with it whenever possible.

 If well-rotted manure isn’t available from a local farm, you can buy or order it at garden centres.

Buying top soil

If you are redesigning your garden, or if your existing soil is very poor, you may decide that you need to bring in some extra topsoil. The quality of topsoil for sale can vary a lot, so it’s always best to look at it before buying it. Ideally the soil should be dark – humus rich – crumbly and free from stones and perennial weeds. Also get some advice on how much you need for any particular space – a couple of tonnes may sound a lot, but when it is spread out it doesn’t go that far.

• If you need a lot of soil to increase ground levels in a garden area, an average quality of soil will be okay. You can then incorporate organic matter into the top layer to improve the quality further.

• If you just need a small amount of topsoil for a planting layer over existing poorer soil, it’s really best to buy a more expensive ‘screened’ grade of soil. Screened soil has been sieved to remove stones and also any rubbish and most weeds.

It is also worth contacting your local council as many of them now operate a composting scheme where garden waste, cardboard and other biodegradable materials are collected from designated household bins and are composted on a massive scale. The resulting compost produced from these recycled materials makes an excellent soil conditioner and can save the need for buying large quantities of topsoil – and help the environment at the same time.

Incorporating organic matter into soil greatly benefits the whole garden, not just raised vegetable beds.

Basic botany

Plants play the most important role in the cycle of life on our planet. Without plants, there would be no human or animal life on Earth. It is believed that millions of years ago, algae that grew in the planet’s seas somehow triggered the evolution of land living plants. These then in turn provided food for land-living animals as they evolved.

The oxygen we breathe also comes from plants as a byproduct of photosynthesis, which is the way a plant makes food for itself, and as part of this process plants also produce oxygen.

Leaves are the main food-making part of most plants. Chlorophyll is the green part of the leaves and captures energy from the sun. Using carbon dioxide and water, the leaves produce food in the form of sugars and starches, which provide the plant with energy to grow. Plants take in the carbon dioxide through tiny holes in their leaves, just like the pores in our skin, and oxygen is released as a by-product of photosynthesis through these tiny holes.

The plants also take in the water they need through their roots and lose water again through the tiny holes in their leaves. This process of taking in water and releasing it again is called transpiration.

For millions of years, the plants that existed on our planet were very simple in form and did not even produce what we think of as seeds. These early plants included tree ferns, horsetails, mosses and some conifers. They produced spores to reproduce, rather than flowers and seeds. Indeed, we still refer to them today as ‘non-flowering plants’.

Evolution eventually produced flowering plants that could spread themselves over greater distances by the dispersal of seeds. Through evolution, plants adapted to individual conditions, and it is estimated there are now over 260,000 species of plants identified.

Mosses and conifers were some of the earliest plants and so didn’t reproduce through flowers.

Evolution has created plants with specialist features such as hairs to protect the leaves from extremes of heat Some plants, such as cactus, have developed fleshy leaves to store water during periods of drought.

There is now an incredible variety within the plant kingdom, from plants such as tiny alpines to the world’s tallest living tree, a ‘coast redwood’ tree in California, which is over 112m (367ft) tall. The climate of different world regions also determines what types of plants can flourish there. Plants have adapted themselves gradually to enormous differences of climate and growing conditions throughout the world. It is not enough to just survive in some extreme conditions: plants need to flourish and propagate themselves too.

In regions of very low rainfall, plants like the cactus have developed water-storing tissue in their leaves and stems. Mediterranean plants have adapted to their environment by developing hairy or furry and also narrow or silvery leaves to protect themselves from extreme heat and drying winds and also to reduce transpiration as much as possible. Garden plants such as rock rose (Cistus), rosemary (Rosmarinus), lavender (Lavandula) and sage (Salvia) all come from this region, so they are perfect plants for a hot, exposed area in the garden. For shady, damp conditions, look for large, dark green leaves, such as hostas, which have adapted to maximize the amount of light that is received.

Pollination and seed production

Although plants have developed many ingenious ways of reproducing themselves, the most common is through cross pollination. This is where pollen from one plant is transferred to another to fertilize it. Most plants have flowers with the male and female parts present in each flower. However, they still need to be cross-pollinated with another flower. Many plants rely on insects, such as bees or butterflies, to transfer the pollen from one flower to another. Pollen is a useful source of protein for some insects, such as bees.

Insects are attracted to the flower by scent, colour and nectar. They are not deliberately pollinating flowers, but they are usually feeding on sugary liquid nectar produced by the flowers when the pollen is rubbed off the body of the insect. They carry pollen from flower to flower, while collecting nectar and pollen for themselves. After pollination, the plant produces a seed, which mostly grows protected inside the plant.

It’s not always insects that pollinate the flowers. Plants may use the wind, birds or even bats as pollinators. With wind-pollinated plants – such as grasses, cereals and some trees – the flowers are very simple, with no bright colours or pleasant scent as they don’t need to attract the insects. These plants have both male and female reproductive parts and they make a lot of pollen.

The opium poppy, Papaver somniferum produces seeds that result in many self-sown seedlings.

Low-allergen plants

Alchemilla mollis (lady’s mantle)

Amelanchier lamarckii (snowy mespilus)

Anemone × hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’ (Japanese anemone)

Cistus × hybridus

Cotinus coggygria (smoke bush)

Forsythia × intermedia

Hydrangea anomola subsp. petiolaris (climbing hydrangea)

Prunus × subhirtella (Higan cherry)

Stachys byzantina (lamb’s ears)

KIM’S TIPS

 There are 10 million people in Britain who suffer from hay fever or have asthma, both of which are triggered off mostly by pollen. This can occur in spring, summer or autumn and makes the lives of sufferers unbearable.

 Grass pollen is one of the main culprits, so if you suffer, you should definitely think of eliminating lawns and replacing them with hard landscaping such as bricks, setts, gravel and decking as well as planting a selection of low-allergen plants.

 Many hedges too can produce pollen and should be replaced with low-allergen climbers or shrubs (see left).

Latin names

It can be very confusing when you first go to your local garden centre and are faced with long, difficult to pronounce Latin botanical names. However, they are used for good reason. Botanical Latin is like an international language used worldwide by botanists and plant enthusiasts. The method of naming was standardized by an eighteenth-century plant collector called Linnaeus.

While one plant may have several common names, it will only ever have one Latin name, which will also be the same worldwide. It helps if you can get to grips with some Latin names, as it avoids confusion when buying plants, or finding out more about particular plants.

The olive tree, Olea europaea. Quite often the species name refers to where the plant has originated. In the case of the olive tree, it’s clearly Europe.

Understanding Latin plant names

All plants are classified into family groups, which have:

• Family name, referred to as genus (or genera if plural), the Latin word for ‘family’.

• Species name: Within a family group of plants there will be differences in the plants, and these are the different species. This is the second part of a botanical name and it is called the specific name.

So, if I was a plant, my name would be Wilde kim! The first part of my name indicating my family, and the second part me as an individual.

So the olive tree is Olea europaea. Olea is the family name, or genus, and europaea the specific or species name. Sometimes a slight difference is discovered within a species and it is given an extra name to denote this. For instance, a variety of olive tree that had larger fruits and smaller stones was named ‘El Greco’, so its full botanical name is Olea europaea ‘El Greco’. It is normal for Latin names to be written in italics, and any ‘extra names’ to be put into single quotation marks at the end.

Part 2

PLANNING YOUR GARDEN

When I first started gardening I remember feeling totally overwhelmed with the whole subject, yet at the same time I thought that slowly but surely it would start to make sense if I just had a go. I’ve since realized that although a positive approach is always the best one – after all, gardening is an intrinsically optimistic pursuit – you do have to have a plan. A good, well-researched approach will help you to create a garden that reflects your requirements and tastes, and you’ll soon discover, as I did, that planning a garden is as exciting as making one.

Assessing your requirements

At first, the thought of tackling your garden properly may seem a daunting task, but this is where careful and considered planning comes in. Rather than rushing to sort out a small area of garden, and then deciding which bit to do next, it is much better to make one overall plan for the whole garden. After making a complete garden plan you can then gradually work through elements of it in your own time, and in a methodical way. This approach will also allow you to implement your garden design in separate stages. Not least, it will allow you to implement each stage as your budget allows. You can then plan for the expenditure required and fit your garden projects to your budget. Even if you only have a small budget available, there are still changes and improvements that you can make to any space.

Enhance what you already have

First, have a good look at your garden and decide what works, what you like that is already there and what you may be unhappy with.

Overgrown areas: Depending on the variety, many overgrown trees or shrubs may be partially cut back and rejuvenated, retaining some height, maturity and privacy. Quite often wall shrubs and climbers may get out of control and fall out from the wall; cutting them back and tying them in is the answer here (see here). Large shrubs may have sprawled across a lawn and need removing or cutting back, too, and large trees could have their lower branches removed to allow more light and air into the garden; this is one job for a qualified expert.

Hard landscaping: As hard landscaping is expensive, it’s worth looking at any existing paving to see if it could be retained. Old paving slabs may be pressure washed to make them look like new again, repointing can make a great difference, too. Paved areas could also have their shape changed by removing some slabs (for instance, taking out the corner slabs from a square or rectangular shape), perhaps replacing them with plants. Scrape away old, dirty gravel and replace it with new. If you have a large expanse of gravel or chippings, try planting evergreen shrubs or grasses to break up the expanse.

Old fences: Old fences can sometimes be repaired, saving further expense, although old fence panels are best replaced. Fence panels are often made from poor quality, thin timber strips and just don’t last that long. Carefully remove them leaving the posts, which, if still stable, can carry a new closeboard style fence. Closeboard, or featheredge fencing, outlasts fence panels by years and creates a fence that I find more attractive, more robust and secure, and much easier to maintain than panels. A closeboard fence is also easy and simple to construct even if you only have basic DIY skills (see here).

If you have a border that contains some mature shrubs, they can be cut back and rejuvenated if you want to keep them. It wouldn’t take long to get these shrubs back into shape, giving a much more coherent feel to the whole aspect.

Developing your ideas

If you have a generous budget to spend, you may wish at this stage to consider employing some professional help and advice. A good garden designer will be able to plan your garden to fit your needs, and money spent on this initially may save you making an expensive mistake in the future. Try to get a recommendation for a good garden designer from a friend or neighbour. Word of mouth based on personal experience is so much more useful than simply picking a business card pinned to the garden centre noticeboard.

Costs can be minimized if you wish to engage the garden designer for an advisory visit only. But always be sure that you ask for an explanation of costs and that you know what to expect from any visit that may occur afterwards.

Choosing a garden style

Just as your own home will have a style of interior decoration, so your garden should have a particular style too. The look of a garden is partly influenced by where you live and the range of plants that will flourish in your climate. In England, a cottage garden style is very popular, whereas in Northern Australia obviously a tropical garden is more appropriate – but that’s not to say you can’t create a ‘tropical’ garden in a temperate climate or achieve a cottage garden style in Australia.

Traditionally, houses and their gardens only used local materials, so gardens matched their houses and tended to sit comfortably within their locality. Nowadays, though, there are many strong influences both from other countries and from modern garden designers. At the same time, the range of plants that are available to buy has dramatically increased and construction materials have become more affordable and much more widely available.

Whatever style of garden appeals to you, decide whether you would like to have a complete garden in that style, or just a part of it. If you use the design principal of ‘rooms’ in your garden, you could choose to include a few different styles. A Mediterranean style area, for example, would need to be in the hottest, driest and sunniest part of your garden, while you could have a tropical-style border in a sheltered spot, close to a patio or decking area. A wild area would be best situated at the bottom of your garden, as far away from the house as possible.

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

1 Draw the outline of your garden on a piece of paper using a pencil so you can rub out mistakes, should you make them. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect. If the garden is a simple rectangular shape, that’s easy. If it’s a more complicated shape, try to indicate any changes to its width or depth.

2 Add any existing structures in the garden that you think you will ultimately be keeping, such as a mature tree or shrub, or a garden shed. At this stage, the outlines need only be approximate in their dimensions.

3 Indicate where north lies on the plan so that you can see where the sun rises and sets. This will help you to decide, for example, where a sunny seating area or a shady border could be situated.

4 Add measurements for the outer boundaries of the plot and also diagonal measurements, noting down each one on the plan as you go. For fixed features, measure how far these are from other points, such as the corners of the garden. This will then help you to place them accurately on your plan.

5 Redraw your plan on afresh sheet of paper and to scale so that it is in proportion to the actual garden space. Use 2cm (1in) on your plan to represent 1m (1yd) in your garden, which represents a scale of 1:50 (1:36). Use a ruler to measure and draw your boundaries and transfer all your measurements to the plan. Draw over the pencil lines in dark ink and now you can start experimenting with your design.

6 When you are experimenting with different ideas, it can be very helpful to have an additional layer of tracing paper between your basic outline and your proposed plans. The grid on this additional layer shows 1m (1yd) squares, which helps you get a better idea of scale for any new additions you would like to add to the garden. You can either align the grid with the house or, as here, turn it through 45 degrees.

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.)

Even a small area can supply you with plenty of fresh herbs and vegetables.

It is possible to have the sound of running water without a pool to maintain.

Objects best left hidden away

Some essentials are not that attractive to look at, so it’s best to decide where these are to go early on in your planning and work around them.

Dustbins: These are a particular eyesore and need to be tucked away somewhere out of sight but also not too far from the house door.

The garden shed: An essential for most gardens, providing storage for garden tools, the lawnmower, bicycles and a portable barbecue, and also overflow storage from the house. Sheds really need an all-weather pathway to them, preferably without any steps to negotiate. New sheds are often the strong colour of new timber and staining yours a very dark brown will help it to stand out less. Shrubs are useful for screening sheds from view, and if trellis is attached, climbers may be used to cover them too.

Washing lines: These fall into the same category as sheds, although they are, of course, best sited in a sunny position, close to the house. They may still be screened off from view using trellis and climbing plants, brushwood screening may be added too for an instant screening effect.

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