Designing a Garden Layout That Works
Woodend Courtyard Photographed by Marnie Hawson
Creating a beautiful garden that you actually want to spend time! Is something that many of us can relate too. The barrier that commonly stops us from going outside is that the space feels uninspiring, whenever you do spend some time out there, you just seem to be doing jobs.
The key to shifting this paradigm is having a garden which has been well laid out.
One which creates areas for you to sit and relax, one that maximises the space whilst at the same time softening unattractive views. Having an element of order even if very informal is critical to the success of a garden.
Blurring the Boundaries
There is a little formula that goes a long way, one I use all the time when designing gardens. Firstly, I like to blur the boundaries.
Plant up boundary fences with layered planting, I like 3-4 layers if space allows. I might even consider cutting all the lower branches to the back planting layer so you can see underneath. An added bonus is that more light gets into the garden bed helping the lower layers of plants grow well.
Painting the boundary fences a dark color can help them recede, plants also pop when placed next to a dark color.
Create Structure
A structured layout even with an informal native style garden in my experience is where the real value is when creating a low maintenance garden. I create structure with paths, garden beds, paving and stepping stones.
The beauty of a structure is that you have a methodology for looking after the space, you can see clearly what needs to be cut back, weeded or trimmed.
The structure provides the reference point, the landscape garden evolves within this structure.
I often come back to my garden after being away and feel overwhelmed for the first few minutes. However, once I start trimming and weeding to bring back the shape of the garden, the existing structure underneath becomes my guide and I feel in control again..
Time and time again I have clients who fall in love with gardening only after they have had their garden installed. I think it's mostly because they find it so much easier to look after and enjoy a space where there is some underlying order. They can still have a very informal natural style garden with loose plantings within a structure that is not obvious.
The largest investment in your garden is normally on the structural elements so getting it right and spending time considering how you want to use the space is critical. A pro tip is to draw out your property to scale and then draw in the elements you want in your garden to scale. If you need help check out my garden design online course below.
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