If you have let your garden become a jungle over the winter now is the time to start thinking about restoring it to its original glory, or maybe you just want a brand new look this summer. If you can imagine it then it can be built and we can help you find experienced landscape gardeners to create the garden of your dreams.

There are a number of things you may want to find out or consider before embarking on creating plans to revamp your garden such as:

1. work out where the sun rises and sets to find where the sunny and shaded parts of the garden are
2. if any areas of the garden are mossy or damp and what the drainage is like – does water settle in particular places
3. whether your garden is level or sloping
4. if there are any large trees or objects to work around
5. finding out what PH the soil is; is it alkaline or acidic as this affects what types of plants will grow well in your garden

You will need to plan a general theme to your garden so you can draw up a blueprint to follow. You may want to have a barbecue garden, terrace, a child’s play area or incorporate some natural wildlife features. Use your imagination; the choice is yours after all.

One of the first steps to take is to call your local planning department or utilities provider to find out whether there are any cables or pipes underneath the garden. Discovering something by mistake can be very expensive as well as making a lot of extra work.

The best way to then start would be to decide the type of garden you want, what the main use of the garden is going to be and who is going to be the main user of it. If you have any children or pets who will want space to play games and run around, or your desire is to simply use it as an entertaining space to have friends around, your garden design will need to be built around your needs.

Draw the boundary of the garden including any features that are permanent or things you already know you want to incorporate into the design and mark a north pointing arrow in the corner. Then start to decide where your main features are going to be placed, for example a pond, decking, patio, water features, shed, trees, rockeries or any walls.

Mark out the main features with aerosol paint in the garden, once the main features are done the fun part can begin such as deciding the different types of flowers, shrubs, and feature plants you want, and smaller structural items such as bird tables and garden figures. In order to get your ideal garden there is still a lot of work to be done and I will continue to advise you on designing a garden in my next post.

Related posts:

1. Planning a New Garden or Outdoor Area Part 2 – Choosing Your Plants
2. Important Considerations When Planning to Lay a New Patio
3. Garden Maintenance Tips Ready For Spring
4. Preparing to Lay a New Patio – Choosing Your Flag Stones
5. Planning A Hanging Basket