Planning to landsca P e your garden?

When landscaping your garden, there are several things you should consider. Here are just a few of them:

Begin by defining how your garden will be used.

Common uses for outdoor spaces include entertaining, cooking and dining, playing and relaxing

It’s important to analyse the site before you begin landscaping. There are many key elements that could affect your design, such as slopes, peaks, drainage patterns, and the type of soil. The ideal soil is 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay. Some people choose to build towards the ideal over several years and develop their garden plan in sections should go where. How should you arrange your living room furniture? Avoid facing everything towards a television - Try to avoid facing all your furniture towards the television. One way to do this is by arranging your seats in either a U-shape or an L-shape. These types of arrangements work well for directing one’s eye to another prominent part of your room – a fireplace for instance.

Do not let technology dominate – As we live in the 21st century, technology is pretty much unavoidable everywhere we go. Most family living rooms tend to include a television or other technological devices.

The advice here is to include technological devices in your living room if that is what you want, but do not allow them to dominate your spacing. Instead, if you have the spacing to allow for it, arrange for some built-in shelves to put your devices on.

Cabinets and sideboards – what to consider

Grab your guests’ attention – Of course, we agree that comfort comes first. However, if you want to grab your guests’ attention from time to time, and you do not own the luxury of a fireplace or another architecturally attractive feature, you can turn to custommade cabinets or sideboards. Perhaps they can help to hold a collection of ornaments, or indeed any objects of personal importance. Either way, with them being there, you have added that little bit extra to your ideal living room.

Always consider measurements –

Remember to bear in mind that if you are planning to add specific objects to your cabinet, you need to make sure that they will fit. Measuring said objects is a very simple step, but it is one that many people forget. Also, be sure to note the difference in height between the shelves of your cabinet. Do not worry about size proportion – Do not panic if you feel that the cabinet’s size is not proportionate to the rest of the room. Woodworks often tend to look bigger when they are empty. Try not to put samescale scale items side by side – When placing objects on your cabinet, try not to place items of the same scale beside one another. By doing you will create a stimulating effect that both you and your guests will love.

Design - You may have a good head for design- you may not, you may even have something drawn up already! Know your garden: Think about your own little micro-climate, drainage and the sun position at the times of day when you will want to use your garden most. You will also want to consider the topography of your site, and your soil type when planning your landscape. Who will be using your garden? Is it just you or will children or animals be sharing the space? What about access and also security of the space – both when you are at home and when you aren’t? Think about themes, how to create zones and link spaces. You will want to make your plants work for you and consider how to emphasize and enhance them - through placement, reflection (in a water feature for example) or with lighting.

Structure - When designing a landscape garden, it’s important to consider what structure you are going to use. Consider your products and materials in terms of affordability, function, investment value and longevity. How will your lawn be edged? Do you want to have flowers or shrubs in borders, beds and/or containers.Would you like an outdoor kitchen?

Is artificial grass a good option?

Soft landscaping is the process of designing the elements of a landscape that do not involve construction. These elements include trees, shrubs, and flowers, as well as container gardens, potted plants, and hanging baskets. Perennials and shrubs (which flower year after year) may lack 1st year impactbut will build and bulk out for the future.

When considering soft landscaping for your garden, you should think about the following:

The type of soil in your garden, The amount of sunlight your garden receives, The climate in your area, The amount of maintenance you are willing to do. If you are a gardening novice check out which types of plants thrive in your neighbours gardens as this can make choosing your own plants easier! Above all know when to call a professional, they will be able to handle and develop your project with your vision in mind!