The Top Four Garden Design Tips

Whether you’re landscaping a project from scratch or adapting an existing garden, you can make big and small changes to make your outdoor space feel brighter, bigger, and even more private. These steps include planning your garden around the best place to sit, making a feature wall, creating a curved lawn, and creating relaxing sounds with water features. No matter your starting point or the size of the garden space you’re working with, you can transform it into a beautiful space that is relaxing, enjoyable to be in, and functional. Think garden parties in the summer, a glass of wine in the evening, and even a work-from-home outdoor office!

Follow these top four garden design tips to get the best out of your outdoor space. 

Be creative

When it comes to design elements, don’t just make straight lines following the fence; create some shapes instead. A curved lawn can make a striking focal point and make the garden feel bigger. When designing your garden borders and paths, try creating soft curves rather than straight lines, as these will become a feature in their own right. 

You can also use texture and color to add a unique spark to an area. For example, painting your fence white will make the plants in front of it stand out and make the general area feel brighter. Adding elements such as bark or pebbles can help create different sections in the garden, so it feels larger than it actually is.

Make sure you use the right tools

The right tools make your job easier and help create maximum impact in the garden. If you aren’t sure which tools you need (or you need to hire some) you can talk to professionals such as Arbour Landscape Solutions. Garden design is more than just planting flowers; you might need an extra pair of hands! 

Maximize space

One way you can maximize space is by sectioning off your garden into different areas. This is especially useful if you work with a small space, such as a townhouse square garden. Create divisions by incorporating stone walls, a trellis, clipped hedges, or planting tall flowers. Tall planting is also a way of creating mystery, as you can only view certain parts in the garden at once. This is an ancient Japanese design technique known as miegakure or “hide and reveal.” It’s a fun and creative way to add intrigue and illusion. 

Another essential element of spacing is making sure your pathways are wide enough. Most pathways should be big enough for one or two people to walk down comfortably, so they should be at least three feet wide. 

Know the landscape

Driving your spade through a buried pipe is a recipe for disaster—and potentially an unhappy client if you’re working on a paid job! Before starting your garden project, ensure you know where all the pipes and underground utilities are so you can work around them. If you or your client aren’t sure where these are located, you can seek services that specialize in finding and marketing underground pipes, usually for a reasonable price.