Grown your own ideas: Cut the cost of a garden redesign by mapping out stylish looks
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There is nothing I love more than wandering around the show gardens at RHS Chelsea, admiring designers at the top of their game. Or watching television programmes where neglected plots are transformed into prized spaces.
When it comes to our own gardens, however, most of us can’t afford to employ a landscape architect. On my garden design diploma, we were told to brief clients that when it comes to the cost of a new garden, they should think about how much they would spend on a kitchen.
DO IT YOURSELF
But there are many things we can do ourselves to give our gardens some designer chic without spending a fortune. To begin with, just spend some time sitting in your garden, observing where the sunlight falls at different times of day and thinking about any changes you would like to make.
Consider the style of your house. Is it modern, with clean, symmetrical lines? If so, your garden should complement it, with a geometrical layout and a restrained planting palette. Is it built of red brick, which you might want to repeat in garden walls or paths?
When it comes to our own gardens, most of us can’t afford to employ a landscape architect. But there are many things we can do ourselves to give our gardens some designer chic without spending a fortune
A countryside site will lend itself to borders brimming with cottage garden blooms, while a sheltered urban plot could be a backdrop for lush jungle planting, creating an oasis.
A balcony in a new apartment block would suit elegant accessories, whereas in older buildings you might choose a vintage look.
FORM AND FUNCTION
Think about what you want to use the garden for. If entertaining is important, do you need a patio area with plenty of space to push chairs back from the table after a leisurely lunch? Do you have children who want a lawn to kick a ball around? Would you prefer it to be low- maintenance, or do you plan to be hands-on?
Is growing your own fruit and vegetables important and if so, is there a suitable sunny spot not too far from the house?
Don’t be afraid to shake things up. Too often when we think about changing our gardens, we simply imagine buying some new plants or widening a border. That’s fine if it’s all you want to do, but sometimes we need to be more radical.
Could you move your terrace from the shady back of your house to halfway down the garden, to catch the evening sun? Get rid of your lawn altogether and replace it with paths winding through beds of herbaceous perennials?
USING SPACE
Bear in mind mass and void. If you want to put in a specimen tree that will grow to 4m high, is there space around it?
Focal points are also useful to lead your eye down the garden, whether this is a rose arch or a sculpture. Look beyond the garden. Is there a view you want to draw attention to, or an electricity pylon you want to divert the gaze from?
Once you have sketched out some ideas, think about the budget. Hard landscaping is often expensive once you take materials and labour into account. Can you do some of the work yourself? Scour local social media groups for leftover materials which are going free.
If you have created new planting areas, choosing smaller plants in nine-inch pots is more cost-effective. They may look too widely spaced to begin with, but they will soon grow and fill in the gaps.
