Doing up the garden is an exciting endeavour, one that can really transform how you enjoy your home, but it’s an easy project to get wrong. Prevent potentially expensive landscaping and garden design mistakes by following these basic principles.
Balance
Symmetry and visual balance should be factored in when putting your garden design plans together. You can achieve this by making both sides of the space mirror each other, or by using different features that have equal visual weight .
Symmetrical balance is a good choice if you want a more formal setting, achieved through the use of straight edges, clean lines, uniform elements and geometric layouts.
Asymmetrical balance works well if you’re keen for a more natural look and feel, achieved by pairing heavy features on one side with smaller, lighter clusters on the other side. Other techniques here include colour and density of planting, which can be fun to play around with!
Proportion
When devising your plans, always factor in the size of your garden so you can choose your various elements accordingly. A small space, for example, will be overwhelmed if you bring in lots of big trees. A large garden, meanwhile, would swamp smaller features.
Focal points
Focal points serve as visual anchors, guiding the eye around the garden and directing how people move through the space. They’re especially good for introducing structure and texture, while giving your garden a greater sense of purpose.
As for specific features, you could use anything from sculptures and water features to large ornate shrubs, a pretty tree, a garden pond, a bench, a pergola and so on. We recently blogged about focal points so take a look for further inspiration!
Practicality
Finally, considering how you intend to use your garden will inform lots of decisions you make. Always factor in function as well as form so that the garden layout is practical and ties in with your lifestyle… including how much maintenance work you want to do!