How to plan your perfect garden

Press profile homify Press profile homify
homify Modern Garden
Loading admin actions …

A beautiful garden is the perfect way to finish your home off, but unless you're a professional landscape architect, you might not know how to go about creating an outdoor paradise all of your own. Fear not, as we are here to show you how! We're going to tell you how to plan and execute a stunning garden project and you'll be shocked and pleasantly surprised at how easy it is! Don't believe us? Just take a look and dig out those gardening gloves!

1. Take an objective look at the space you have to work with

It's all very well dreaming of a garden that has a huge swimming pool in it, but if you only have a small courtyard space to work with, your ambitions will not be realised. Start off by taking a walk around your existing outdoor area and taking some measurements, as this will give you a much better idea of what can actually be done and will prevent disappointment or expensive mistakes later. It can be a good idea to take some reference photos too.

2. Draw up an initial plan

With the dimensions of your garden in hand, set about drawing up a basic overview of the space you have to work with. Being able to see the shape and proportions of your area will help you to make a logical and useable design come to life. Don't worry about adding in any detail yet, as that comes next!

3. Think about the colours you want to use

If you're hoping to follow a specific design style or you want to use certain colors in your garden, start considering that now, as this will directly influence what materials and flowers you will eventually select. For example, if you are keen on the idea of a pink-themed space, you will want to start looking into hardy blooms that flower in varying shades of blush, as well as looking at what shingle and gravel options might be available to you.

4. Add in your pathways

With a firm idea of how you want your garden to function and look, now's the time to start adding features to your drawn-up plan. We think that paths are a natural choice to start with, as they will be relatively immovable, once in place, and you can tailor your planting around them. Include any terraces and patios here too, as with all the concrete elements laid out, you can start getting to the exciting bit; designing your flower beds.

5. Beautify with blooms

You need to choose your plants carefully, in terms of color, ground cover and durability. Always take into account the climate where you live, how good at gardening you are and how much time you are willing to commit to maintenance. Once you have an idea of the plants you are going to use, add them to your plan, around your paths and terraces. It's at this stage that you can really finalise your design, so tweak until you're perfectly happy!

6. Add some practical features

Having planned your garden to perfection, it's time to actually put it into practice! When your new outdoor space is complete, you can then stand back and assess what extra space you have in order to include some fabulously practical solutions. Garden sheds, outbuildings or potting stations are exceptionally handy, but until you have created your garden, you'll never know for sure where you need them or if you can fit them in! 

7. The finishing touches

Your garden is done, it looks amazing and you've even added a little shed for all your gardening tools, so now, you can really preen and tweak! Accessories, such as water features, statues and potted plants will make your garden complete and with everything else in place, you can identify the perfect spots for them. 

You see? We told you that creating a garden paradise wouldn't be as difficult as you first thought!

For more garden inspiration, take a look at this Ideabook: 10 cool ideas to create a gorgeous garden!

Need help with your home project?
Get in touch!

Highlights from our magazine