Design a Garden

By Peter Owen

©2013 Peter Owen

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Your first thoughts when designing a Garden.

Chapter 2: Hardscape and Softscape

Chapter 3. Check with your local Council and other Authorities.

Chapter 4: Your Drainage Plan.

Chapter 5: Types of Soil.

Chapter 6: Climate, Shade and Direct Sunlight.

Chapter 7: Planning your Garden in groups of Plants.

Chapter 8: Design with Family in mind.

Chapter 9: Landscape Themes to Consider.

Chapter 10: Theme 1. Water Features.

Chapter 11. Theme 2. The Secret Retreat.

Chapter 13: Theme 4. Your Garden Edging.

Chapter 14: Theme 5. Retaining Walls.

Chapter 15: Theme 6. Using Rocks in Your Garden.

Chapter 16: Theme 7. Your Fences.

Chapter 17: Theme 8. The Steps in Your Garden.

Chapter 18: How You Can Blend Your Landscape Themes.

Chapter 19: Design your Gardens to use Mulch.

Chapter 20: Don’t Disregard The Use of Ornaments and Garden Furniture.

Chapter 21: Design with maintenance in mind.

About the Author.

Introduction

Design a garden.

This book is solely about the important aspects you need to consider when sitting down with the intent to Design a Garden. It covers many issues we face with landscape designs and a strong reminder of what’s involved in creating your masterpiece.

So many times I see clients of mine come up with a design, but although it all looks great on paper, the logistics of not only creating that design but the garden functioning as an extension of the house was so out of touch that starting again was the best option.

Hi my name is Peter Owen and I have been in the landscaping trade since 1985, I have taught the subject of “Garden Design and Construction” at our local college and have always been involved in one form or another with training people who have had an interest in the trade.

I have always had the view it’s better to do something once and do it right, than to rip it all up and start again, because I failed to consider what was needed the first time. So in this book I try to bring to the readers attention, the aspects of Landscaping they need to consider, enabling them to come up with the masterpiece of a design for their own garden that will work.

I have a website where people visit daily to obtain specifications, details, and tips for the structural work they wish to attempt in their own garden. For more info on this vast subject, one that I am passionate about, you can visit http://www.landscaping-doityourself.com

I hope you enjoy the information I have put together here, I will be adding more books to this Landscaping Series as time goes on so keep an eye out, but for now, I hope that this helps with your very own gardening projects.

Take care and stay safe.

Peter.

Chapter 1: Your first thoughts when designing a Garden.

It would be so easy to just say, “This is how you design a garden” then rattle off a whole load of ideas and show a bunch of pictures and say go for it, but the truth of the matter is, there’s a lot to consider.

Everybody wants to design a garden that’s more of a masterpiece than a disaster, so we need to consider these important issues that are often ignored, but none the less, too critical not to mention.

So, before we get into the nitty gritty, let me first go over some basic principles that I have found helpful in my career with designing.

There are three main aspects I consider when I sit down to design a garden and they are relevancy, structural soundness and appearance. Now let me explain.

- Relevance.

Your design must be relevant to the themes that you hope to accomplish in your garden, in particular to the materials you choose, the shape you want and the look you are trying to accomplish.

We divide a landscape plan into ‘Themes’ and these themes will have relevance to your overall plan, in other words ‘the reason why’ you choose to put it in the plan. It might be just because you like it, or because of the way your land is shaped, you have to have it.

Some of this will be trial and error for you but the more you do it the better you will become at understanding what works.

- Structural Soundness.

Whatever it is that you decide to have in your landscape design must be built correctly, I have worked with several Architects over the years and I must say that they are not all the same, some have a good idea of what it takes to design properly and others wouldn’t have a clue and yet they are all called Architects.

My point here is that it is imperative for the safety of your family and friends who visit as well as the overall look of your structures that they ARE built properly. You might be thinking what has this got to do with designing, well I’ll give you an example…

I was asked a few years ago to submit a tender for a fairly large job in my local area, this had a portion of work building a retaining wall 4.6m (15’) high and 20.0m (60’) long, we had limited space as it was alongside a building. The slant on the face was 25% (Batter) so the footing for this style wall had to go in a specific position (No room for error).

Well right where it had to go was a trench for all the utilities, gas, phone, electricity, stormwater pipes etc. the plan had to be scrapped and started over. So you can understand that even though you might not be designing something quite as big, the importance of sound planning taking into consideration on how your theme has to be built is so important.

- Appearance.

The beauty of it all… every theme and structure in your landscape design must also look the part. Careful consideration must be given to what it is going to look like, after all, that is really why we create these designs in the first place.

Now this is where your own personal likes and dislikes will come into play, see there is a point where your own style and being structurally sound will blend together. I go to places to quote for a job and I have to tell the client, that it is all about their taste and not what I think they should have.

I can advise them on what is required to build it properly and what are the comparative costs will be, but if they like brick instead of timber for a wall, then although both will do the task at hand, brick it is, we just adjust the plan to suite how to build a brick wall instead.

Remember that you have to be happy with what it looks like, which will be easy if you plan it properly, take into consideration all the aspects of your plan, themes and blending themes from one to the other. We talk about this in this book in more detail later, but material groups will blend with each other and there are some that wont or just don’t look right?

If you are happy with the look of it, then that’s what counts.

- Let’s discuss some finer points to planning.

If you are designing a garden that is for someone else, in a different location from where you live, then ultimately for it to be a success, you will need to visit often (when it’s raining too) and ask the client as many questions as possible.

Visit the local nursery and discuss what grows well and the type of climate the plants need to endure, as well as taking a drive around the neighbourhood to see the houses and the type of landscaping that has been done there etc.

You will also need to know the level of shade on the block you will be dealing with, the soil type, the surface drainage of rainwater, size of family and what age the kids are etc. these are just some of the issues you will face when designing a garden.

If you are designing the landscape for your own home then these points are often easier to note, whichever the case, time spent on research to obtain the information is time well spent. Your design depends on it.

So, we will keep it simple and assume that you are designing your own garden, a sanctuary that will be your place of retreat, entertain your guests and enjoy with your family. The first issues you need to face is what you have already in place, if anything, and how to work around that.

There may be structures already like courtyards, dividing walls, screens, pergolas, retaining walls and ponds etc. or you may have a brand new block, clean slate so to speak, whatever the case let’s get started and consider what comes first.

- Variety in your design will always help.

This is very important to consider, first up variety in your designing must always remain within the boundaries of the themes you hope to achieve. You don’t want to change shape or elevation just for the sake of it and when you do, make sure it flows in and blends with the area you are working with.

Curved edges can give a great looking shape but you must start and finish this border in a flowing fashion, making sure you don’t finish up creating a triangle at the end. This will just make it hard to maintain, especially if the front side of the border is grass, and your border has a mowing strip.

Variety can also be achieved by raising the level of the garden beds, even a number of different levels, with the idea of keeping it very informal, plants can then be used to enhance these levels even more. Rocks can be placed at points to help keep these levels but look quite natural at the same time.

Variety should be considered as part of your overall plan, blending your ideas to flow from one to the other, this will always look better rather than trying to obtain variety by means of using different materials etc. which can often have a diverse effect.

Chapter 2: Hardscape and Softscape

Just to clarify for those who are not sure, Hard-scape refers to all the building aspects of your landscape and Soft-scape refers to all the plants and soils.

One of the biggest temptations we face when we have a new block is just to get some plants in the ground so our garden will start to look good, our planning then takes a back seat. The big problem with this and it is a big problem, if your hard-scape has not been planned in conjunction with the type of plants then your time and money can all be wasted.

There is a famous saying that if we fail to plan, we plan to fail. There is no doubt of course that your design will need aspects that will not be governed by plant choice or position, like  driveway, paths, courtyards, retaining walls etc. these are the themes in your landscape that have to be placed in a certain position, so the plants don’t really get a consideration.

However, a lot of your garden design will have both aspects involved in the planning. Larger plants will need larger garden beds and room to grow, many plans fail because plants are cluttered too close together, planning your garden consider when the plants are reaching their full size as to how much room you give them.

It is far better to plan and take in all the considerations you can, so as to create something that you will only have to spend your money on once. Doing the work can be a very costly exercise, depending on your design of course, although it’s a very enjoyable one and is often spread out over a period of time, it is still necessary to do it right, saving a lot of heartache as well as your hard earned money.

The important thing to remember is that the hard-scape will often be planned around the type of plants you wish to use, but the work will have to be done prior to planting, thus allowing work to be carried out without the concern of not only damage to the plants but the levels for your gardens, can be achieved without being governed by any other factor.

The reason apart from the obvious, is that garden beds have to be designed to deal with the sizes of the plants you wish to have, the level of your garden bed, whether it will be raised or not, any drainage to be installed if necessary, as well as the possibility of a watering system and outside power supply for a pond pump or lights, if installed.

So before we get to some nitty gritty and aspects of your design, it’s advisable that we consider the next chapter very seriously.

Chapter 3. Check with your local Council and other Authorities.

This I think would have to be one of the most important tips I could give you. So often we have a few great ideas with our landscape and garden design, but it’s imperative that before we start at creating our masterpiece, we check first with our local Authorities, Councils and other Government bodies.

They will have guidelines and regulations with regards to what you are allowed and not allowed to do. It’s a pain sometimes I know but nevertheless a well worthwhile exercise.

There will be nothing you will hate more than pouring your heart and soul into building themes in your garden, only to discover that councils then require you to lodge an application. A legal battle will begin, courts may be involved and often you will lose and have to pull the construction down.

General rule of thumb, these authorities will need to be notified if any structure is built higher than 1.8m (6’) like pergolas, gazebo’s, larger shed sizes than 3.0 m x 3.0m (9m2 or100 sq feet) this may vary, screens higher than 1.8m (6’) or any retaining wall higher than 0.9m (3’).

Your surface drainage may have a situation that requires some major planning and might involve some regulations you might not be aware of, concreting out the front to the roadway will in most cases need council involvement, as well as other authorities like water board, phone providers, gas and electricity especially if excavation is required. These are just some of the restrictions that your council may have but it’s important to check first and save yourself a lot of unnecessary heartache.

Chapter 4: Your Drainage Plan.

This without a doubt, is probably one of the most important aspects of designing your garden, so give it the due diligence to ensure that it’s done correctly. You will need to work out where all the surface water will go in the time of heavy rain, on this note, we have to cater for those storms that may occur once or twice a year, you know, those real HEAVY downpours.

Remember that when we put hard surfaces down like concrete, paving, sandstone flagging and such like, we are in effect, denying the ground from absorbing the water that would normally soak in. Then when it’s raining or we are hosing down, the water will flow either off the allocated edge or to a pit that will collect it to be taken somewhere.

Your raised garden beds may also need a drainage system installed so as not to hold water and become boggy. The same with any or your retaining walls, depending on the height and material, a drainage system will need to be placed behind the wall allowing the water to escape.

It is important NOT to just plumb this system into the home stormwater system, but to create a network of pipes and deal with this water independently. The reason for this is that the home system you have installed when the home was originally built and is designed for the size of the roof area of the home, so by connecting your ground surface water will just be over loading it with extras, this will surely create a disaster when the time arises of heavy rainfall.

If your property slopes towards the road then this will be easier for you than if it doesn’t, pipes can be taken out to the kerbside but check with councils as to the regulations with this.

Check where the water lies after rain, this will give you a good indication of your low lying areas and the areas you will need to pay attention too.

I have a lot more detail and specifications of drainage requirements at my website and my sites address is at the end of this book. Either way drainage has to be considered and planned into your design right from the very beginning. It will constantly cause you grief if not done properly.

Now we need to discuss your planting plan next even though I have stressed that your structural work needs to be done first, it’s important that this work is centred around your plants where possible. As we have already mentioned that your garden borders and the size of your beds will be determined by the size of the plants you wish to plant in that spot. Here’s a couple of chapters to determine what your plant list will be for your design.

Chapter 5: Types of Soil.

Now, you might be thinking, what has this got to do with designing, well it has a lot to do with the success of your plants and grass growing and whether you need to take some measures to change your soil type or not.

Have you ever wondered why it is some of your plants do well and some don’t… even the same species can vary in their success and it never ceases to amaze me as to why. So I just want to start to discuss some of the reasons why this happens and hopefully it might spark some answers to this problem,

The first and probably the most important reason and yet not so obvious, is the soil type, let me explain.

Your soil will fall into one of three categories Sandy, Clay or Loamy. These three can be fairly quickly diagnosed and really determine the type and amount of nutrients that are naturally present, but there is also a pH value that has to be considered. This will also determine the nutrient levels and certain plants will prefer a particular pH value.

pH simply stands for “power of Hydrogen” Now don’t worry, just understand that it’s the measurement of the Acidity or Basicity, which simply is the Acid or Alkalinity, of a solution, in this case, the solution being your soil. Your soil will have a pH value which will determine either one of these three Alkaline, Neutral and Acidic.

Neutral soil will have a pH value of between 6.5 and 7 with acidic being less than that, for example Lime Juice will measure a pH value of about 2 to 2.5, pretty acidic I know, while coffee comes in at a pH value of 5, yea, I must cut down on that too!

There are some plant groups that will prefer Acidic type soil, like Rhododendrons, Heather and Camellias. Whereas Hawthorn, Lilac and Clematis would usually prefer Alkaline soils, but it’s safe to say however, most plants will thrive in soil with a neutral pH value.

If you wish to have these type of plant groups in your garden and whether they are doing well or not, can be a good indication as to the soil type, or you can get yourself a pH tester and test the soil around the garden yourself.

NEVER FEAR…once you know your soils pH value, adjustments CAN be easily made to create whatever soil type you need, suiting the types of plants you want to grow.

How do I do that you might ask, GOOD QUESTION, well, it’s a little out of the scope of this book, but I’ve covered it at my website.

The other factors you need to consider for your design is, the amount of sun light or shade on the garden area, the moisture content of the soil, drainage of the soil and of course the room the plant has to grow.

All these factors are important for your plants to reach their full potential. It might just be a simple matter of moving your plants around in your gardens to a more suitable position where they can thrive.

Chapter 6: Climate, Shade and Direct Sunlight.

Climate will play a big part with your design, annual expected rain fall, the altitude above sea level, density of oxygen and moisture in the air, will all make a difference. If you are unsure, then discuss this with your LOCAL Nursery and I say local as they are growing and selling those very plants successfully, they will surely be able to advise you the best plants and plant groups that will do well in your area.

Now there’s always a great deal of pleasure sitting under a lovely shady tree, in the garden in the middle of summer, and who hasn’t enjoyed the beauty and charm of the shade loving plants, like Violets, Bleeding Hearts, Lilies of the Valley and Ferns just to name a few.

But, having said that, shade can also provide problems for vegetable growers or to those who want to fill their garden with the spring and summer blossoms, that provide an array of colour and sent.

So there is a fine balance, and therefore when selecting the plants you wish to grow it is important to know the amount of sunlight they will be able to get in the position you wish to plant them. Especially when you might be dealing with shade from a neighbours tree, something you might not have a lot of control over.

The problem we can face too, is that when a plant is referred to as liking shade, how much is not necessarily defined, shade, light shade, semi shade. Are all terms that are used, but to the variation that is not defined is one of the reason that so many plants can fail.

Part shade all day or full sun part of the day and shade for the remainder will often make a difference. Sun in the morning as opposed to the hotter afternoon sun will also be a big influence.

Now, it is generally accepted that when attempting to grow plants in shade amongst even the keenest gardener, it is often a matter of trial and error. However you will find that most will follow these guidelines when doing so.

- Full Shade.

This is a shady area that is not relieved at all by full sunlight during the growing season.

- Light Shade.

This would be typical of growing underneath a deciduous tree or a tree with light foliage. When you look at the ground there are small sunny and shady patches, it’s also important not to have branches too low. It is still an area that does not receive full sunlight for any part of the day but is quite lit up with light.

- Semi Shade.

This is the term given when the area will receive full sun for half of the day, be it morning or afternoon. It’s important though to remember some plants might not like the afternoon sun because it’s hotter but will still have a recommendation for semi shade….so just check with your nursery upon purchase what the plant would prefer.

Be careful of any reflected light either by large windows or walls painted white etc. these can also be as if it’s full sun and should be avoided, even though the plant itself is not in the sun.

The success of a shade garden can largely depend on good soil and feeding with the right amount of water. It’s also important to give each plant at least the amount of recommended room to grow, in width as well as height.

Generally they will need more room than the plants in full sun, so if you want to avoid them from struggling to make use of the light that they have, just give them plenty of room.

Chapter 7: Planning your Garden in groups of Plants.

The idea of designing your garden and grouping your plants is more for the practicality side rather than just the aesthetics, one of the simple reasons would be the amount of water that each plant needs. It would be wrong of me to just give you a measurement and state that you should be watering this much because every plant or plant groups require a different amount.

So when planting, try and keep plants with similar water requirement, together, I think you understand the reasoning behind this and it can save you a lot of heartache in the long run. It’s quite easy to adjust your watering to sections of the garden rather than individual plants. Soil types have a big influence on the amount of water or moisture will be contained,

For example, sandy soil will drain very quickly whereas a clay soil will hold the water on the surface and not allow it to sink in very fast, but when it is finally absorbed, will retain it for some time.

Watering systems are quite popular now as they can be timed differently for each group of plants, giving them the right amount of water. Often, when we water by hand we can be guilty of rushing and not giving our plants enough, thus doing more harm than good.

Mulch laid on top of the ground will also help with the soil retaining the moisture, but you will have to water long enough for the water to reach the soil. I cover this too in another chapter below.

So when choosing your plants, consider the amount of watering they need, the soil type and shade requirements, keeping your groups together. and you will be able to control their needs much easier.

Try if possible to plan your landscape around different blooming times. Different plants bloom at various times throughout the year.

If all of the plants in your garden are at their most attractive all at the same time, then your yard will look beautiful for a few weeks each year, but quite possible bare and dormant the rest of the year.

One way to help avoid this is to choose attractive bushes and shrubs that look good green, but also have some sort of flower and colour.

Don’t disregard the idea of having different sizes, shapes and colour flower pots around your home either. Some lovely areas have been created with the use of plants in pots and they can change the whole look and atmosphere of your landscape theme.

Just be careful and make sure to maintain the moisture content of the soil correctly for each plant. Pot plants can have a tendency to dry out very quickly, try and be careful where you are placing them.

There are also many other different ways of growing flowers around your house, as you can see in the picture of my old work boots, retired of course. (see below). This is what my wife enjoys doing when I am reluctant to get rid of them or throw them out.

Designing your landscape has often been likened to the painting of a picture. If you did art at any time your art-work teacher has mentioned for sure, that a good picture should have a point of chief interest or a focal point, the rest of the painting simply is built around that point, building a more beautiful central idea.

So it is with landscaping, there must be in the gardener’s mind a picture with a central theme and what’s desired for the whole garden to be when the landscaping project is finished.

To start with ask yourself this… Should you include lots of bare open lawn in your landscape design?

A large extent of open luscious green lawn space is always beautiful, as well as being quite practical, especially if you are catering for a family. Kids love to run around and spend time playing, (well we did in my day anyway) so open spaces and plenty of lawn is ideal for their development and must be considered if you are in this is the situation.

Of course your garden design will have a different emphasis if you have children and will also vary in its design according to the age of the kids, whether they be yours or your Grand kids, catering for them will be a challenge to balance the beauty and the practical… needless to say you will make certain sacrifices for their safety, which in my view is well worth it just to see them enjoy themselves and be safe in your back yard.

This style of open landscaping adds a feeling of space to even the smallest of grounds. You will often see lawns that have incorporated lots of trees, each with little flower beds at the base here and there, the general effect is choppy and fussy.

The Lawn area becomes harder to maintain and often won’t grow as well, due to the filtered sunlight. If this is what you are going for then be sure to consider the type of grass you choose, shade tolerant is a must.

In your design, you could include a single tree or a small group of shrubs as an arrangement on the lawn. It is best not to centre the tree or trees, let them drop a bit into the background by making a side feature of them.

Be careful not to choose overpowering trees. The tree should have a good shape, with something interesting about its bark, leaves, flowers or fruit.

For the beauty of landscaping, the catalpa is quite lovely by itself. Its leaves are broad, its flowers attractive, the seed pods which cling to the tree until way into the winter, add to the picture that you may want to create.

The bright berries of the ash, the brilliant foliage of the sugar maple, the blossoms of the tulip tree, the bark of the white birch, and the leaves of the copper beech all these are beauty points to consider when planning your trees to be a focal point in your overall landscaping arrangement.

Chapter 8: Design with Family in mind.

Here are a few pointers which will help the process, of course some will apply to you and some won’t, depending upon the type and size of your family.

From babies through to teenagers, your garden will evolve and change as much as they will.If you intend on having a family play in your own back yard then designing your garden landscape keeping your family in mind can be somewhat of a challenge, but certainly easier than you might think.

The most important aspect of a landscape and garden design when you are catering for family and especially young children, is their safety.

Safety is paramount and should be considered not only for the grounds but also for the equipment and toys they will be playing with outside.

Open space is by far the most appropriate but it can be a little boring, so it’s really a matter of striking a balance between your garden desires and the play area.

If your children are still small, then you are able to achieve this quite easily, usually they are quite content to stay in a relatively small play area with toys that will keep them occupied and it’s probable, that when they are outside, you or someone else is outside too watching over them.

However when they become a little more independent, it’s then that the design of your garden will need to have a few more changes made to it.

Young children, at first anyway, don’t understand the boundaries from a garden edge and will often run straight onto the flower bed to get their ball or some other stray toy, so my advice is your edging has to be well defined and easily seen, this will speed up the learning curve for them.

Your gardens need to have sturdy shrubs and flowering bushes rather than the delicate bulbs, perennials and annuals. These more delicate plants can easily be destroyed even from little feet.

Yes I know it’s hard to resist the temptation to buy these at your local nursery, but wouldn’t you rather spend money than waste it. If you really need these then consider planting them in pots and place them nearer the house, where they will be protected a little. It’s usually only for two or three seasons until your young children have learnt the boundaries of the garden.

Your choice of plants have to be children friendly and by that I mean avoid plants that could cause irritations to the skin, or produce berries that are poisonous or nuts that fall onto the ground that they can eat or will hurt their feet when walked on etc.

Tools are another aspect to the safety and design of your garden, have a tool shed or an area somewhere in your design that is inaccessible to children. Poisons and Fertilisers need to be kept out of reach as well as all your tools.

Always try to design the landscape, where possible, to have a visual of the area where they will be playing from the part of the house that you spend the most time in, like the family orientated rooms.

If you are able to take a quick glance out the window or door and see them, makes it safer than if they were totally out of site, hence the larger open spaces in your yard, the less private areas you have in your garden design, the less chance there will be of them hurting themselves and you not knowing about it.

All in all, when either your kids or your Grand kids are there playing always keep in mind their safety, and your garden will always be remembered as a haven they enjoyed playing in,

for the rest of their lives.

Now let’s look at what we need to do when designing for young children and teenagers.

These are usually very active and often have apparatus, larger toys and gaming equipment around the yard and providing for this will just take a little more planning. You don’t have to worry quite so much, at this age, ha ha, hopefully, they will have a bit of an understanding about your gardens borders.

But because they like to have this equipment, often areas need to be provided catering for items like Trampolines, Bikes, Basketball hoops, you might even go for sand pits or temporary paddling pools etc.

Staying in sight is still very important, even though this age group are a lot more confident in their own ability this can also work against them and accidents can still happen in the garden. Because of this it is important to keep the play area clear from tools and trip hazards like hoses left unreeled, rakes and shovels left out etc.

Trampolines are also very popular and although the designs of this equipment have improved with full cages etc. there is still a lot of the older styles in service. Try to keep these out in the open, plenty of space around them so if there is a fall off then it minimises the injury. One idea is to consider mulching around the base area to soften any fall. If you are just placing it on the lawn, you might want to move it around regularly so it will not shade the grass too much.

Storage areas have to be considered for the kids push bikes, if kids have an area to place their bikes when not in use, it will keep your garden safer.

Obviously if you are going to cater for basketball then you will need to have a hard surface, this can easily be incorporated with a driveway, side car parking area or patio at the back.

I would keep this area away from your entertaining area for two reasons, one is that area usually has cooking, seating and table facilities and will not tolerate the big ball and also when friends are over with kids of similar age they can go off and play while you can entertain your guests.

It’s probably more important and only if possible of course to try and avoid too many steps in your garden when catering for these kids, they like to run around a lot so ramping and clear areas are ideal. This isn’t always possible depending on the type of house block you have but for those that able, you’ll find it much safer for all the kids concerned.

Sand pits should be built with covers and opened only when needed. Cats and even wild life love to do their mess in the sand and you don’t want this, it’s also a good idea to change the sand each season this will help to keep it clean and fresh making it easier to play in.

You might have kids that enjoy some of the ball games, footy or such like, it stands to reason that you will need a larger area for this and a good sturdy type grass, always try to choose one of the runner grass varieties for this as they are easily replenished if the grass gets broken or ripped up.

Now as far as plants go…well you should probably stay with flowering shrubs although selected pocket areas, that are out of contact with the bigger play areas, are usually safe to have.

Even garden boxes or border gardens around the entertaining area filled with bulbs, Annuals and Perennials and delicate shrubs like Fuchsias etc. can be quite successful and will provide a lot of fragrance and colour, for those times you are out there with friends.

Chapter 9: Landscape Themes to Consider.

We have discussed the importance of certain features that you can include when planning your garden around kids of different ages … now I want to get into some more general ideas for your design to consider.

The best idea is to break your garden up into sections, Have an idea of the overall landscape plan but have the smaller section broken up into what we call Themes, these will blend into each other, hopefully being worked on one at a time.

One way is to get some graph paper and start with the permanent structures that you either want to build, or, keep the ones already there.

Then you can take a good look at the plants you have, choose the plants you would like to keep and those that will be removed. This will become easy when you have determined the themes.

Entertainment areas are one of the main feature themes for people today, but remember that they don’t have to be directly built off the house, a timber decked platform or paved courtyard area can be built anywhere in your yard that you wish to make more of a feature, the only reason for them being close to the house, is for the convenience of access to and from the kitchen, but a secluded garden room area can be created in the yard using either fixed screens, hedges, brick walls, lattice or such like, creating a very pleasant setting for a cosy atmosphere.

Gazebos are quite popular but can be expensive and often look too big and bulky for some yards, Think of an open pergola instead, open beams overhead provide a good structure for small lights that just add to the atmosphere.

Shrubs that vary in shape and size will also give good backing for this area, remembering to place your taller ones at the back with the shorter ones in the front,

Consider lighting up not just the area itself , but also the paths and walkways, this can be achieved with either solar lights or low voltage lights. Both help provide a great atmosphere and make it safer at night.

Up lights in the garden among some of your feature plants will also be a beautiful addition, making it a place you want to be with your friends for an evening drink or two.

Another aspect that is quite popular is some kind of water feature. Not too close but set in the garden, Make sure it is with a fountain or cascade so as to provide the sound of water. Lights around this are always worth the effort.

Your water feature can be as elaborate or as simple as you like, remember that it’s also the sound of the water that helps to create the atmosphere that you are after as well as the look.

You can even make it a major feature, acting as part of the border to a feature entertainment area with a bridge crossing over for access.

If your Entertainment area is just an outside extension of your house it’s often referred to as an Alfresco area, and often this is fitted out just like a kitchen, with cook tops, sinks and cupboards etc.

So there is plenty of scope for entertainment areas, the important thing is to blend it into a theme that is one that you are happy with.

Chapter 10: Theme 1. Water Features.

There is no doubt everyone would agree that water features add a little something extra to your garden, I have installed many over the years and the beauty is that there is not one the same, some people just prefer a small feature and some go for more of a show case.

The important thing, it’s relative in size to the use in your garden, as well as the amount of time you have to attend to it and cost to effect.

We will cover the size first, everything we build in our garden must be relative in the size to the area we have, as well as the materials we use, this will help with the overall look of our themes and nothing will look out of place. For example, if we are building a small wall around our pond then we want it to have materials that will match its use as well as its size.

Rock or something natural looking will always be best.

Now, there is just a little maintenance, not as much as a pool of course, but there is a filter and if you are using a fountain jet, it’s good to regularly check that too, Trees and shrubs that overhang the water line that drop leaves will always be an issue so avoid if possible.

As far as cost to effect goes we must remember that the more you spend on your water feature the more you will want it to be a feature, so it will need to be positioned where it will have the most effect and not hidden away in the far corner of the yard.

This was a fairly cheap pond I built for a client with the main pond made with a poly pond liner, this is just laid on a sand bed. Rocks were then cemented around the edge and a little pond was built on the top edge that feeds the lower one with a little waterfall. It was built down the garden somewhat and was not a main feature for him.

This one however came in a kit form, the base was a round sided tub, we then cemented the sandstone around it and the statue went together in three pieces with the water coming out at the top. This was definitely more of a feature so it was placed in the centre of the lawn and seen as you park the car upon entrance.

Water features can be installed into walls as well, though these are a little more complicated as best to be done during the installation of the wall. These usually consist of a bowl of sorts or a bottom trough and the water is pumped up to a spout.

But probably the most common and easiest to install is just one pond and a fountain this is where the pump itself is placed in the middle of the pond and instead of a pipe fixed to it to go somewhere it just has a fountain head, usually the rate of flow can be adjusted to suite the height you want with an inline tap.

It is important to keep the water moving especially in the warmer climates, this will prevent the breeding of mosquitoes and such like, this also keeps the oxygen level up in the water, which is particularly important if you are keeping fish.

In the planning of you water feature you will have to allow for a power supply for the pump, although the pump can be low voltage it will still need a mains supply to run the transformer. Solar pumps might be an option but they are generally not very effective.

So whatever water feature you decide on, a pond, fountain or a cascade water fall, these features will always add a very natural beauty to your garden.

Chapter 11. Theme 2. The Secret Retreat.

I must say this is one of my favourites,

The art of creating an area outside or a courtyard where the access is through either a gate, or an archway, and involves walking to it, rather than just coming outside from the house, will always inspire a certain amount of intrigue in the garden.

Using this to your advantage can be very useful, as you will be able to have an area that you can create that is totally different from anywhere else in your garden and you don’t have to worry about blending into it.

It doesn’t really matter whether you are creating a specific area for a cause, or just encouraging people to walk through, whether it’s a hedge, brick wall or screen, people naturally have an inquisitive nature and if your visitors are walking around the garden then entering this area to see what’s on or in the other side will always be something they will want to do.

I call it the element of surprise.

You may want it to be as simple as a lawn area with a bench seat there facing a beautiful flower bed, entering in will entice people to sit down, have a rest and enjoy some serenity.

Other themes might be more of an area specifically for entertaining, you may want to have a bit more privacy from your neighbours, or just make it a little more cosy. What every the reason cornering off a special area for this, does create more of an atmosphere for yourselves and your guest’s.

Creating one as an entertainment area, really allows you to go to town, especially if you are starting from scratch, always make sure you start from the size of your table and chairs and move out from that.

Workout how much room you need and then add some, then allow for some gardens whether these will be in the form of planter boxes or garden beds, that’s entirely your taste.

Allow for the cooking area, and any other feature like fountains / ponds etc. then you can determine where the walls or screens have to go, your entrance can either be through a gate or an archway / arbour or just an opening, that again is entirely up to you.

Don’t forget power and even a water supply inside the confines of the screens.

So if you want to create some intrigue, some secrecy or play on peoples inquisitive nature, and give your guest’s something to talk about in your garden, I suggest you get on and build yourself an outside room, a secret retreat. You will certainly enjoy the benefits yourself for a long time to follow.

Chapter 12.   Theme 3. The good old garden path.

Yes this might seem funny but it can be a very important aspect to your landscape,

The reason I love a good meandering path just screams invite to your garden, you are able to take your visitors on a garden journey and show them what you have achieved.

You have the golden opportunity of displaying your favourite plants and landscape themes by taking them on this walk, I like to encourage a walk in the garden often, I think it’s a great time to share with your friends who are garden enthusiasts and see what’s growing, what’s flowering and what shouldn’t be there etc.

I love it and would recommend that you consider creating your design to include a path around your garden.

It is particularly good when you have to go around corners and gardens so dense you can’t see through, screens and garden buildings. Create your path with that in mind and it will become a walk that will be satisfying.

They also provide easy access in a practical way to your garden beds, for maintenance purposes and if your paths go everywhere they will give little roads for the children to play on.

Surfaces for your paths can vary with a lot of material to choose from. Hard surfaces would include the likes of concrete, paving or sandstone flagging, what you need to remember is that these paths will have water runoff.

Softer surfaces for paths would be gravel and mulch, these paths will have some kind of border to contain the material of course, but because of the different varieties of these materials they can often blend in with your landscape and suite many garden designs.

Grass paths are also very popular and these will work very well providing they are not used too much. Best to use a seeded grass, as the grass will not tend to protrude into your garden beds.

One of the other beauties of creating paths is that you can easily create islands of gardens, with each island having different plant groups or garden themes etc. If you decide to do this it’s important to remember that the path edge is always the front and you arrange your plnts working from the centre of the island all the way around. As you walk around the path you are always looking to the centre of the island.

You can create your paths with many curves as they meander around the garden, this will give your design a unique and creative appeal, as your garden plants grow to a point where you will need to walk around the garden edge to see the other side, hence the element of surprise is achieved again.

Chapter 13: Theme 4. Your Garden Edging.

Adding a garden edge or border to your landscape is just as important as the garden itself. The edging frames your garden much like a picture frame. A picture can be interesting and beautiful but it needs a frame to enhance its appearance, so it is with your garden.

There are various types of garden borders and many people prefer to use something heavy and permanent, like a low brick wall, or rocks set together with mortar.

Bricks set freely can be just as effective. They can be placed in a simple line, end to end, or stacked in a double row, with gaps in between. They can also be set diagonally, leaning against each other for support.

Bush rocks can also be used to give your garden that finished look. They needn’t be too big, unless you have plenty of muscle or help. You may be able to gather rocks from a friend’s farm, or from the bush if that is legal in your area. Otherwise, garden suppliers usually have plenty to choose from.

Some people prefer to simply bevel an edge around their garden with the shovel. This is a good option if your lawn has the sort of grass that is grown from seed and not with runners, like kikuyu. Although those runners can be kept under control by chopping them off, it is a continual job to stay on top of it.

You might even consider the use of flowers or shrubs to create a living border. Choose a plant that will be suitable for your climate and conditions. The pretty pink of alpine phlox is an attractive border and the plants can be divided and planted again and again. Many other plants can be propagated in this way, thus reducing the initial costs. Of course, your border will take a little more time to get established than if you bought all the necessary plants at once.

Gazanias are another hardy border plant that can be divided many times. Bulbs might seem like a good choice too, but also keep in mind; they will die down and leave your borders looking messy for ages. In addition, they remain dormant for at least six months, so if you plant anything else there you risk damaging the bulbs. Of course, you can dig them up and replace them with something else, but you may prefer a more permanent border edge to save on the workload.

Whatever option you choose, it will enhance your garden by having a beautiful edge.

Chapter 14: Theme 5. Retaining Walls.

We often think that Retaining Walls are just an item that we would build only if we are forced to but the fact remains that many a wall has been built just to provide an interesting aspect to the garden.

First up I would like to point out that the walls that have to be built to either retain earth that has been excavated or to build up a terrace or such like, still have to fit in with the general landscape theme. Just because they have to be built, and depending on their size of course, as whether an engineer is consulted, the look of the wall is very important to the impact it has on your garden.

The theme that you are trying to achieve will be influenced by the construction of your walls, whether you choose timber, stone, brick, Rendered Besser blocks, or just one of the many free standing block walls. Consideration has to be given to the look you are trying to achieve.

Blending materials for different walls that are built in close vicinity is risky but not impossible to pull off. You just have to be careful how you blend them, Timber next to brick etc.

Walls that are built solely for the purpose of adding character to your landscape are ones that you can have a lot more fun with because you are determining the position, height, shape and purpose not the other way around. You can use this opportunity to create a theme where a garden is raised with perhaps a water feature and eye catching plants.

Maybe creating a corner for a seat and table setting, surrounded with a variety of ferns or shrubs, whatever the idea, you are more in control with what you can do, so I tend to make the most of it.

The walls you build for this purpose don’t have to be very high either, some can be considered just a garden border, but it creates character and variety in your garden. After all, it’s not just the plan view that will give us variety it’s the height variations in our garden as well.

These can be very simple and subtle, but very effective in the whole scheme of things. So give it some due diligence to consider how you can create these types of themes in your garden.

Chapter 15: Theme 6. Using Rocks in Your Garden.

First up… It’s important to explain here that when it comes to rocks and rock work your personal taste has a lot to do with the way you want the job to be finished.

So without getting into which way is best, I’m just going to discuss how I prefer to have it looking and you can make up your own mind how you want it done.

When I am creating a garden using rocks as a border, then I like the idea that the rocks will look like they have been there before I come along, this can be achieved quite easily if you are not cementing them but freely placing them on the ground.

Bury them in a little and randomly place them, not in a straight line because you don’t see that naturally, but place a single, then a double then a couple of singles and then you might have a bigger one with two little ones at the base etc. Rocks can even be placed within the garden itself, to either raise the soil level or simply just to add character.

If you need to cement them then you’ll need to keep the footing concrete below ground, unless of course, you are making a mowing strip out of it, then it will be formed above ground.

If you are building a wall then the joint cement will all be done from behind, this will hide the cement as much as possible as most of the time soil from the garden will cover it up.

I just prefer that if I’m using rocks why do I want to see all the cement, this way I can make the rocks a feature and keep it looking as natural as possible.

Of course if your joints are best cemented then there are ways to minimise the amount of cement used, by keeping all the cementing of the joints behind the wall, this construction takes a bit of time though as you need to fit your rocks so as the joints are as small as possible.

Brushing and washing off the excess cement at the front, at a time when the cement has partially set, will minimise the amount of cement seen.

Rock walls come in many different styles as well as different types of stone, and it’s important to be choosey as to which one you want. This will enhance the theme you are trying to build rather than diminish the effect.

This will make sure that the theme will blend with the rest of your landscaping, I try not to use different types of rock in the one place but to stick to the same type, for example if I’m using sandstone then I won’t place rock in that’s an iron stone, it will look totally out of place etc.

If you are considering rock work for your garden then think of the different types of rocks you can use, the type of finish you want to achieve and the overall effect it will have on the rest of your landscape.

Chapter 16: Theme 7. Your Fences.

Your garden fence, believe it or not plays a vital role in the look of your landscape, it provides the back drop to all that is place in your garden, Now although you might have gone halves with your neighbour for this fence there maybe still a lot you can do with the look of it.

Timber and brick fences can be painted to suite the colour you want, screens can be placed in front of fences that are unable to be changed, or if a new fence is being built you can often negotiate with the neighbour and pay for the extra to get what you want.

Have a good look around your neighbourhood and get some ideas for the kinds of fences you could use, just keep in mind the front fence is more about style and invite whereas the back fence is more about your privacy.

Although you are restricted as to where your fences will be situated, screens can also be used in your landscape extending at right angles off the fence providing you with some areas for your entertainment etc.

If you blend the functionality of the fence with a particular theme that you are building inside your boundary it can work very well, selecting the right materials and style will create a design that you can be proud of.

Chapter 17: Theme 8. The Steps in Your Garden.

There are several styles of steps of course but each of them should be built with a standard riser, the riser is the vertical part of the step and the tread is what you walk on, when the steps are bunch up together like a flight of stairs then the tread size should be a minimum of 1’ 3” (370mm) this will make them easier to see when going down them and the riser should all be the same and approx. 6&frac12;” (165mm) or less, this will make it easier when we get older.

These Treated sleeper steps with gravel infill created a curve that a client wanted and was just down a gentle bank. It was enough to give a good break either side which she then went on to plant out with ground covers and mulch etc.

These are steeper but built in the same style of stacking the steps on top of each other. Very simple to design and build.

These are brick obviously and are suited to the design features matching the house.

So if steps are necessary then choose them according to the theme you have to work with and ensure that they will blend in and not be an eyesore.

Chapter 18: How You Can Blend Your Landscape Themes.

The way you blend your themes is just as important as the theme itself. If presented in the wrong fashion the theme will lose its effect and in some ways you will be better off not having it. The blending itself can also be classified as a theme but not made so obvious, in fact the less obvious it is the better.

Garden borders from grass for example, if your grass is the variety that grows from a runner like Couch, Kikuyu or Buffalo, then it becomes more important to have a hard material like cemented rocks, bricks or timber. The runners of these grasses seem to grow fairly quickly and will be trespassing into your flower bed before you know it.

However if your grass is the kind that grows from seeds like Kentucky Blue or the Fescues etc. then you can get away with the cut edge off the lawn, knowing that the grass will not protrude any further.

Here I blended a brick paved court area to some steps, using the same pavers for the treads of the steps. Then I used the same bricks for the border of this path that I used for the construction of the steps, this path then went along the side of the house and joined up at the  steps at the front door.

For your border, or edging, to look nice, will have to stick to a particular type of material, DO NOT change mid- stream without a theme breaking the border, for example. If you are using rocks along the edge of a lawn, don’t suddenly put in a piece of timber or a brick in the edge, this will look bad and take the effect away from the garden. I would only have two or three different types throughout the garden, too many varieties will look patchy.

The important thing to remember when blending from one theme to another, if it looks good then it’s usually ok. And it is always up to your own taste, there isn’t really any right or wrong.

Chapter 19: Design your Gardens to use Mulch.

Mulching is always a great idea, but when designing your garden is the perfect time to be thinking of this, the border to your garden has to allow for your mulch depth as well as the soil. An ideal depth for your mulch would be 3 – 4 inches (75 – 100mm) and of course you don’t want this mulch falling over your border.

Pine and native mulch will suite the different varieties of plants as well so be careful in your selection. Another point to remember is if you are installing a drip watering system then the piping is best laid under the mulch. That way the drip water goes straight into the soil.

Mulch will of course break done over time, some faster than others so consider in your design access to your garden beds for renewal when the time comes.

It isn’t necessarily good practice to have the mulch right up around the trunks of your trees, this can cause insects and disease to effect the tree so keep it away a little bit at the base.

I will always prefer an organic mulch in preference to pebbles or such like, I think it look more natural and is better for the garden, but still this is a matter of taste and the type of garden you are designing.

Chapter 20: Don’t Disregard The Use of Ornaments and Garden Furniture.

It probably goes without saying that the use of ornaments in the garden can certainly add character as well as adding your personal touch and flavour to your garden design. These ornaments are not just referring to our little Noam friends, but a massive variety of furnishing you can add in and around your plants.

They can be just the simply bird house on a post or a mirror hanging on the fence, pot plants even in the garden itself, old farming equipment is often a theme that many go for.

Obviously your garden style will have a lot to do with the type of ornaments and or furniture you will place around but the thing is, they can provide just as much enjoyment to the view of your garden as the plants themselves.

The simple table and chairs will look enticing even if they don’t even get used, Noam’s and other figurines are still quite popular, even sculptured farm animals in the right setting will provide a lot of interest.

You need to just remember when placing these around to keep it theme orientated. Try not to just be slap hazard with it but create areas that these ornaments can relate to your garden design.

For example you won’t place a sculpture sheep in amongst your flower bed but you would place him in the corner of your lawn, and if you are into old farm equipment then you wouldn’t be placing these tools in a Japanese style garden. I think you get the picture.

Chapter 21: Design with maintenance in mind.

Many people make the mistake when designing their garden of forgetting the maintenance side of keeping your garden beautiful. Access to everywhere is imperative for your equipment, for example, mowers, mulching machines, wheel barrows etc. sometimes it’s as simple as putting a ramp in instead of steps, making the gate just a little bit wider to get through.

I like the idea of having a garden shed midway in your garden so as not to go too far when working, a shed big enough for all your equipment to be access without moving anything is my ideal too.

Planning your planting must also be done in a fashion so as to be able to get access to your plants for pruning, trimming and shaping relatively easy. There is nothing worse for you as well as the plant to be entangled up with other plants, positioning the shrub to allow for its growth size will help prevent this.

About the Author.

Hi my name is Peter Owen and I have been in the Landscaping Trade since 1985, mainly working with construction.

I write all my own content and the photos are also of my work, so I would love some feedback. If you can leave a review of the book, that would be great

I have developed my own Website for people who want to learn how to do their own landscaping, with all the specification and guidelines that we, as professionals work with.

My website address is

http://www.landscaping-doityourself.com

I’d love to see you there.

Thank you for reading this book and all the best with your projects.

Take care

Table of Contents

Design a Garden

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Your first thoughts when designing a Garden.

Chapter 2: Hardscape and Softscape

Chapter 3. Check with your local Council and other Authorities.

Chapter 4: Your Drainage Plan.

Chapter 5: Types of Soil.

Chapter 6: Climate, Shade and Direct Sunlight.

Chapter 7: Planning your Garden in groups of Plants.

Chapter 8: Design with Family in mind.

Chapter 9: Landscape Themes to Consider.

Chapter 10: Theme 1. Water Features.

Chapter 11. Theme 2. The Secret Retreat.

Chapter 13: Theme 4. Your Garden Edging.

Chapter 14: Theme 5. Retaining Walls.

Chapter 15: Theme 6. Using Rocks in Your Garden.

Chapter 16: Theme 7. Your Fences.

Chapter 17: Theme 8. The Steps in Your Garden.

Chapter 18: How You Can Blend Your Landscape Themes.

Chapter 19: Design your Gardens to use Mulch.

Chapter 20: Don’t Disregard The Use of Ornaments and Garden Furniture.

Chapter 21: Design with maintenance in mind.

About the Author.