How to plan your garden

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Plan your garden with a Garden Freebies Garden Plan

You can get lots of books which have garden plans. if you're only planning to design a garden for yourself you should be able to do this simply if you bear in mind some principles.

Free sheet to download and print to help you plan a garden - right click here and save as - for free garden planning sheet - you will need Word or word viewer to view this page

• You need to know how big the garden is. You should measure this and draw a to scale drawing.
  
• You need to know which way the garden faces and therefore what sunshine it will get.
  
• What are the boundarys? Can they be changed?
  
• What type of soil is it?
  
• Who will use the garden?
  
• What needs do you have to furfill for the design to work for people? Must there be a play area, a water feature, herb garden, vegetable patch, disabled access, raised beds.
  
• Draw a plan of the garden, a list of requirements, a list of limitations, then read books or ask at the garden centre (Or great online stores like Crocus - see link on left) to find plants suitable.
  
• Add in main features (Lawn etc) and think about how it will look in 3 dimensions.
  
• Use planting in odd numbers to make things look more casual.
  
• Use different textures (ground cover, furniture, water features,)
  
• Vary heights of plants
  
• Vary shapes of ground cover areas,
  
• Use dividers to cut up long gardens,
  
• Use diagonal lines to create interest
  
• Use Trompe L'oeil (trick of the eye) to make small gardens appear longer - use mirrors, height, trellis, etc to draw the eye to change how you view the garden.
  
• Keep records of your plans so that you can see how your ideas develop.
  
• Visit other gardens for inspirations.
  
• Don't be afraid of asking other gardeners for tips or what plants are.
  
• Make notes of interesting ideas you see in other gardens.
  
• Take photographs of interesting gardens, keep notes, perhaps a scrapbook of design ideas that you can convert or reuse.
  
• Local knowledge pays dividends. Local gardeners will know what plants do well in the area - this is especially important when you're looking at fruit trees and other plants dependent on frost etc.
  
  
• Finally - the practicalities - What budget is allocated to the garden? Who will be doing the work? Is there a deadline?
  
  
  
  
  

Garden Freebies is intended to provide you with a list of free stuff for your garden as well as articles about gardening, free seeds, special offers on gardening tools and equipment as well as loads of other info on gardening in the UK.