A successful garden design is about much more than choosing beautiful plants or deciding where to put a patio. The best gardens are carefully considered around the people who use them, the architecture they sit alongside and the landscape they’re a part of.
As garden designers and landscape architects, we spend a great deal of time understanding a space before we begin developing ideas which is why our first on-site consultation is so important. Whilst every project is different, there are certain pieces of information that consistently help us create gardens that feel more personal, practical and beautifully complete.
So, what do we really want to know before we start designing your garden?
How You Want to Use Your Garden
Perhaps the most important question is a simple one: how do you want to live in your garden?
A garden that is primarily used for entertaining will require a very different approach from one designed as a quiet space. You might imagine long summer lunches around an outdoor dining table, evenings beside a fire, children playing on the lawn, or simply having somewhere peaceful to sit with a morning coffee.
This is exactly what we want to understand!
Think about how you use the garden now, what works well and what frustrates you. Perhaps the existing terrace feels too exposed, the lawn takes up too much of the garden, or there is nowhere comfortable to sit when the sun moves around the house. Then think of how you’d like to use your garden. These everyday observations can be incredibly valuable during the design process.
Your Taste and Inspiration
We don’t expect you to arrive with a fully formed design brief. In fact, you don’t need to know the names of particular plants, materials or architectural styles. The one thing that can be helpful though is knowing what you like.
Photographs from gardens you’ve visited, a Pinterest board, or even interiors that reflect your taste can all provide useful clues. You might be drawn to the simplicity of a contemporary garden, the informality of naturalistic planting, or the structure and symmetry of a more traditional landscape.
Don’t worry too much though as sometimes, knowing what you don’t like is just as useful.
Our role isn’t to simply reproduce an image you’ve saved. Instead, we use these references to understand your preferences and then interpret them in a way that works specifically for your property.
How You Want the Garden to Feel
A garden has an atmosphere as well as a function.
Do you want it to feel calm and secluded? Immersive? Architectural, contemporary? Wild and natural? Perhaps you want a combination of different experiences as you move through the space.
These conversations help us think beyond individual features and consider the overall experience of the landscape. We believe that good garden design isn’t simply about what you see, it’s just much about how a space makes you feel.
The Architecture of Your Home
The relationship between house and garden is fundamental to our approach. We see a garden as an extension of your indoor living space. As much a part of your home as a living room or kitchen. A garden should feel connected to the house rather than appearing as an entirely separate element.
We look carefully at things such as the property’s architectural style, existing materials, window positions, entrances and important views from inside the house. The garden should work from both directions: it should be enjoyable when you’re outside, but it should also look considered from the rooms overlooking it.
Your Lifestyle and Future Plans
Understanding who uses the garden and how that might change over time can influence everything from planting to storage to outdoor entertaining.
Do you regularly have friends and family over? Do you have children? Are there pets to consider? Would you like an outdoor kitchen or dining area? Do you enjoy gardening yourself, or would you prefer a landscape that requires relatively little maintenance?
The Practical Details
Some of the least glamorous information can be some of the most important. Access to the property, existing drainage, levels, boundaries, soil conditions, neighbouring buildings and mature trees all influence what is possible.
For landscape architecture projects in particular, understanding the physical characteristics of the site is essential. A change in level might become an opportunity for a beautiful set of steps or terraces. A mature tree might become the centrepiece of a new outdoor room. A challenging boundary might be transformed through planting, screening or architectural detailing.
Constraints aren’t necessarily problems. Often, they’re where the most interesting design opportunities begin.
Your Budget and Priorities
Talking openly about budget helps us create a more focused and realistic design.
A well-designed garden doesn’t necessarily mean including every possible feature. Instead, we can consider where investment will have the greatest impact and develop a landscape that feels coherent as a whole.
You may place particular importance on planting, natural stone, entertaining areas, architectural structures or lighting. Understanding your priorities helps us make informed design decisions and ensures the finished garden reflects what matters most to you.
The Landscape Around Your Property
We don’t just think about your own land, but we consider what lies beyond your boundaries. Important views, neighbouring properties, mature trees, the wider landscape and the character of the surrounding area can all influence a garden’s design.
Sometimes the best solution is to frame a beautiful distant view. In another garden, screening may be more important to create privacy and a sense of enclosure. The surrounding landscape can become part of the design rather than simply something that sits beyond it.
What You Expect From Your Garden Over Time
Finally, we like to understand your expectations for the garden as it matures.
A newly planted garden is only the beginning. Trees grow, planting develops and materials weather and change character. A considered landscape design anticipates this evolution. We can therefore think about how your garden will look not only when it is first completed, but five, ten or even twenty years into the future.
Designing Your Garden Around You
Ultimately, the most useful information is anything that helps us understand you, your home and the way you want to live.
You don’t need to have all the answers before beginning a garden design project. Part of our role as designers is to ask the right questions, explore possibilities and help you discover what you want from the space.
The more we understand about your lifestyle, aspirations, property and surroundings, the more personal the design can become.
If you’re ready to start your journey to a new garden, click here to arrange a relaxed, no-obligation conversation.
Take a look at our case studies for more garden design inspiration.