Building a brief

Building a Brief

Now that you have the bones of your garden down on paper, it's time to think about what you want to use your garden for. In my professional life, I call this a client brief and it involves asking my client a series of questions to get a good picture of how they want to use their outdoor space, whatever its size.

Butter's Own Brief

When it came to my own garden, I knew that my paved area needed to be at least 4.6 metres wide in order for me to fit in two large benches and a coffee table. I chose metal benches because they are hard-wearing and I won't have to worry about stains or general wear and tear for years to come.

In my opinion, it's never too early to think about the type of furniture you want to include in your garden and how you want it to fit with your house in general. If you're a BBQ fan, then think about whether you want your BBQ to be a permanent feature, or whether you want to store it out of sight and then wheel it out for occasional use.

This of course will depend on whether you want a gas or a coal BBQ. If you want a gas BBQ, then consider this from the very beginning as you could have gas pipes plumbed in under your hard standing so that you don't have to see them or use any ugly gas canisters that will be in your sightline.

Some Questions to Consider:

• How do you want to spend time in your garden?
• How do you want to interact with your garden?
• What are yours & your families needs?
• How do these needs translate in real terms onto your garden plan?
• What time of year will you be using your garden the most?
• Do you go away often?

Some Questions for Specifics:

• Do you want garden lighting?
• Do you want a water feature?
• Do you want grass?
• Do you want a BBQ?
• Do you need an irrigation system?
• Do you need a formal dining area or a casual one?