Evaluating your plot

Evaluating Your Plot

The structure of a garden makes it work and feel engaging.

Drawing a Simple Plan

• Establishing the north and south aspects is key; a compass can be used to represent this on your plan. Use an arrow to show the movement of the sun around your site.
• Mark how this influences where the warmer and cooler areas are. This will allow you to work out where you might like to sit or where to put a kitchen garden.
• Work out which of the existing things to keep, based on how useful they are to your design. A large tree might provide respite from the sun on a hot day, or the opportunity for shade planting, for example.
• Consider the soil conditions. If you have differing soil across the site, it's worth noting these down on your plan, as this will directly impact the planting.
• If a site is sloping, you may need to install a terrace to achieve some flat ground. This can also offer changes in level, which can be an interesting design element.
• Start to plot your movement around the site. Draw in any access points to help you establish how you might journey through the garden.
• Take borrowed views into account (see p25). These are equally important to the things that are within your garden and they contribute to the overall experience.
• Think about the function of your garden. Consider where might be the best space for storing tools or putting a compost bin that will be hidden from view.
• Using all of this information, you can use this plan to start to think about your planting.

Which Plants to Keep?

This may take a couple of rounds of edits but is well worth the time and effort.

• For the first edit, begin by simply marking those with clear value and those with absolutely no value.
• Remove the ones you're certain about not needing, leaving the ones you're not sure about.
• When it comes to the second edit, you may have made up your mind about the remaining plants. However, it's good to take your time making these decisions.
• You can also remove plants after you've started planting; a garden can evolve constantly.

Taking the Analysis Forward

Once you have gathered all the information and drawn your plan, you should be clear on the key moves you need to make regarding:

• Spaces in sunshine
• Spaces in shade
• Places you want to sit
• Places for planting
• Movement through the garden
• Don't ignore your instincts about a place - they are often right. If something bothers you, make a note of it. Equally, if you love something, hold that as an important element of the design, which deserves your attention.

The Relationship Between House and Garden

• You'll be spending the majority of your time in the house, so it is important to consider how the windows give way to the garden.
• Take time to understand how the indoor space relates to the outdoor space, and how you engage with them, separately and together.

Changes in Level

• Even in the smallest of gardens, you may need to negotiate a change in level.
• A local OS map can be really helpful to see where main features are plotted and on what plane.
• A site survey is useful to understand the different levels. It will also scale your space and which will help you to work out the quantities of plants and materials you need.