Designing and planning your garden

Designing and Planning Your Garden

Winter is the best season to plan our gardens, as we can see the bare bones much more clearly in the colder months. It can be overwhelming to try and plan in spring and summer when there is so much fresh growth, as we can't see the dimensions of our spaces.

Whether you want to make small or major changes in the year to come, drawing your space will help you to think about its structure and layout.

Looking at books and information online is a great way to get inspiration for your space, and if you aren't feeling confident yet, there are some excellent ready made designs too.

Start by Mapping the Size and Proportions of Your Garden

I started planning my space by drawing it out. A visual guide can help you to assess the current layout of your garden and what you might want to change in the future.

By discovering the boundary of your garden, whether via the council, online, or via maps, you'll be able to turn your initial doodles into accurate, to-scale drawings.

Map How the Natural Elements Impact Your Garden

Understanding the layout of your garden and how the natural elements affect your space will help you to have a better relationship with it going forward. When planning your garden, here are some things to consider:

#### How do the sun and wind move through your space?

Knowing which winds affect your local area is really handy when planning your garden. You can find out about local winds online and also what climates they bring with them. If you have a long garden, putting in well-placed windbreaks can help to protect more tender plants.

Likewise, knowing the orientation of your garden – whether it is south, north, east or west facing – can help you plan your planting schemes. Ideally, we want our crops to be hit by the evening sun. You can use apps like Sunseeker to find out where the sun will hit your garden, but the best way to learn though, is through observation.

#### How does water move through your space?

If your garden is on a slope, it's important to think about how water will move through it. Is there any risk of water collecting in certain areas during periods of heavy rain?

#### What is already there?

What plants do you already have in your space and do you want to keep them? When I arrived in my garden, there was golden rod and fennel already growing, which I decided to keep, and this existing planting influenced my design.

Take into Consideration How You Want to Move Through Your Garden

It's also important to think about how you want to move through your space. Is the way you journey through your garden the most efficient way, or could it be improved?

While you don't have to change anything if you don't want to, by mapping out a few different routes you might discover that moving a few things around means you could get much more from the space you have. Getting it right from the start, can also save you a lot of money in the long run.

Once the Structure Is Set, Think About Your Planting Plan

Once you have a detailed plan of your garden, including the measurements and key features, it's time to think about the planting.

While it's tempting to rush out and buy plants straight away, you will end up with a lot less waste if you have a detailed plan and an in-depth knowledge of your space first.

By working with colours, images, mood boards and collages, you can think about what sort of space you want to create. Books are a great source of inspiration, so make sure to explore all of your options before you commit to an idea – after all, you will be living with these plants for many years to come.

Further Reading

• The Gaia Book of Organic Gardening by Cindy Engel
• Organic Gardening The natural no-dig way by Charles Dowding
• How to grow more vegetables by John Jeavons