6 Helpful Ideas to Creating That Perfect Garden and Landscape
Creating the perfect garden and landscape can be achieved with the right planning. This applies to both small-scale and large, garden and landscape makeovers. A well-considered landscape garden design, can make a huge difference to the overall outcome.
By the wonders of nature alone, we have so much garden inspiration and ideas to draw on. This includes the gardens you can find on your travels, in magazines, and online. All of this inspiration can go a long way to creating your landscape garden design. It pays to research and get expert help from a landscape designer. Here are some helpful tips and tricks to perfect, your garden and landscape:
1. Small Space Solution: Go Up, Not Out, With Your Planting
These days property sizes are becoming smaller, making outdoor garden spaces a real premium.
Hiding unsightly fences or blocking out the neighbours is important; usually, this is accomplished by planting larger screening plants. One problem with this, is that in order to gain vertical height, the larger screening plants also take up their fair share of floor space. Which, within a tight space, can be a real problem.
One way to overcome this is to use a trellis system. There are many ways to build a trellis or buy ready-made versions. Once the trellis is in place, it supports the climbing plants, allowing them grow upwards, saving floor space. This is any easy way to add a lush screen to your outdoor garden landscape.
You can also use other methods to introduce greenery into a tight space. Vertical wall gardens, arbours, and wires offer good solutions. These options allow plants to climb and trail over, without too much fuss.
2. Maintenance Solution: For Time Poor, Brown Thumbs
Put your hand up if you hate gardening or don’t have any time to spare. Perhaps the thought of doing maintenance in your garden, makes you feel sick. If that sounds like you, here are some things to think about.
Firstly, there is no such thing as a no-maintenance garden. There are ways you can reduce maintenance to a minimum. The best way to ensure the lowest upkeep, is by choosing the right options from the start.
Synthetic lawn, composite timber options, and easy-care paving surfaces are all designed to save you time. Irrigation systems and mulching will help with watering and keeping weeds at bay. Choosing the right plants for your outdoor garden spaces, is one of the best ways to keep maintenance low. Looking for options that are drought and frost-hardy, that require little to no pruning, is a good start. Plants that are pest and disease-free will also help keep the workload as low as possible.
Getting an expert to help you with a landscape garden design, will cover these areas and make choosing the right plants and products, a breeze!
3. Atmosphere Solution: Let There Be Light !
One of the best inclusions you can have in any outdoor garden landscape, is lighting!
Good outdoor garden lighting helps accent features in the garden. They also provide a safe glow to navigate you through the space. Garden lighting also creates a beautiful atmosphere to enjoy your outdoor areas, long after the sun goes down.
Uplights, downlights, bollards, strip lighting, and festoon lights are just some options you can introduce into your landscape. LED lighting is relatively easy to install and costs a fraction to run.
Most landscape garden designs will incorporate a lighting plan. This takes all the guesswork out of knowing what fittings to use and where to position them. As landscape designers in Melbourne, Anthony Scott Landscape Design can help you with your outdoor lighting and create the perfect atmosphere in your outdoor garden landscape.
4. Planting Soloution: Get Close Up and Personal With Your Plants
Plants are the stars of the show in any outdoor garden landscape. Choosing the right plants for your new landscape is one of the main keys to getting a professional outcome. Time after time, I see so many people choosing the wrong plants. Some choices are either too big or too small for a space. Quite often they don’t grow to their potential, or even worse, they die shortly after planting. This usually means that replacements will be needed, meaning lost time in growth and money down the drain!
One of the the first things you can do before choosing plants, is to assess your outdoor garden landscape space. Take note of where the sun is at any time of the day. This will help you establish what spots are really sunny and what areas are more shady.
Check your soil profile...
Check the profile of your soil. If you have heavy clay that doesn’t drain well, you are better off choosing plant options that suit that environment. The same goes for sandy soils as well. Alternatively, you can always improve the quality of your soil, creating a good environment for growing healthy plants.
Choosing plants...
When it comes to choosing your plants, don’t just look at the tags when you’re at the nursery. Research each option and get to know what environments they thrive in. Knowing how big they will grow, what pests might affect them, and what maintenance will be required, are all good things to know. A professional landscape garden design will address all these points, making the whole experience stress-free. All you need to do is enjoy the lush surroundings.
5. Focal Point Solution: Wow factor 101
A focal point in an outdoor garden landscape is generally used to draw the eye. This creates a feature to give your garden some wow factor. This can be anything from garden art to a potted urn, a water feature, a feature tree, and much, more.
Positioning of a focal point is one of the most important factors in getting it right. Sometimes they are located right in the middle of a space, just like a feature tree or fountain. This is often positioned in the centre of a front lawn. Or they can be placed right down the very back of your garden. This can create a nice long vista and draw the eye, creating a feeling of length in the space. Focal points can also be tucked away as a nice surprise discovery as you approach them.
The right focal points in your outdoor garden landscape will create, great talking points. The right piece, will give your garden some real wow factor as well. A well-considered landscape garden design, will take care of the all-important focal points. This will give your outdoor garden landscape the wow factor it deserves!
6. Furniture Solution: Style is Everything!
Styling your outdoor space is the icing on the cake. Firstly, think about the area you have and how you see yourself spending time there. For example, you might be looking at your alfresco, seeing yourself relaxing on a nice sofa lounge, or a daybed near the pool.
The next step is to start looking at the actual area you have and measure out the floor space. This helps you understand, how much space your new piece of furniture is going to take up. Remember, squeezing furniture into a tight space can make the space look cluttered and busy. You can use masking tape to mark it out on the floor. This will give you a good idea of the size. Always choose a comfortable fit.
Colours and texture...
Colours and textures are also important, so too is matching your furniture choices to suit the style of your home and garden. For example, if you have a coastal-style garden, furniture that looks like it belongs in that setting will give you a much better outcome and feel right in the space. It is easier than ever to type in an online search for the style of furniture to match your garden. This is a great place to start.
All in all, the right focal points in your outdoor garden landscape will create great talking points and give your garden some real wow factor. A well-considered landscape garden design will take care of the important focal points and give your outdoor garden landscape the wow factor it needs!
I hope these garden ideas and tips, get you thinking about some of things you will need to consider, when designing your outdoor spaces. Spending time outside, relaxing with your family and friends, is one of the best things in life! At Anthony Scott Landscape Design, we would love to work with you and create something really special, for your home.
With our 2D and 3D design options, we can carefully plan out all the important things and help you visualize, your new dream landscape!
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