3 steps to designing your own garden!

Watch this video put together by Phil Priest from 4 Corners Property about how I go about starting a garden design and how you can too.

A few hints and tips from me about starting to think about re-designing your garden:

• MEASURING, ANALYSIS AND YOUR WISH LIST

  Measure the garden and draw it on a piece of paper, not just the boundaries, but the location of other elements like sheds, tree’s, access points into the house.

  Analyse the space: Note where the sun comes into the garden and any shady or cold spots; if you want a new seating area, for example, you want it where you can get the most sun. Or if you don't like the sun, somewhere to escape to for shade in the summer. Are there any changes of level, steps, slopes.

  Now make your wish list; think about how you want to use your space; do you want a pond, a seating area, a place for a bbq, play area, vegetable patch (that will need sun as well), a lawn, a place for lots of flowers or not that many, do you need raised beds, a place for the washing line etc.

• PUTTING PEN TO PAPER - TRANSFER THE MEASUREMENTS

  Draw all the current measurements to scale on paper, using a black pen and ruler, and squared paper if you have it.

  There are also some online tools that can help you do it. ‘Shoot’ is a great website where you can draw the plan of your garden and also add plants that you like to it.

  Then take that plan and put a piece of tracing paper over the top and trace over the main boundary and any elements that you want to keep in place. Also note on it where the sunny and shady areas will be.

• GET CREATIVE

  Use more layers of tracing paper and start drawing on-top of your original plan.

  Keep your wish list next to you and start with access paths you’ll need and then experiment by putting those other elements into place.

  Do it as many times as you like. When you are happy with one of your designs, redraw it and colour it in!

  SOME KEY MEASUREMENTS TO BEAR IN MIND:

  • Path width; Rule of thumb, ‘the more a path is used the wider it needs to be’

    • 45cm - bare minimum

    • 60cm - functional

    • 80cm - one person

    • 1.2m - 2 people walking side by side

  • Patio areas: Calculation for minimum patio size: Table Diameter plus half depth of the chair plus the whole depth of chair for back-up plus 30cm to 45cm for clearance.

  • Veg beds: 3m x 1.2m to allow access from all sides.

  • Then there are there other things to think about like materials, plants, and just how to make it happen!

For a PDF of the handout in the video click here.