How to transform a New Build Garden

Garden design

25 Aug

Written By Jo Hobbs

Have you moved into a new build home and everything about the inside of your some is to your specification and it’s shiny and new and exciting to be in?

What about outside in the garden?!

Chances are it is a patch of lawn, a few concrete buff-coloured slabs and devoid of any colour and wildlife, with nowhere to sit and enjoy the fresh air or entertain friends and family.

As a new build garden design specialist, I understand all the opportunities and problems that new build gardens present and it can be daunting to tackle if you have no idea where to start.

Opportunities that new build gardens present are that they are a completely blank canvas… you can start from scratch, have everything you desire, there is nothing old to knock down or work around. But this is also quite scary… there is nothing to work with, you can’t picture or visualise anything.

Some things to think about before tackling a new build garden that will help get your head around making changes.

What has the new house and garden been built on? Was it open fields or a disused car park? If it was a car park then the soil underneath is likely to be not very good quality and if you dig down it might not be too long before you hit concrete. This will impact on the plants you can put in and how big they are to start with. For example, a semi-mature tree will struggle to set down roots in a small depth of soil. It’s is better to start small with a tree and give it time to anchor itself. Also think about building up above the soil if it is bad quality. It’s sometimes better to build a raised bed and fill it with good soil… and less bending to do your weeding!
Don’t assume your boundaries are square; or that the levels are completely flat, it might look it but quite often the developers will give your garden funny angles and levels to allow more houses to be built; double check this as a design might not work. Sometimes a strange shape of a boundary is better tackled with curves within the garden.
Is your garden overlooked? Probably if you are on a newly built estate; there are no trees or structures in your neighbour’s gardens yet either. If this is a problem; live in the space for a while just to see where exactly the worst places are. And don’t just think bout sticking a huge hedge against a boundary. A well-placed small tree, or an arch over a path can be a perfect solution and ensures you and everyone else has as much light coming into your outside space as well as inside the house.

Below are some before and after pics of blank canvas new build outside spaces we designed. If you are looking for help with your new build garden or any blank canvas space, do get in touch.

contact Jo