Home Gardener's Garden Design & Planning (UK Only). A. & G. Bridgewater

are fresh from the tree they are very special – a gift from nature.

      Greenhouse: if you want to be able to get out into the garden from very early spring until early winter, you are going to need a greenhouse.

      Herb garden: a sunny patio is good, but a patio planted with herbs such as thyme, sage, marjoram and so on is better.

      Kids’ garden: children need a place to play. A climbing frame is fine, but a place to dig and make a camp, and make a mess, is so much better.

      Lawn: an area of lawn is essential. The mowing may be a bit of a chore, but the scent given off by the freshly cut grass, and the pleasure of sitting on the lawn, are experiences that should not be missed.

      Log cabin: if ever there was a dream feature, this is it. It can be just about anything you care to make it – a workshop, a weekend cabin, a place for the kids, or a potting shed.

      Patio: what could be more pleasurable on a warm sunny day than to sit on a patio with friends and family? A good patio is a choice item.

      Pergola: a well-placed pergola is another great option – good for providing shade over the patio, for growing grapes and for blotting out eyesores.

      Pond: water has irresistible magical qualities that give us pleasure – the sight and sound of moving water is fascinating.

      Raised beds: raised beds not only make for easy gardening – with less strain on the back – but they are also good for keeping small toddlers and pets away from the plants.

      Summerhouse: a summerhouse is a delightful setting for having afternoon tea, reading a good book or just indulging in some quiet contemplation.

      Vegetable plot: this is the age of the vegetable plot. If you enjoy fresh food and/or want to go organic, then a vegetable garden is for you.

      Wildlife: birds, bugs, frogs, toads, newts and small mammals … a wildlife garden is one of life’s great pleasures.

      Gathering inspiration

      In much the same way as poets and artists draw inspiration from their interests and passions – romantic love, the glories of nature, the wonders of technology, travel – so the garden designer needs to draw inspiration from his or her experiences and passions. Whatever your interests may be – trees, roses, water, travel, eating in the garden, watching your children at play – your best starting point is to draw inspiration from the things that give you pleasure.

       Where do I start?

      Note the large, permanent objects and items that you have to live with, such as the house, boundary walls and large trees, and then look around you at the things you have collected. For example, you might have a collection of nautical bits like anchors, glass floats and chains, old street lamps, old farm items, special plants or perhaps even your holiday photographs to inspire you.

      LOOKING AND COLLECTING

       A collection of bamboos could well be inspirational.

       Favourite plants can also provide great inspiration.

       Try found objects such as Victorian street lamps.

       Postcards of beautiful gardens will give you something to aim for.

       Books, magazines and television programmes

      Once you have come up with the bare bones of a scheme, follow through your research by looking through books and magazines, and by watching television. It is a good idea to make a collection of the ideas that you would like to include in your design – colours, plants, materials, structures, furniture, in fact anything and everything that strikes your fancy.

       Keep a scrapbook. Save photographs from magazines and catalogues that show things like grand houses, holidays, flowers or sculpture.

       Garden centres and nurseries

      Garden centres and nurseries are great places for searching out ideas. Arm yourself with a digital camera, paper and pencil, and take note of everything that looks interesting. Gather a body of data to flesh out and back up your ideas – names of plants, colours, growing habits and so on. If you have in mind to go for a theme, say a Japanese garden, search out plants, materials and products that you know to be variously useful, traditional or characteristic.

       Wander around the garden centre or nursery keeping an eye open for anything that might spark an idea, such as unusual containers.

       As you walk slowly around the various displays, take photographs of plants, products and features that you think might fit well into your scheme.

       Visiting gardens

      If you have a friend who has created a beautiful garden, when you next visit ask them to tell you about how they got started and how the design has evolved.

      It is also a good idea to visit world-renowned gardens that are open to the public. In the UK, for example, there are the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) grounds at Wisley and Hyde Hall, and various grand house gardens may be found throughout the world. The RHS gardens are particularly interesting in that they have gardens that have been designed by celebrated designers and experts.

       A fine example of a traditional English pergola, with solid square-section brick columns topped off with oak beams.

       A well-planted border can be a joy to the eye – so stunning that you might want to copy it in every detail.

      Sometimes a particular arrangement of plants and structures, such as this piece of statuary placed beneath a rose arch, is inspiration enough.

       Plants you like

      List your favourite plants, with common names and botanical names, and brief details about their growing habits. Try to get magazine images as a reference. Ask friends, family and neighbours to tell you as much as they can about them.

       Unsuitable plants

      Look at your list in the light of your designs, and cross out ones that are obviously unsuitable. You might like the colour and the scent, but if it is going to grow too big for your