Plant Combinations for an Abundant Garden. A. & G. Bridgewater

being in harmony. The term “contrast” describes forms, textures and colors that are dissimilar or opposite. The strange thing is that contrasts – say dark against light, or rough against smooth – can be a joy to the eye. For example, polished marble can look all the more exciting when it is set against a contrasting material like rough-hewn oak.

      You can use a color wheel like this to help you make informal decisions.

       LANDSCAPING TIPS

      Work with what you have: do your best to keep and use what you have – mature trees, dips and hollows in the ground, natural features like rocks and pools.

      Soil stability: be wary about making big changes with wet or waterlogged soil, or soil on a sloping site. Take advice if you have doubts.

      The house must look comfortable: aim for a landscape that holds and nestles the house, so that the house looks “happy” in its setting.

      Get the best viewpoint: shape the garden so that it looks its best when seen from the house. If you get it right, the house will also look its best from various vantage points around the garden.

      Draw inspiration from nature: the easiest way forward is to draw inspiration from a slice of nature – a forest glade, a valley, the side of a hill.

      Materials in harmony: all new materials look their best when they are drawn from the locality – local bricks, local stone, local wood.

      Scale in harmony: aim for structures that complement the house in size, rather than structures that overwhelm the house.

       PLANTING TIPS

      If you liken planting to painting colors on a canvas, you can take the analogy one step further by saying that you must hold back with the planting until the canvas – the structure of the garden – has been well prepared.

      Climatic conditions: the plants must be suitable for your climate – it is no good going for delicate plants if your site is windy and subject to frosts.

      Soil conditions: the plants must suit the soil – you must not choose chalk-loving plants if your soil is predominantly clay.

      Sun and shade conditions: look at the way the sun moves around the garden, note the areas that are sunny and shady, and position the plants accordingly.

      Scale: take note of the potential size of plants – the width and height when fully grown. Be especially wary of some of the fast- growing conifers.

      Year-round color: aim for a broad selection of plants, so that you have year-round foliage, bud, stem and flower color.

      Container-grown plants: these can be purchased and planted all year round.

       MAKING NOTES AND SKETCHES

      It is a good idea to go out into your garden, with a stack of colored pens and a pad of graph paper, and to make sketches. Take measurements of the garden, decide on the scale – say one grid square equals 2 ft (60 cm) – and then draw the garden in plan and perspective view, with close-up details showing special areas of interest (see below). Draw what you already have, and then draw in any desired changes. Try to visualize how the changes will affect how you use the space. Place markers around the garden so that you can more easily visualize changes.

      Use a rope, hose or chain together with some stakes to help you plot out an irregular shape.

      A plan view of the garden (viewed from above) can be drawn to scale over graph paper. Coloring in areas can be helpful.

      A perspective view of the garden is more difficult to draw than a plan view, but is nevertheless the best way to visualize your design.

      Important features can be drawn separately and in more detail.

       CHOICE OF INFRASTRUCTURE

      When planning the infrastructure of a small garden, there is usually more money available for the construction of each square yard or meter than for a large garden, where economies generally have to be made. Additionally, because the area is small, immediate and more distinctive visual impact is needed. Garden centers and builder’s yards, as well as catalogs from magazines and newspapers, will give you an idea of the materials available.

       Are special designs possible?

      Walls smothered in flowering climbers, such as Roses, Clematis and Honeysuckle, create color as well as informality.

       FENCING CHECKS

      You may have inherited an attractive small garden and initially decided not to make radical changes, but if you have children and dogs it is worth checking fences.

      • Fencing posts broken at ground level can be repaired by cutting off the base and fitting a spike-ended, metal, post-base. Alternatively, bolt a concrete or wooden post to sound wood and re-concrete into the ground.

      • A wide variety of materials and styles are available for fencing. For a more formal setting, use cast iron. For a casual, Western look, choose split rail fencing. If the fence is more than just decorative, as in keeping in pets, opt for appropriately sized fencing.

       Problems with clay

      Increasingly, high temperatures combined with limited summer rain causes clay to shrink radically. Where foundations of buildings are deep, this creates few problems but, when paving slabs on a patio or path have only a thin concrete base, eventually they deform and buckle. First-aid treatment is to lift and re-cement individual slabs. For a longer-term solution, you will need to lift all the slabs and provide a thicker base for the complete patio or path.

       DISPOSING OF RUBBISH

      There are several solutions for disposal:

      • Rent a rollaway bin – check that the company is insured, that they know about your city’s codes about placement of the rollaway, and that the size they deliver is appropriate for your needs.

      • Builder’s bags – these are increasingly used to deliver building materials, as well as collecting rubbish. They are about a yard/meter square and deep. Check with your local builder’s merchant.

      • Local authority – may provide a trash- collection service.

       Structural elements to consider

      • Decking: raised or at ground level.

      • Edgings: wide range, including concrete and wood.

      • Paths: surfaces and durability.

      • Patios, courtyards and terraces: wide choice.

      • Pergolas, trellises and arches: for small gardens.

      • Porches and entrances: decorative features.

      • Sheds and greenhouses: