First-time Gardener. Kim Wilde

Drawing and developing a plan

       If you decide not to get any extra help, the best thing to do next is to make a simple plan of your garden. It sounds boring, but without a plan you’ll find it difficult to imagine what will easily fit into your garden space and the best way to arrange your garden. Don’t worry if you think you cannot draw, you don’t need to artistically gifted to sketch out a simple plan, and that’s all we are doing here.

      Follow the steps opposite so you can achieve an outline of your garden from which you will then develop your design ideas. You will need to take measurements of your garden first. If you do not have a long enough tape measure, use lengths of string have measured and cut to a set length (for instance, a 5m (5yd) and 10m (10yd) length). Tie the lengths of string to a cane at each end, stretch them out, and measure the remaining distance with your tape measure. Add the two measurements together to get your total distance.

      When you have completed your scaled garden plan, scan or photocopy it so that you have new copies to hand on which to sketch out different ideas. Tracing paper could also be used.

       KIM’S TIPS

       Allow yourself plenty of time to measure your garden. It is much easier and quicker if you ask someone to help you.

       A well-designed garden uses definite shapes and lines as its basis. The way these shapes evolve at a design stage is by using a grid of lines laid onto your plan of the garden (see Step 6, opposite).

       Using a grid helps to ensure that the different spaces and features of your garden are at the correct scale to each other and, more importantly, to the house itself. Use it to help you to design paths, lawns and hard landscaping areas that are in line and in proportion to each other.

      Jerry Harpur/Design: Simon Fraser, Hampton, Middx;

       The plan drawn on the opposite page shows a scale drawing of this contemporary urban garden. The design is set at 45 degrees to the house and has been based on the angles suggested on a 1m (1yd) grid. The triangular beds play host to a water feature as well as architectural planting, and the eye is led through the garden to a sunny, west-facing arbour at the end.

       How to draw up a plan

	1 Draw the outline of your garden on a piece of paper using a pencil so you can rub out mistakes, should you make them. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect. If the garden is a simple rectangular shape, that’s easy. If it’s a more complicated shape, try to indicate any changes to its width or depth.
	2 Add any existing structures in the garden that you think you will ultimately be keeping, such as a mature tree or shrub, or a garden shed. At this stage, the outlines need only be approximate in their dimensions.
	3 Indicate where north lies on the plan so that you can see where the sun rises and sets. This will help you to decide, for example, where a sunny seating area or a shady border could be situated.
	4 Add measurements for the outer boundaries of the plot and also diagonal measurements, noting down each one on the plan as you go. For fixed features, measure how far these are from other points, such as the corners of the garden. This will then help you to place them accurately on your plan.
	5 Redraw your plan on afresh sheet of paper and to scale so that it is in proportion to the actual garden space. Use 2cm (1in) on your plan to represent 1m (1yd) in your garden, which represents a scale of 1:50 (1:36). Use a ruler to measure and draw your boundaries and transfer all your measurements to the plan. Draw over the pencil lines in dark ink and now you can start experimenting with your design.
	6 When you are experimenting with different ideas, it can be very helpful to have an additional layer of tracing paper between your basic outline and your proposed plans. The grid on this additional layer shows 1m (1yd) squares, which helps you get a better idea of scale for any new additions you would like to add to the garden. You can either align the grid with the house or, as here, turn it through 45 degrees.

       KIM’S TIP

       Take some photographs of your garden from upstairs, too, as it will help you to get a better idea of your garden’s layout.

       Developing your plan

      Before going any further, get back in the garden, this time with your camera. Take photographs from different places and at different angles. Stand with your back against each of your downstairs windows too, as these photographs will highlight the view from inside your house. This is a very helpful adjunct to your ground plan. Sometimes a view from a living room or kitchen window can be important, especially in the colder months when you won’t go outside into the garden so much. Photographs show you how your garden really looks. It’s like having a fresh pair of eyes viewing it for the first time. You can also draw your ideas directly onto your photographs, or onto tracing paper placed over them.

      It’s also necessary to think about what you really want from your garden. So before you move onto thinking about what are the essentials of good garden design (here), make a list of which features you feel are most important for your garden, as these can have a bearing on your layout. Use this list as a starting point for assessing your own requirements:

       • A patio or decking area with table and chairs for relaxing and outdoor dining.

       • A children’s play area, possibly with their own patch of garden.

       • Other seating areas in different parts of the garden.

       • Lawned areas, formal or informal.

       • A vegetable or herb garden.

       • A garden shed, essential for storage of tools, bicycles, toys, etc.

       • A barbecue area, close to your outdoor dining area.

       • Water features.

       • A pergola for shade, shelter and privacy.

       • A greenhouse.

       • New pathways, for practical or design purposes.

       • New fences and hedges for privacy and shelter.

       • A washing line.

       • A place for the dustbins.

       • A kennel for your dog.

      Taking your outline garden plan, start to work through your list in conjunction with the ideas on the following pages, beginning with the most