Garden Revisions to Avoid: Unwise Alterations and Suggested Alternatives
In the world of garden design, there's a growing emphasis on sustainability, creativity, and practicality. Here are some tips and trends that can help you create a beautiful, eco-friendly, and spacious garden.
Firstly, it's important to consider the costs associated with maintaining different garden features. While fencing often requires cleaning, painting, or replacing, hedging can be a more cost-effective option.
Narrow borders around the edge of a lawn can make a garden feel more spacious, and there's a trend towards repurposing materials in garden design. This not only saves money but also reduces environmental impact.
Paving over the front garden can lead to numerous issues, including flooding, lower air quality, the 'heat island effect', and water pollution. Instead, consider laying two tracks into the garden, positioned under the path of the vehicleβs wheels, to create unobtrusive parking areas. For these tracks, it's crucial to use pavers suitable for vehicular use.
Trees add a sense of character and maturity to a garden and provide habitats for wildlife. Pruning or adjusting the rest of the garden around a tree can be more sustainable than cutting it down. Branches can be thinned to give a more airy look, and some trees can be pollarded to keep their size in check.
Low groundcover plants can live happily beneath a parked car, and planting climbers and wall shrubs against a fence can blur its boundaries. Creating deeper borders that cut across the width of the garden can make the space feel larger, while planting trees and shrubs towards the centre of the garden can bring depth and create a sense of mystery.
A dense hedge serves as an effective windbreak and can filter air pollution and sound. Wildlife finds shelter, food, and habitat in a hedge, making it a valuable addition to any garden.
When it comes to future-proofing a new garden, using materials from the existing plot that cannot be given away, and sourcing reclaimed timber for decks and walkways, can help minimize environmental impact. Hiding a concrete terrace beneath the deck at the back of the garden can help future-proof the new design.
Community gardens and private owners can benefit from free plant and material giveaways. Broken bricks and old slate chippings can be used as a sub-base to secure timber walkways and concrete platforms. Lifting the canopy of a tree can enable sitting, walking, or planting beneath it.
Lastly, consider the spaciousness of your garden. Narrow borders, deeper borders that cut across the width of the garden, and the strategic placement of trees and shrubs can all contribute to making your garden feel more expansive.
In the words of celebrity landscape architect Diego Suarez, "Straight pathways through garden beds that also feature curves or winding sections can create a balance between structure and freedom." By following these tips and trends, you can create a beautiful, sustainable, and spacious garden that you'll love spending time in.
