Key Factors to Contemplate When Designing Your Garden Space

Designing for a large garden space can be tricky, but with a professional gardening team, an outdoor space can be made cohesive and aesthetically-pleasing. In this article, we will be discussing the key elements of designing for a large estate and how you can make your dream garden come to fruition. 

What Are The Six Principles Of Garden Design?

According to this article from The Spruce, there are six main principles that come with designing your dream garden space; proportion, transition, unity, rhythm, balance and focalisation. In this article, titled, Landscape Garden Design For Beginners, ‘the first three principles of garden design (proportion, transition, and unity) apply to the overall feel of the landscape. The second set of principles (rhythm, balance, and focalisation) pertains to controlling a viewer’s eye movement.’ 

After all, the primary aim of landscape design is to achieve a cohesive and visually pleasing space, which incorporates elements such as colour, line and texture. By following the six design principles laid out by The Spruce and working with your garden design team, you will be able to create a garden that you love spending time in. 

Garden Or Estate Evaluation 

Step one of designing your dream garden space would be to have your current ground evaluated. If you have a large estate or garden, having a thorough evaluation conducted is a must. During this process, important factors such as your garden’s sunlight exposure, soil quality and existing structures will be looked at. 

This is where a professional gardening team can be extremely helpful. A group of garden design specialists can help you decide on plant choices and layout decisions that will enable you to bring your desired space to life. Here at BZ Gardens, we understand the art of achieving a harmonious and seamlessly flowing garden design.

Climate Considerations

Alongside having an estate evaluation, you will also have to consider the weather. For every location, the weather conditions may vary and your local climate can influence many aspects of your garden design. This can include what plants you select and the general layout. 

Seasonal changes can also play a massive role in what you might consider putting in your garden. For example, if you want an ever-green garden in the UK, you may look at planting;

• Lavender: Whilst not typically thought of as ‘ever-green’ many varieties maintain their foliage through the year.
• Boxwood: A type of evergreen shrub is often used for hedging and topiary as it’s so versatile. 
• Holly: Known for its glossy, spiky leaves and red berries, holly is a classic evergreen to have in any UK-based garden.
• Yew: Yew trees are slow-growing evergreens with dense, dark green foliage.

During your garden design process, you will want to think about how the weather may affect the balance and rhythm of your outdoor space. Again, in this article from The Spruce, balance is typically achieved in a garden by ‘through the repetition of the same size, shape, and colour plants that are evenly placed around a property or garden’. When planning out how you would like your garden to look, it’s important to consider how the weather will affect its visual appeal. 

Seasonal Interest

Depending on the season, our garden can appear completely different. In the winter, many of our plants, trees and shrubs go into hibernation periods. At this time, trees may drop their leaves and a variety of flowers won’t bloom. When planning year-round for the visual appeal of your garden, your professional gardening team will strategically select plants that offer interest during different seasons. 

To achieve this, many garden’s employ layering or succession planting techniques. The ‘layering’ technique involves the placement of plants at varying heights. This will create a visually dynamic and three-dimensional effect. 

This can be seen in many large estates, as it can maximise the use of space and also adds depth to an overall design. For example, taller plants may serve as a backdrop, while medium-sized and ground-level plants fill in the middle and foreground. This produces an overall harmonious composition and looks much better than a crowded space.

Succession planting on the other hand is a method designed to ensure that different plants take centre stage at different times of the year – perfect for seasonal planting. This method ensures a continuous display of colours and textures throughout your garden and flower beds. As one set of plants completes its blooming or growth cycle, another set is poised to take its place. 

Many gardening teams opt to combine both of these methods. A professional typically has the field knowledge it requires of plant characteristics, seasonal behaviours, and a keen eye for design to achieve these intricate planting techniques. 

Hard Landscaping & Functional Spaces

Creating a functional garden space that both looks great and is an enjoyable experience can include marrying up a mixture of both hard and soft landscaping. Hard landscaping involves non-living elements like paths, walls, and structures, providing structure and guiding flow. Walls and features define zones, while structures like outside rooms, and greenhouses enhance unity and visual appeal. 

Soft landscaping introduces living elements such as plants, strategically placed to soften hard lines, introduce colour, and create a dynamic landscape. The careful selection of vegetation contributes to overall beauty, and considering seasonal variations ensures year-round vibrancy. Marrying these components together can create a garden that harmoniously blends functionality and aesthetics.

A great example of this is pathways and how we utilise them in garden design. According to this article from Home & Gardens, you should consider ‘the style of your garden when laying out the paths – you want soft, wavy shapes for a romantic garden, but try to retain straight lines and symmetry for a more formal one.’ 

Harkening back to The Spruce article, focalisation is all about the ‘forcing of the viewer’s perspective to a specific focal point without it appearing jarring’. This can be achieved through combining both hard and soft landscaping to create more intense focalisation points within a garden, ensuring that it appears balanced through the consistent arrangements of these elements. 

How To Correctly Select Plants

A professional gardening team will be  dedicated to creating a visually stunning and diverse landscape. With this, comes the job of selecting plant varieties that complement the weather and the garden. For example, a gardening design team will need to consider;

•  Height: Strategic placement of plants with varying heights is crucial for creating visual interest and depth in the garden. Tall plants can serve as focal points or provide a backdrop, while shorter plants add layers and detail to the foreground. 
•  Colour: The palette of colours within a garden is carefully curated to evoke specific moods or themes. Professionals will consider complementary colour schemes to create balance and harmony within the outdoor space. As mentioned above, they will also look at the potential seasonal colour changes and ensure a garden will delight the eye throughout the year.
• Texture: Mixing plants with different textures, such as smooth leaves juxtaposed with coarse foliage, adds further interest to a garden. Professionals understand how texture influences the overall feel of the space and how they can use it to create a rich and engaging environment.

Once these fundamental considerations have been thoroughly addressed, the professional gardening team shifts its focus to the strategic placement of plants within the garden. 

For example, in another article from Home & Garden, titled ‘Best Plants for The Front Garden’, they break down the importance of where plants are placed. When designing your layout for the front garden, you will want to enhance the door as a main focal point. You can do this by framing the ‘path or front door with yew spheres or a low hedge of lavender, and then infill with colourful seasonal planting: tulips and honesty for spring, geums and salvias for summer, and Japanese anemones for autumn.’  To make your landscape garden design journey enjoyable and slightly less overwhelming, we would recommend enlisting the help of a local garden design team who talk you through every step of the process. 

Landscaping Garden Design – How BZ Gardens Can Help You

Here at BZ Gardens, we can help you with all your gardening needs, including landscaping and design. Our team of professionals have a keen eye and are extremely knowledgeable when it comes to how to make a garden look spectacular all year round. If you would like to speak to one of our team members, you can contact us on 01483 967160 or drop us an email at info@bzgardens.co.uk.