Garden Planning Advice | 4Homes

Date Published:: 09/06/2008

Next we look at landscaping and colour...

Landscaping

The first decision is which materials to use. Look at your surroundings the walls and roofs of the houses, the local paving materials, and any naturally occurring stone.

These will give you ideas of textures that will look at home here. But limit your materials to two or three or it could start to look messy.

Sarah Beeny's Tips For The Smaller Urban Garden:

In smaller urban spaces additional rules will help you make the most of what you have.

If you look down on your garden, design with that view in mind.
Create different levels. They help to make a small garden feel larger - and use mirrors to double the sense of space.
Create a focal point that can be enjoyed from the house
Containers are vital tools. Choose them to fit your colour scheme, remembering darker background colours work best in small spaces.
Having chosen your scheme stick to it mixing colours looks messy.
Use a variety of shapes of both containers and plants to add interest and of course you don't have to stick to flower pots. Think laterally, and upwards!
Change the container plants regularly to give year round colour and interest. But only bring out your tender plants when there's no risk of frost.
Choose contrasting leaf shapes. You'll see the details because you're sitting close up.
Don't forget to water daily - pots dry out very quickly.

For details on how to make the best of cut flowers, visit www.flowers.org.uk.

Colour

First look around you at the fixed colours of the things you can't change and also the background, then go back to the good old colour wheel.

The principles are just the same as indoors but remember you will always be working with green.

You can't go wrong with adding just one other colour, for example white. Monochromatic schemes work very well in small gardens or in rooms of a larger garden. The foliage should continue the theme. For white, use greys, and silvers.

Pick opposites on the colour wheel for a complementary scheme. Or add more colours for a contrasting scheme. Pick three equidistant colours from the wheel red, blue and yellow.

Neighbouring colours create a harmonious scheme, using all the different tones to create drama.

A painted backdrop can help blend the hard landscaping into a chosen theme. It can also provide a great backdrop for planting because complementary green foliage, especially in a lighter tone, will stand out well against it.