It makes no difference what size property you have, or what style……..what’s important is you give it some life, some character. Make it inviting, show that you care on the outside and your efforts will be surely rewarded.

Modern, contemporary single or 2 storey properties benefit from simple styling that is very easy to implement.

In both the examples above, simple geometry in the form of squares, cubes and rectangles have been created on plan and in elevations.  The pathways to each are offset, allowing the visitor to take a less than direct approach to the front yard door.  This design tip allows your visitor to stop a while and enjoy the experience rather than a straight run up to the door.  Points of interest are created by strong use of cube-shaped hedging.  The left image shows many cubes of various sizes clipped very tightly.  To some this would appear quite unnatural yet, strong geometry is abundant in Nature, eg the Giant’s Causeway, N. Ireland and Fingal’s Cave, Scotland.

Giant's Causeway

Fingal's Cave

Don’t be afraid to look to nature for your inspiration and don’t be afraid to consider ALL possibilities.  These two front yard examples reflect the strong basalt shapes found in nature and have used height and bulk to shape and determine very memorable entrances.  The right example has included two rectangular bodies of water to offset the design…..the overall effect is one of calm.  Don’t be afraid to use water features in the front garden if your space allows it, though it is possible to achieve even with a minimal plot.

If your space will allow, you can also plant trees or large shrubs to act as viewpoints along the path.  Small specimen trees are ideal if you have a small garden.  Trees will add much needed height and interest as you approach.  Of course, if you are lucky enough to live on a steep hill or overlook a valley, adding trees to your front garden will add great drama to your visitor’s experience.  In the photo to the left, trees planted within tall walls both increase the drama yet somehow soften what could be a quite imposing and formidable setting.  Somehow it just works, though it will look much softer as the plants mature. 

Larger properties can sometimes fail miserably to give an instant “wow”.  For many owners with these grand buildings and estates, it is too easy to get bogged down with “what is” and fail to see how to give even greater impact to what must surely be grand architecture and interiors.  The following two images show how larger properties can present a grand entrance with some very simple design treatments.  The example bottom left is very traditional.  The landscape is essentially very simple, mostly mown lawn with a few shrubs sprinkled at the feet of the building.  The only design elements visible are the path, long and straight leading up from stone steps to the front door and a weak attempt at “natural”, kidney shaped planting in the foreground.  This front yard garden would benefit enormously if the weak planting was removed, or at least the plants re-considered (possibly larger shrubs to integrate better with the scale of the plot.  What I DO love about this image, is the building itself and the fact it nestles beautifully into the mature trees around it.  It is grand, it sits on top of a small hill overlooking the street and it screams “look at me, don’t I look great”!

Our comparison image (bottom right) clearly has more design structure.  It is obvious from this view that there is going to be so much more to explore behind the hedges and wall.  Right from the start it says there is structure to this property, there is a place for everything and everything in its place.  The driveway draws you to the carport, beautifully segregated from the main front garden by a chiselled wall of green clipped hedging and bushy lollipop trees that instantly divides the drive from the fun stuff going on behind.  All unified by a verdant tapestry of shape and lush foliage.  A lovely design beautifully executed.

For some, the beauty of their front yard comes in all its simplistic glory.  Though this is clearly from an exotic location what is important to note is its modest size and how effectively this lack of space has been utilised.  Notice how, simply by painting your front door a strong colour, the large pot has been strategically placed to maximise the visitor’s viewpoint with impact.  Size, shape and in this case the complementary colour of the pot create a unified whole against the neutral colour of the stone walls.  Strong colour and strong shapes unite this design.

And not a plant in sight!

Front Yard Garden Design images courtesy of www.homedezign.com

Now you need to take stock of what you’ve already got and somehow turn it into a garden design! Don’t despair! It’s really not that scary. You may only have a small space to work with……..these are always the greatest challenge. Large properties too, have their own challenges but fundamentally the perceived landscape “problems” are very similar.

Start by grabbing a camera (digital ones are great for this, you’ll see your images instantly) and go take a walk in your garden. Look at the various elements that make up your garden plot……then capture them with your camera. Try to take shots from the house/property looking out and then from various points looking back to the house. I usually do this from the garden corners (if I can get to them, not always easy if there’s a thorny shrub or cactus barring your way). I also take shots looking along the boundaries and across to every other garden corner.

Suggested camera viewpoints.

Look for your garden’s good points. More important though, make a note of its bad points. You will want to find a way to disguise, cover up or completely eliminate these eyesores. Does your overall view look onto some ugly buildings? Are there tall telegraph poles or electric pylons dominating the outside view? Outside views (those views outside your garden perimeter that you have no control of), are as much a part of your visual control as elements within your garden boundary, so heed them and note them carefully.

Back inside, print your photos and create a panorama effect, tape them together. With your good and bad notes in front of you and your photographic panorama as visual evidence, start to indicate roughly those areas that will need special care and attention. You can do this on a thin sheet of tracing paper taped over the photos if you prefer.

Doing this will help you to see your thought processes at a glance and help guide you. Look at heights, depths, obstructions, pathways, driveways, lights, even neighbour’s land, property and plants…….everything and anything that could be considered good or bad. Take a note also of any electric, gas or water inlets/outlets, metering points and utilities eg. waste disposal.

Bad views needing attention.

In the example, I have indicated what I consider needs some attention. If you only remember one thing, remember this…..not everyone may agree with your interpretation of what is good or bad. It’s more important that your thoughts, ideas and design reflect YOUR feelings. Remember also that design is infinite and that given the same brief, no two designers will EVER produce the same design.

This example is of a Period property with wide, full-height sliding doors leading from the kitchen onto a very slippery timber deck. The deck was approx 4ft (1200mm) above the main garden with 4 very steep and narrow steps leading down to it. There was no barrier except for a low row of pots which was potentially dangerous if someone should trip on them.

The bad views I considered were those of the rooftops and across to the neighbours’ property to the right. The neighbour in fact could see directly into the garden. I also considered the driveway and wooden gates an eyesore. To this bad list, I included the carport…….in itself, the carport was a beautifully constructed piece of architecture created to blend in with the surroundings and the main property. However, the bottom line is……..it’s still a carport! I also felt there were too much red roof tiles and red brick wall on show…..classic case of colour or material overkill in one area!

So what’s the solution? Well, obviously the garden needed height so introducing small to medium sized ornamental trees to the garden immediately disguises the rooftops and overlooking neighbour. If the trees are chosen carefully for their Fall colouring, this would also add greater drama to the garden as the Seasons progress. A climbing evergreen trained up the side wall of the far house helps to fade out the expanse of red brick. Introducing 6.5ft (2M) hedging along the edge of the driveway now hides the carport and with an opening (a gateway), allows one to reach the hidden car and the wooden driveway gates. This new opening also creates curiosity to what is going on behind …….always a great way to entice further exploration into hidden gardens.

Spreading trees to hide rooflines.

The biggest and most dramatic change however is to the main patio. Now, the viewer from the kitchen is not distracted by the ugly views. A new retaining wall and planter can be built at the edge of the deck. If built high enough and wide enough, this will also act as a delightful sitting area with a row of single species plants kept simple yet effective. This new approach to the main deck keeps the eyesight very firmly within the borders of the garden.

So how do you translate all this to what you have in your own garden? Refer to your photos, to your bad views and good views and try to establish what sort of heights may be needed to disguise or hide. Consider too, the shapes…….the spreading branches of trees in the example above will obviously hide a wide expanse. Think about ways you may or may not use constructed items eg. fencing, walling, treillage, concrete, etc.

One more thought. In the example above, you may be wondering why I didn’t consider adding another large tree to hide the rooftop of the brick house? The reasons are twofold. First; to install an effective screen would mean a reasonably large tree planted on the left of the hedge opening, (this would take up too much width). Second but more important is the customer’s need for full sun, the midday position is directly over the large tree in the distance. To plant a tree here would cast too much shade for this particular garden. All this adds up to “compromise”, something that you will at some stage have to endure in your quest for the perfect garden and something we will discuss in more detail next time.

Till then,

David

Garden Design cloud by http://www.wordle.net

Romantic bench in shade!

So what’s the first thing you should consider when setting out to design a garden?  The answer of course is yourself, and those who will regularly be using it with you.

Take some time to know yourself and what you really want to accomplish. Ask the family. Once you’ve done this and made some notes, you’ll be on your way to a clearly defined focus of intent.

Next step is how you’re going to relate what you want with what you have.

Till next time,

David

Garden Design cloud by http://www.wordle.net

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