by Irini Kotroni

Created on: October 08, 2010

The basics of landscape design do not belong to some mystical society; just take a step at a time. Follow some very simple guide lines and you will soon be designing the garden of your dreams.

There has to be a certain amount of thought before you begin to do any sort of basic landscape design. List everything you would like in your yard or garden and then list everyone who is going to use it including delivery people who need access through your yard to the house, such as the central heating oil delivery man.

Decide what you would like to see when you look at your garden.  Ask your self several questions such as do you want to see to the end of your garden or do you wish to create curved pathways to screen one section of the garden from another?  Do you need to create a safe yet contained play area for the children?  Are there any permanent structures that have to be screened or made a feature of?  Where is the sun and equally where is the shade?  Are there any ugly buildings either within or in sight of your garden that you want to screen?  Finally, what is the budget? It is worth taking a little time to take all of these questions into consideration.

Take several blank pieces of paper, draw in your house, add all the permanent features that will remain in the yard and then let your imagination wander, get the feel of putting your ideas down on paper. Don’t be nervous, you are not going to be assessed on your ideas, it is not an exam, you are doing it for you, so put your ideas down; if you don’t like one design just get another piece of paper and try some different ideas, gradually a workable basic landscape design will emerge.

If you do not have much time to spend in the garden, design one that needs minimum maintenance, for example you could create paved areas, add containers with plants of varying heights and you have an instant courtyard; all you will need is a pair of pruning shears to keep plants to the height you want, a watering can to water them and a seat to sit on to enjoy the area.

Include lawns into your basic landscape design to minimise digging and planting; they only require cutting but remember if you have children, they do not see lawns, they see an expanse of green that would make a great football pitch!

Your garden design will depend on whether you are recreating an existing garden, one part of your garden or you are faced with a blank plot of land; whichever you are doing there are several basic

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