Elly West looks at how to create a garden perfectly tailored to your needs…
Every garden I visit as a designer offers different challenges. I see a lot of old, neglected gardens in need of renovation and rejuvenation, but at the other end of the spectrum I also see many gardens belonging to new-builds, which are total blank canvases. A typical new-build garden is levelled and turfed, perhaps with functional paving slabs at the entrance and exit points, and stark boundary fences to which the eye is immediately drawn. It amounts to an empty outdoor space rather than a garden, and this can seem overwhelming – particularly to first-time buyers who may never have owned a garden before. However, this offers the perfect opportunity to get creative.
With local governments having to fulfil quotas to meet the housing shortage, new housing estates seem to be popping up everywhere. Although many of these houses look the same from the outside, the gardens are spaces that can be made individual and personal, the chance to start from scratch and tailor it exactly to your needs with plants and materials that you have chosen. Although this can be a good time to call in the professionals, there are many things you can do yourself to get your garden underway.
One of the main challenges that most people want to tackle sooner rather than later is privacy, especially on new housing estates where space is at a premium and houses are built closely together. The maximum permitted height of a boundary fence is two metres, and most standard panels are 1.8m (six feet). A trellis fence topper could gain you a little more height and privacy, but be wary of just trying to raise the boundaries as a solution. New gardens, especially small gardens, can already feel very boxed in by the fences. Better to obscure the boundaries with planting and create focal points within the space so your eye is not drawn straight to the neighbouring houses. Painting the fences a dark colour will help them to recede. Charcoal, black or dark olive-green make a good backdrop against which colourful flowers will pop. Fix up trellis or decorative panels, perhaps even an outdoor mirror, to break up an expanse of wooden fencing.
A carefully placed pergola can help to create a more secluded feel, particularly around a seating area, and is another visual obstruction between you and your neighbours. Quick-growing climbers such as honeysuckle, passion flower or evergreen Clematis armandii are ideal for covering bare fences or a new pergola or arch, providing screening and obscuring and softening the edges. Plant climbers at least 30cm away from the fence, or 45cm from a wall, to enable them to get enough moisture, and fix a simple system of vine eyes and wires between your fence posts to give the plants support.
Pleached trees are another option to give you more height and screening, if budget allows. These have a clear stem, usually to around fence height, then the branches are trained on a flat, square frame above. They may cost several hundred pounds each, bought at a good size and ready-trained, but make beautiful living screens and are ideal for small spaces, as they don’t take up much border space.
Another common challenge with new-build gardens is the state of the ground. There may well be rubbish and rubble left behind, and the soil is often compacted and of poor quality. Once you’ve decided where your planted areas are going to be, it’s time to get digging. Remove any rubble and dig it over to at least a spade’s depth to break up compaction. Add in soil conditioner such as well-rotted manure as you go to give your plants a really good start. Chipped bark makes a good mulch for your newly planted borders, as it helps to suppress weeds, looks nicer than bare soil and will improve the soil structure as it breaks down.
When planning a new garden, it makes sense to draw it out on paper. Often you will have a scale plan from the building company, which can save you having to measure it yourself. This is especially useful if it’s an awkward shape. Look for ideas in magazines and on the internet, and gather images of things you like. Think about how you want to use the garden, whether you prefer to sit in sun or shade, and what time of day you are most likely to be outside enjoying the space. Decide on your long-term plants first, such as trees and hedges. Larger plants will have the most impact and make your garden feel established more quickly, but can be expensive. Another option is to choose tall grasses and plenty of flowering annuals such as cosmos and nigella for instant impact during your first summer, while shrubs and perennials are still getting established.
If you’re changing the hard landscaping, think about adding pathways so you can get around in all weathers without muddy feet. You may want to choose modern materials that tie in with the colours of the house. Or you may prefer to steer away from the ‘new’ look and go for recycled materials such as reclaimed brick or clay pavers and timber for a more traditional rustic look. Whatever your style, a new-build garden offers the perfect opportunity to start afresh and create the garden that is perfectly tailored to your needs.
Plant of the Month: Snowdrops
The first signs of spring bulbs pushing through frozen soil are always going to be an uplifting sight and a boost to our mood, which is why snowdrops are among my very favourite flowers at this time of year. Galanthus nivalis is our common snowdrop, although there are literally hundreds of cultivated varieties, including giant, double and rare yellow flowers. Most are typically white, with nodding heads marked with green on the inside. Plant them in drifts in a partially shaded site, such as under deciduous trees and shrubs, then leave them alone to form growing colonies. Overcrowding doesn’t bother them, and they will spread both by seed and underground bulb division. Best results are generally from planting ‘in the green’ – that is, after flowering and before the leaves die back – but they are readily available in pots in garden centres now ready to flower, or you can buy them as dry bulbs in autumn. Plant the bulbs as soon as possible though, as they are small and dry out quickly. Dig a hole that’s deeper than you might expect, around 10-15cm, and incorporate some leaf-mould or compost into the soil when you plant them, making sure the soil doesn’t get too dry over the summer.
