Sow smart: 20 expert garden design tips

Try to create at least one view in the garden that naturally makes you pause for a second, often the feeling of a space matters more than the size of it.

When I’m planning large beds, I use a series of kids’ hula hoops to help me with layouts. I arrange them (50cm diameter – 1m) to reserve space for shrubs. Then you can see where you can place your ground cover and perennials in between the hoops.

Good design isn’t about showing off, following trends, or pushing boundaries for the sake of it. Good design is about listening. Every garden tells you what it wants to be if you pay attention. Light, soil, drainage, topography, assess the client’s brief and consider how the space will actually function. The quality of the design is directly reflected in the designer’s ability to listen.

It’s simple, design for wildlife. There’s nothing more entertaining than bird watching from the couch.

For indoor plants, water with warm rain water to give them an outdoor shower in summer where possible. Rainfall gathers nutrients from the atmosphere as it falls and feeds your plants.

I try to encourage clients to remove their lawns and integrate planting instead, which provides enclosure to seating areas and a whole host of ecological benefits. Kids can then use the green at the centre of a housing estate to play with other kids.

Think about who will actually be using the garden that you’re designing to make sure it aligns, and remember to create a design that is functional and beautiful too.

Look at the space in 3D – you need low, middle and high elements to complete a design. So, whether that’s hard structures, planting, or different textures, you want something at ground level, mid-level and then something that draws your eye upward for balance.

Think about design that will look good year-round. That could include evergreen planting, ornamental grasses, raised beds and even colourful feature pots for plants.

First, think of the orientation of your plot and where the sun is going to be when you’re most likely to use it. Next, try and have a design that will adapt with your lifestyle not just for now but to future-proof your garden for different life stages. Finally, where you can use as many trees and hedges as possible.

If you’re working with a smaller area, try to make your spaces adaptable to different uses.

Leave room for spontaneity in your garden. Some of the most atmospheric space comes from those that embrace change and natural succession as plants self-seed. Work with nature as it will always produce the most resilient and beautiful planting schemes.

Know where you’re planting. Look at the aspect of the garden: is it a sunny or shady spot? Plants are expensive, so it’s important to make sure that you select ones that go with the most suitable part of the garden so that it will grow well. If you’re planting under a tree, you obviously need a shady plant, and keep plants watered as this is often overlooked in the early stages.

Try out a green wall and experiment with foliage plants, such as Heuchera varieties, to create a living picture. This is a really impactful way to add colour, texture and visual interest to small and large spaces alike. Just make sure to pick plants that suit the orientation.

Something beneficial for new-build homeowners to consider is the garden before they even design the house. It tends to be an afterthought, but spending time in advance means that you won’t have doors or walls that are in the wrong place, or even driveways that end up limiting design solutions.

Not everyone has a large outdoor space, but this shouldn’t hold people back from making it a nice area to be in. This year I’m designing a balcony garden at Bloom which is only 5m x 2m, so my biggest tip when designing a small space is not to be afraid to go big and bold with it.

Definitely start by building up your structure – you want to add volume, whether with trees or hard materials. Then make sure to add lots of plants for colour, texture, groundcover or height.

Instead of adding formal edging between paved surfaces and planting areas, skip this step altogether and let plants create a natural edge over time. This creates a much more interesting look and feel, and is better for biodiversity.

You can’t have a garden without being a gardener, so make sure the design works for you. Even a lawn can be intense time-wise so you have to be active. For those starting out with gardening or looking to get more involved, don’t worry if something doesn’t work, the following year you can replace it. Failure is part of the learning process in gardening. Make sure to get the basics right, like trees or landscaping and you can experiment with the rest.

Different animals and insects need different habitats: log piles, rough corners, small sand mounds in sun and shade. These are all simple things to create at home. Right now, our nesting blue tits are feeding their chicks relying on the tiny insects the garden supports. Even small actions can make a real difference.