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Garden design

I moved to a house last year where the garden was very overgrown. It is in the process of being cleared. It will then need to be completely redesigned. I cant afford to pay a designer but i will pay someone to do the hard landscaping. Can anybody recommend a book or site to give me ideas. Everything seems to be more geared to the plants but i need help with the layout first. 

Posts

  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    Try going to your local library and see what they have there. John Brookes was a very good designer but maybe a bit old fashioned now. The Marshalls catalogue is a good place to start - lots of pictures and some good design tips. Cleve West is a designer I like - perhaps have a look at his website.

    Start with measuring your garden accurately and get that down on paper. Make it as big as you can. Use lining paper or buy at least some a3 paper.  Note which way it faces, any drains, stuff you need screening etc etc. The JB book will guide you through all this. You then need to make a list of what you want in the garden and what you need in the garden ie clothes poles, shed etc. Once you have decided what is going where on your plan, you can go out into the garden and mark it out so you have an idea of scale on the ground. .

    Before you get your landscapers in, you must have a good idea on what you want, where you want it and how big it is going to be. They may or may not have some ideas of their own.

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138

    I've found this really useful http://www.bbcshop.com/home+garden/alan-titchmarsh-how-to-garden-garden-design/invt/9781846073977?source=112_74&gclid=COSvnsmy7b8CFcbJtAodeDQAlg   a lot of book for little money and some very helpful ideas.

    I think someone else has too .... I can't remember who I lent it to image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Thanks. I must admit i do like watching his programmes and like the series on at the moment. Dont suppose he would come and do my garden. I do like gardening but have never had much time due to work and family. I suppose i am worried i will make a mistake with the hard landscaping which i will then be stuck with. However i am looking forward to many hours around many garden centres looking for plants. Already keeping list of what i like. Will also try growing from seed.

  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    You must remember that gardens evolve a lot. I have been gardening for umpteen years and I am still changing things. Taking a shrub out here, a new bit of paving there, putting new plants in over there. That's the nice thing about gardening - nothing is too permanent!

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
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