Main Elements Of Good Garden Design

Garden design is far from an exact science, and is often referred to as a living art form. The practice has been around since pre history, but the earliest known examples we have are that of structured Egyptian gardens around 4,000 years ago.
If you’re thinking about exploring this ancient art and changing your garden, the best advice is to do some reading and then go for it. It’s the same with all art forms in my opinion, the best way to learn is by getting stuck in. The great thing about this is that nothing is permanent. If you end up with a layout you don’t like, dig it up and start over again.

There are many books, guides and courses on lots of aspects of garden design, but there are some good basic principles to get you started:

– Harmony

This is a difficult area to describe completely. It means essentially the combination of the parts of the garden coming together as a whole. This is achieved by a number of tricks such as using similar plant types or styles within different sectors, limited colour palettes and strong focal points, including stone water features. It makes it much easier if you can decide on a theme before starting the design.

– Balance

This is generally the most recognisable part of the garden, as it covers the layout and basic structure of the garden. It ranges from 17th and 18th century formal gardens with rigid lines to the flowing modern design of the landscape movement. This also includes the textures and types of plants used, a vital factor, and ornamental objects and garden furniture like stone benches or busts.

– Flow

As with many artistic disciplines, the flow is how the garden is composed and how the eye is drawn in certain areas. This element should be design as naturally as possible. It should inlcude paths, open and closed areas and vistas through. All elements of the garden should be considered when planning the flow, including exterior items like furniture and water features.