Choose plants and materials for the conditions in your garden, then add colour and grow food in the space you have.
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Choose path materials for how you use the garden
For the route you use with a pram, bin or wheelbarrow, look for a firm, even surface. Loose gravel can suit a quieter path, but it needs edging to keep it out of beds and grass. If you’re keeping an existing stone wall or timber edge, match new materials to it and check where water will run when it rains.
Start with food you use every week
If you often cook with herbs, grow a few near the kitchen rather than starting with a large vegetable patch. Check how much sun the spot gets and what grows well in your area at this time of year. Put plants with similar watering needs together so you can care for them on the same schedule.
Pick a feature plant at its mature size
Look at the garden from the room you use most. Choose a place for one plant to draw the eye, then check its mature height and spread. Give it room away from doors and paths. If the spot is tight, a large pot can give you a focal point without committing a whole bed.
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Let a screen or trellis do a job
Use a screen where you actually need privacy or a trellis where you want a climber to grow. Leave enough access to prune and repaint. If you’re planting a hedge, decide how tall you need it and how much trimming you’re happy to do before choosing a variety.
Repeat colour across the garden
Choose a few colours that suit the house and repeat them in more than one bed. Check flowering times so the whole display doesn’t finish at once. Foliage can carry the colour in between, especially in a shady area where sun-loving flowers would struggle.
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For more on choosing plants and making use of the site you have, see YourHome’s landscaping and garden design guide.