How to Landscape A Garden
Your garden is an extension of your home, and spending time in green spaces can have a positive impact on human health, including both physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
Though knowing where to start when it comes to landscaping a garden, the whole process can seem daunting.
Here at Wilsons Groundworks, as professionals who’ve spent many years supporting landscaping work and offering expert groundworks advice, we’ve seen and experienced various projects, which is why we’ve put together some of our main guidelines for the landscaping process.
Whether you’re planning a new space for summer hosting or want a quiet retreat to enjoy and relax in, read on below for our roadmap for landscaping a garden.
The Vision and Analysing The Site
Before you start, envision what you want. How do you want to use your garden, and what do you need to do to make that happen? Spend time in your garden at different times of the day and understand how the space works.
Consider different aspects and uses for the space. Do you want seating? Do you have a green thumb and need a vegetable garden?
If your garden is small, think about your basic needs and stick to a simple design with a couple of wow factors. On the other hand, if you have a large garden, you’ll have more leeway to be bold and play with scale.
Aside from the visual aspects of your garden, at this stage, you should also consider the structure of the space.
Take note of any slopes and where drainage will be needed. Drainage is one of the most overlooked aspects of DIY landscaping. Failure to properly account for drainage during the landscaping process can cause waterlogged soil or foundation issues.
Key Principles of Landscape Design
Site Clearance And Groundworks
The site clearance and groundworks stage of landscaping is often underestimated. However, the success of this stage is what results in a great garden.
Site clearance is the process of removing all obstructions, whether visible or below the surface, from the area to create a clean and workable space. During this stage, you’ll fell trees, remove shrubs, bushes and hedges, as well as deep-rooted weeds. You’ll also need to clear and dispose of old concrete bases, rubble and garden waste.
At this stage, the site needs to be assessed for potential hazards, including unstable ground, contaminated soil, or existing underground utility lines, to ensure a safe working environment. Failure to assess, identify and remove these hazards could lead to large delays later.
Groundworks, on the other hand, is the following phase of the project. This is essentially the ‘bones’ of your garden, as you’ll ensure that the ground is safe, stable and prepared for the next stage of landscaping. This stage involves excavations and earthworks to create foundations and a level surface. You’ll also be able to shape the ground to allow for proper drainage.
Proper drainage systems are vital. They are installed to prevent waterlogging and soil erosion, both of which can have disastrous consequences on your garden space. Trenches will be dug to lay pipes and cables for utilities like water and electricity.
Paths and hard landscaping areas require a robust sub-base laid and compacted for a durable and stable surface, as well as proper drainage.
Landscaping
Hard Landscaping
Properly executed hard landscaping has several benefits, including:
- Withstanding weather conditions and requiring less maintenance than soft landscaping,
- Functionality and creating a space for activities and entertaining guests,
- Visual appeal to add interest to your garden,
- Well-designed, functional and appealing hard landscaping elements can boost the value of your garden,
- Retaining walls and other elements can help prevent soil erosion and improve drainage.
Soft Landscaping
Soft landscaping, on the other hand, refers to the living elements of a garden. These will add colour, texture and life to your garden space, and will work with hard landscaping elements to create a dynamic space that changes with the seasons.
Key elements of soft landscaping include plants, flower beds, lawns, vegetable patches, natural water features, hedges and climbing plants.
Soft landscaping can have many benefits, such as:
- Providing a habitat for wildlife, supporting biodiversity in your local area,
- Create a contrast against hard landscaping to create a variety of textures,
- Providing shading with trees for the summer months and breaking the wind during the winter,
- Lawns and flowerbeds offer natural drainage, soaking up water into the ground after rainfall.
Incorporating both types of landscaping within your space creates a balanced, functional and appealing space.
When To Call In The Professionals
Whilst DIY landscaping can be rewarding, some tasks simply require expert knowledge.
Certain tasks will require heavy machinery and technical engineering advice, and a professional will bring years of knowledge and hands-on experience.
They will understand particular soil types, plant care, drainage solutions and design principles that will support you in creating a space that works well and looks good all year round. By employing their knowledge, you’ll avoid making costly mistakes.
Here at Wilsons Groundworks, we can turn your vision into reality. From the initial groundwork and drainage to laying the final stone, we’ll work with you each step of the way to ensure your landscaping project is a success, creating a space that you can enjoy for a lifetime.