If you were starting your garden from scratch

[Friendshipissue]

Just that really, busy with garden shopping as I have quite a bit of space and looking for inspiration! Lighthearted :)

Bump!

I am in the same boat, is your garden turfed?

No turf except for the small space at the front. Lots of empty large flowerbeds next to walls!

Ground preparation weed removal and levelling.
Hard landscaping (paths / patio / decking plus any special features - water feature, pergola etc)
Lawn areas
Then the beds:
Shrubs / trees
Plants for height / to train against walls
The rest I tended to buy by seasons, while bearing the other seasons in mind. I went mostly for perennials and ground cover, with a purple / lime green theme which kind of happened by accident - I really like purple (I do have other colours too, but it is purple predominantly) and I liked the punch of lime to offset it.

I'd have a balustrade as I love them. I have the space for one in my current garden but it wouldn't look right.

I'd have space for a cutting garden and a knot-kitchen garden.

I'd have a lovely south-facing stone wall that I could use for espalier fruit trees.

I'd have a large and naturalised pond with a clever little waterfall feature at one end that looks as if it was a happy stroke of luck that the rocks and water came together that way.

I'd have a section of the garden where it was wildflower and meadow grass, with a wee and winding path mown through it for walking.

Obviously this all supposes ideal temperatures, exposure, soil composition and unlimited budget!!

I have a formal fish pond plus a wildlife pond. Love them, they bring so much life to the garden

I would have created much wider borders so that the perimeter of the lawn looked much taller and more lush.

I would also have created a meandering path through it.

I have a pond which I didn't think I'd like as much as I do. It was here (empty) when we bought the house. Thought I'd refill it to give it a go, and never looked back. My favourite thing is the wildlife it attracts - it's the busiest place in the garden.

I would consider three things before you decide…
Do you want a lawn?
How much time do you realistically want to spend on the garden each week?
Where are the sunny positions in the garden?
After that all the decisions become much easier!

If it's big, then some trees. Things like rowan, laburnum and crab apple won't get too enormous, and will give the garden structure.