Summer’s coming, and the whole family will want to make the most of the garden. Whether you have spacious grounds or a tiny yard, there are ways of getting the best out of it — and it doesn’t need a mega budget, either.
So What’s Landscape Architecture?
Landscape architecture may sound as if it belongs on country estates or public spaces, but at its most basic it means planning the best use of space and resources you have.
The key is to understand what you want to use each area for. If you have a large garden, the different areas can be treated like rooms — a patio for chilling or entertaining, a lawn for the children to play, flower-beds to create beauty. Even if you have a small garden, the space you have can be designed for multiple uses, such as having flowers in urns on your patio area.
If you need inspiration, landscape architect Liz Lake Associates have plenty of examples on their website.
A Few Suggestions
- If you want a flower display without spending all your time planting and weeding, it’s best to go for plants that cover a lot of ground without needing much maintenance, such as hardy perennials and evergreens. If you’re looking to make the most of a small garden, the Guardian has a number of recommendations.
- A lawn is essential if you have children, but it can be time-consuming to keep cut. You can reduce maintenance by sticking to regular shapes and straight edges, or you could even go for high-quality artificial turf, which needs no maintenance.
- House to Home has a whole range of ideas for special touches to your garden that won’t break the bank, from painting up a cheap garden bench to making fairy lights with cupcake cases. Other possibilities include colour-coordinating your garden furniture and flower displays and creating a garden sculpture from found objects.
- If you have young children, they’ll be using your garden as a playground, so think like a child when you’re planning it. Objects like trees or water-features (suitably child-proofed, of course) can turn into any number of magical things in children’s games if you provide a good stage.
- On the other hand, most children will love to help you in the garden, and they can learn a lot. The BBC website suggests various ways you can share the garden with your children while they learn about plants, insects, and worms.
- And, if you need more inspiration, feel free to get in touch with Liz Lake Associates.
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