Discover our tips and ideas for garden design and transform your garden into a place of retreat.
There is nothing better than letting your mind wander in a green oasis, regardless of its size. Whether it’s starting your day with breakfast on some comfortable garden furniture, a coffee afternoon with your girlfriend on a deck from somewhere like First State Building and Design (who you can learn more about here), or sociable evenings with the family, having a garden to be proud of really does give you options when it comes to entertaining family and guests.
Sometimes it only takes a few simple steps to make our garden a real place of well-being. For example, you might just need to look into the types of dogwood trees, and other many other trees out there, to give your garden that extra bit of greenery. Discover our tips and ideas.
How To Plan Your Garden
There is, of course, no general answer to the question “How do I design my garden?” While some are looking for peace and tranquility, many like the idea of being able to build studio sheds so they can use the space as a productive place to work, while others still want to grow vegetables or offer their children a nice place to play. When designing a garden, it is not only the purpose that plays an important role but personal taste also determines the planning too.
Before you start planning, ask yourself the question:
- How do I want to use my garden?
- Should it serve as an oasis of calm and retreat or do I want to use my garden primarily to grow vegetables?
- Would I like to set up a barbecue area with a table and chairs or is a small corner with lounge garden furniture enough to relax?
- Do you need an open space so that your children or grandchildren have space to play or do you want to beautify part of your garden with a pond?
Make it clear in advance which elements should find a place in your garden!
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The Garden Planning: In A Few Steps To Your Dream Garden
A beautiful garden design requires thorough and well-thought-out planning. Once you have clarified for yourself what you definitely do not want to do without in your new garden, you can start planning your garden. Take note of our garden planning tips so that your green oasis corresponds to your personal ideas.
- Draw your garden on a piece of paper. If you want to beautify your existing garden, draw in the lawn and terrace. Use different hatching for the individual elements (terrace, beds, sidewalks, plants): Mark your terrace with straight lines while you hatch your lawn at an angle. A circle template is suitable for drawing in trees and bushes. Colors also help with visualization.
- Redesign your garden, think about how big the terrace should be. In most cases, there should be space for a large table with at least four chairs. Would you also like to set up a grill? Plan that with you!
- Plan flower beds and sidewalks: the garden shed, a second terrace or the swimming pond should be easily accessible via paved paths. At any point, raised and flatbeds offer space for pretty flowers or fresh herbs.
- Decide on suitable planting. Vary between large and small plants. Use shrubs and ground covers to fill in gaps.
- Mark the rest of the area as a lawn by hatching these areas in green.
A little tip: To be as flexible as possible during planning, use transparent tracing paper. Draw new ideas on transparent paper and put the ideas on your plan. Use a second or third tracing paper for other elements. You can easily slide the elements back and forth – and have the entire planning in view at all times.
Tips For Planning
- If you have a small garden and only a little space, prioritize your wishes: Can you do without a vegetable patch if you integrate a spacious sunbathing area instead? Can the pond be replaced by a fountain? Can a generously planned vegetable patch be replaced by one or two raised beds?
- Visually separate the individual areas from one another. Depending on the style, bushes, stone walls, fences or hedges are suitable.
- A side planting with hedges or bushes of straight garden paths creates a spatial depth. This makes your garden look bigger. Staggered plants give your garden a spatial effect.
- Match the floor coverings and garden furniture to one another: if you opt for modern stone tiles on the terrace, you can also use modern garden chairs that can easily be transformed into garden loungers. When designing, you are welcome to use the garden furniture trends for 2021 as a guide.
Which Garden Style Is Right For Me?
As in fashion, green spaces are also subject to different styles and trends. Decide for yourself which style is right for you. We’ll tell you what is important for the individual styles.
A Modern Garden
When designing a modern garden, a clear design language is the most important thing. The division of the property into terrace or balcony, lawn, flower beds and perennial beds can be marked, for example, by paved garden paths.
The integration of water basins, planters or geometrically cut hedges as well as the use of the material Kortensteel are among the elements of a contemporary design. Lanterns, flower pots, a beautiful side table with a seating area, or a 25ft flagpole to proudly fly your nation’s flag are just some of the ways to loosen up your garden.
Tips for a modern garden design
- Less is more: reduce colors and shapes.
- If you are redesigning your garden, use geometric shapes when planning your terrace and flower beds. Make beds square or rectangular.
- Opt for plants that are cut in a straight line and look tidy. Yew or box hedges, for example, are suitable for this.
- Stay symmetrical with the planting.
- Rely on modern materials. These include, for example, concrete or plain natural stone.
- Don’t get too colorful: Subtle colors, especially black and white, look modern. Too many plays of color appear restless.
- Opt for evergreen plants such as boxwood, ornamental grasses or green ground cover.
- Be sparing with garden decorations. Choose a few, but modern elements.
Design Ideas For A Modern Garden
A modern garden design is very easy to implement with these ideas:
- White LED balls between your plants in the flatbed provide beautiful indirect lighting.
- Create interesting garden landscapes with gravel and chippings.
- A square raised bed made of concrete loosens up your modern garden.
- Integrate a water point in your garden: a rectangular basin, a small fountain or a small stream are ideal for a modern garden design. A rectangular pond is also just the thing for a modern garden.
- Create an elegant gravel bed. Plant it with a few shrubs and place small light sources in the bed.
- Put a fire bowl on your patio.
- Design your paths with individual exposed slabs instead of continuous paving stones. There is space for evergreen ground cover between the individual plates.
- Use tall plants or accurately cut box hedges as practical room or garden dividers.
Are you looking for modern elements for your garden? Then browse through our garden furniture and garden lighting – and transform your garden into a modern oasis in just a few clicks!
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A Mediterranean Garden
In a Mediterranean garden, one thinks primarily of terracotta tiles and the combination of different shades of brown. In fact, the Mediterranean style is strongly based on the realities of the Mediterranean countries Italy, Spain and Greece. Natural stone, wood and colors such as white or light blue also play a decisive role in the design of Mediterranean gardens. You should also keep this in mind with the garden furniture.
Tips And Ideas For A Mediterranean Garden Design
With a Mediterranean garden design, there are no limits to your creativity: Combine the warm colors with the natural materials and create a holiday feeling in the garden at home. With these ideas, the Mediterranean garden design succeeds in the twinkling of an eye:
- Use large and small terracotta pots for your plants and flowers.
- Opt for plants with a Mediterranean effect. For example, choose small citrus or olive tree.
- Plant Mediterranean herbs in a raised bed: thyme, sage and oregano don’t just look good. They also bring some holiday mood into your kitchen.
- Rely on natural stone and mosaic.
A Japanese Garden
Relaxation comes first when designing Asian gardens. So that both the gaze and the mind can wander into the distance, the elements of stone, plants, climbing plants, hedge plants and water are harmoniously combined with one another. Waterfalls, streams and larger ponds are not uncommon in Japanese gardens. Bonsai trees and bamboo are part of the basic equipment.
Tips And Ideas For A Japanese Garden Design
- Use rocks and stones for artfully shaped stone arrangements. Above all, use raw stones.
- Create a calm mood with a garden pond. There is also space for rocks in the pond.
- Plant cherry trees. In Japan, these symbolize transience and are a symbol for the cycle of life. Green pines also fit wonderfully into a Japanese garden design.
- Let a shaped bonsai become the focal point of your garden.
- Create paths in gentle curves. In a Japanese garden, there are hardly any straight paths to be found.
- Decorate your garden with lanterns, bowls or sculptures of stone deities. A little tip: do not place the statues conspicuously and prominently, but inconspicuously in a place of your choice.
