Fact, did you know? A beautiful well maintained garden can add up to 20% to the value of your property – that’s an extra 60K based on the UK average property price.
NOW, is the time to start planning that injection of fabulousness into your own outdoor space, whether it’s a border makeover, complete re-design or just adding to an existing planting scheme, there are lots of considerations to factor into your initial planting plan project:
- Orientation of your garden?
- Soil type?
- Theme – exotica, architectural/informal or formal?
- Fragrance and biodiversity?
- Optimum height & spread?
- Low maintenance if time poor?
- Winter seed head & colour interest?
- Peak flowering season?
- Colour palette, texture & unity?
- Distinctive style & individuality
Inception should be a joy. I would always suggest that your garden and indeed borders should reflect your own individual personality – if you’re eccentric, why not opt for a planting scheme that echoes these qualities? Start by, measuring the existing border and draw it to scale using a scale ruler and graph paper – a simple sketch can also work equally as well. Draw proportional circles, each circle representing one plant, some species can be overlapped at the edges of the border to create a softening effect. A drawing helps to ascertain exactly how many plants are required, space division and the mass: void of your border.
Tip #1 Remember the ‘dots & in-fillers, these are short lived species without their own allotted space such as, ornamental bulbs – short lived but dynamic!
Tip #2 Remember, your planting plan is not so dissimilar to ‘orchestrating a finely tuned firework display’!
Tip #3 Remember to consider the ‘genius loci’ – the spirit of your garden.
Tadworth client brief was: “I’ll leave it to you Cindy” ( yay!). I opted for an introduction of 100% herbaceous perennial plants, working to a colour palette of predominantly purple & pink with small accents of yellow and blue. This large border was the main focal area to the rear garden and now provides biodiversity as the butterflies and bees just love the Echinacea purpurea and Verbena bonariensis, along with fabulous aroma from the Perovskia and Phlox pani. Flame White Eye which both have great scent. Most of the perennials are self-seeding; meaning the spread of plants will naturally increase creating a delightful merging process.
Garden Design Tadworth Surrey
Reigate client brief was: “To create a low maintenance border to incorporate a water feature”. I opted for a colour palette of predominantly purple & blue with accents of white, with the main flowering period being from May to November. This border is so low maintenance with only one winter cut back required after winter seed head and grass colour interest has been enjoyed.
Reigate Surrey Garden Planting Project
As standard practice, both clients received a plant portfolio and performance & maintenance schedule – information required to nurture & enjoy the plants in the borders for years to come…