How to Design a Garden Part 1: Creating a brief

When you design your own garden, you don't just end up with a sketched outline on the back of an envelope – you gain a full understanding of what plants will grow in your garden and how to combine them for maximum impact. Follow this step-by-step guide to get a garden that looks beautiful and works for you.

You've just moved into a new house, decided it's time to overhaul your outdoor space or you have a much-loved but tired looking garden that needs a new lease of life. You want an Instagram-worthy garden that fills you with joy, not loathing – a space where you can sit and relax without seeing a million and one jobs that need to be done. So, you pop onto the internet, find our site and start adding beautiful plants to your shopping basket.

Stop. STOP.

First, you need to plan and design your garden. If you skip this step, you'll likely spend money on the wrong plants and end up with a garden that looks like a DIY disaster rather than something you can show off on Instagram. Hiring a professional is a great option if you have the money, but not everyone has that in their budget. The other option? Design your own garden – with our help.

Designing your own garden may feel intimidating, but I promise you, it's not. Follow the step-by-step process below, and you will end up with a garden that looks stunning and meets your needs today and in the future. All it takes is a little time and patience. Then you can start shopping for plants (and we have all the garden plants you need!).

How to create a garden brief (wish list)

Lots of people suggest starting with the practicalities, like soil type and sun tracking, but I prefer to start the garden design process by writing down what you want and what you need. This is for two reasons: it's what you want to do first, and it's useful to have a list as a starting point to reflect on during the information-gathering process. At this stage, it's helpful to keep your "wants" broad and your "needs" specific.

 

What do you NEED in your garden?

This list is likely to be relatively short and is usually focused on practicalities, such as storage, a place to put bins or a requirement for your garden to be fully enclosed to keep in pets or small children. Any potential dangers that need addressing, such as deep water or unsafe trees or structures, should go on this list. You may need to put temporary measures in place to make your garden safe while going through the design process.

You don't need to think of solutions at this point (these will likely come to you throughout the design process) but be specific about the problem you need solving. For example, some kind of storage is a necessity in most gardens, but rather than listing "storage" on your needs list, you might write "Storage for three bikes, kid's toys and garden tools."

 

What do you WANT in your garden?

Your "wants" list is more of a wish list and is likely to be much longer than your "needs" list! I like to separate the two because it helps you to prioritise. While you have to include or address the items on your first list, you may not be able to include everything on your wish list, or at least not in the way you first envisaged.

Keeping your wishes fairly broad at this stage ensures you'll be open to different possibilities further down the line. Consider your budget and space – a swimming pool may be unrealistic, but you might be able to stretch to a hot tub or plunge pool. You can often come up with creative ideas and solutions, so I always say, if something is important to you, add it to the list!

Examples of "wants" may include:

• A secluded seating area with morning sun

• Space to occasionally 10 people for dinner occasionally

• Play space for children

• A hot tub or plunge pool

• Sheltered space to work outside

• A fruit tree

• Beds for growing vegetables and herbs

• An outdoor kitchen or firepit

You can either rank your "wants" list in order of priority or highlight the things that are most important to you, but bear in mind, your list will probably change and evolve as you learn more about your garden.

 

Who will be using your garden?

It's helpful to think about who will be spending the most time in the garden and when they will be there. For example, will you sit out in your garden during the evenings after work or will you just be outside during the day at weekends? You may want seating to host ten people for dinner, but if this is only likely to happen a couple of times a year, it's better to focus on the people who will be out in the garden every day.

Redesigning your garden isn't something you do every year, so it's also worth considering how your needs will change over time, particularly if you have (or are planning to have) children. For many people, the main drive for having a garden is to have somewhere for their kids to play, but children grow up so fast that creating a space that perfectly suits your toddler's obsession with tractors and Paw Patrol is not a long-term design strategy.

In large gardens, you may want a designated play space that can evolve and change over time, from sand pits to swings to a teenage chill-out zone. If you're more constrained, then consider how you can incorporate elements of play into a more cohesive garden design.

 

Garden styles and maintenance

Finally, add into your garden brief any particular design styles you like, for example, modern and contemporary, English country garden, or Japanese-style gardens. There are many open gardens you can visit around the country or look out for a local open gardens day in your area (these usually take place in summer). Visiting other gardens is a great way to understand different styles and figure out which elements you'd like to incorporate into your own garden.

On a practical note, you also need to consider how much time you want to spend maintaining your garden – or if you're willing to pay someone to keep it looking its best. There are plenty of low-maintenance garden design ideas, but it's helpful to include this as a requirement before you start detailed planning.

Ready to take the next step? Move on to Part 2, where I'll cover what information you need to gather before starting to map out your design.