Changing the way your garden looks and works sounds like a lot of effort, right? You’ve got a lot of planter boxes, soil heaps, and then the compost pile to move, plus you’ve got to make sure there’s enough room for the deck and a gazebo; you’re going to need at least a week to get it all done! But if your garden isn’t quite making you happy at the moment, switching up the layout could be the solution to all your problems. Here are a few reasons why.
How Much Sun Do You Recieve?
Sunshine is always the main factor to consider when designing the layout for a garden. Whatever direction the garden is facing, you’ll want to capitalise on how the sun moves across the sky in relation to the shade provided by the house. Measure this with a compass if need be, but move as many of your plants towards the non-shaded areas as you can possibly manage. They tend to grow much better when they’re not competing for attention.
Do You Find it Easy to ‘Garden’?
If you don’t, something has gone wrong along the way! A garden should be easy to take care of, whether you’re pulling weeds, tilling soil, or adding more things to the compost heap without worrying about seeds spreading. If you’re constantly having to move things out the way before you can get any of these tasks done, or you put yourself in painful positions to reach certain areas, things need to be moved.
Is the Patio Featured Prominently?
A patio should be a focal feature in a garden. Even when tucked into a corner, you should be able to spot that kandla grey porcelain paving straight away! If that’s a hard job in your own garden, think about the best place to move the patio too.
Standing from your back door, where are your eyes drawn? Towards the centre, or further out towards the back of the garden? Follow the line of gaze and see if that could work for your social area.
Do You Have Enough Privacy?
Privacy is important in the garden. You need a big fence to keep your space enclosed, yes, but also to keep prying eyes out whenever you’re out there trying to enjoy the sun. If privacy is in short supply around your property, this is the number one thing to focus on about your garden layout.
And it’s not just about the height of the fence either. It’s about other items you can use to block out certain viewpoints when you’re setting up a recliner chair or a hammock. Tiered water features or plant pots, for example, are two popular ways to bring a bit more privacy and intimacy into an otherwise open space.
Your garden layout might not work for you right now, but it’s not a disaster! Use ideas like these to think about what needs changing and give yourself something to focus on as you go.
