Important steps to take before starting a garden | Garden Design | Gardening Australia

Whatever sort of garden you have planned, it’s worth taking a step back and considering an overall plan before you get started. Take the time to observe the surrounds and get to know the site – this helps you decide what to plant and where. Subscribe 🔔 http://ab.co/GA-subscribe

Draw up a basic plan with the house and the features that you want to keep. You can measure it properly or just step it out. Think about the main factors that affect how and where plants grow:

– Sun: Think about how the sun moves across your space, and how that changes in different seasons. Where can you sit in the sun and where can you enjoy some shade?
Plants will also need different amounts of sun, with veggies and fruit trees needing at least six hours a day.
It’s good to have herbs in a sunny spot near the house.
You can always add a pergola with climbing plants to create some more shade.

– Terrain: How flat is your land? If it’s sloping, do you need retaining walls or simply a few steps?

– Water: Consider how water falls to the lowest spot – is flooding an issue? Can you use these low spots to grow thirsty plants instead?

– Soil: There are basic tests you can do to check how much sand or clay is in the soil, to get an idea of how well it will drain and hold nutrients. Testing for pH will also help you make the right plant choices. This can vary in different parts of your garden, so take a few different samples.

When you’ve considered all these elements, you can start to think about how you move around the site.

What parts do you need regular access to for the water meter, to reach the front door, hang out washing, or put out the rubbish bins? Do you need more paths? Different styles of paths and paving create a different feel, from straight and formal to twisting and picturesque, so bear this in mind, too.

Sightlines – do you need to block out fences or neighbours or do you want to enhance a particular view?

When you have all this information, you can enjoy the creative fun of planning your perfect garden.

Filmed on Gadigal & Bidjigal Country in Bronte, NSW
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Whatever type of garden you have, whether it’s a courtyard acreage or a suburban block, if you’re starting from scratch or updating, it’s important to pause and plan. This three-year-old garden in Sydney’s eastern suburbs has had a complete garden overhaul to make the most of the small, tricky slope block,

Home to a family of six and Lennie the dog. They’ve managed to fit in kids’ play areas, quiet spots for relaxation, productive plants, and lush plantings that look fantastic all year round. It’s a great example of good planning by their landscape architect. And today I’m going to give you the tools

So you can tackle your own site analysis. One of the first steps in designing a space is taking the time to observe your surrounds. Spend some quality time with your garden and really get to know the site. This helps you decide what to plant and where. Think about recreation and relaxation spaces

And even somewhere to hang the washing. Observation is the key part of any garden designer’s process, so it’s worth taking your time. First up, draw up a basic outline of your site. Start with the things that aren’t going to change like your house, big trees, or steps that you’ll have to work around.

This yard pretty much started from scratch, but there are a few trees, fences, the driveway, entry points from the road and the house that stayed. If you want to be accurate, you can measure out the boundaries. Otherwise you can just step them out to get a rough idea.

One of the key factors in planning any garden design is knowing how the sun’s arc works at your place. Don’t forget the angle changes in different seasons. We all need sun, and plants do too, but we also need a little bit of shade,

And it’s a big limiting factor when deciding where things go, such as garden beds or even seats. Here, the front garden faces south and is shaded by the house. Southern exposures are usually shadier and colder, but there’s enough direct western and northern sun in pockets

For a diverse mix of cottagey and native plants to thrive, including westringia and grevilleas. This back terrace gets bathed in northern sun from the morning till the afternoon, so it’s perfect for an outdoor eating area. And the pool area gets plenty of sun, with enough dappled shade from the surrounding trees

And the strelitzias and large heliconias. Having access to northern sun really opens up your plant choices. And if you need some shade, you can always add a pergola with some climbing plants on it. Now a sunny spot is ideal for growing vegies,

And while there’s not a lot of space left in this small backyard, this northwest-facing corner has become a perfect place for growing some citrus, there’s an avocado, and even this mango is thriving. Eventually, the plan is to grow some vegies further along these garden beds. In the meantime, this small, raised garden bed

Is easily accessible from the back door so you can quickly run out and grab a few herbs. The other factor to consider is the slope of the site. No piece of land is exactly flat, unless, of course, it’s been concreted or paved to be that way.

Across your site, there could be gentle undulations or, as is the case here, quite a steep slope. And that’s where terracing with retaining walls works really well. And to soften these edges, something like this dichondra works perfectly. As the land changes, so too does water movement. Rainwater will often gather

In low spots at the bottom of a slope, so you can actually create pockets of planting that won’t only take up the water, but can also direct the water where you want it to go. If you want to keep your plants happy, then you need to understand your soil.

Soil itself and its quality can vary from one part of your garden to another. It’s best to do a number of soil tests across the site. That way you not only get to determine the pH, but you also get to understand the balance in the soil between the sand, silt, and clay.

This will help you choose the right plants for the soil type that you have, without having to go through a whole lot of adjustments of that soil. Alternatively, you can just use raised garden beds. Once you’ve considered those elements, it’s time to think about how you want to use the space.

The way you move through a garden has a big impact on how you use it and how you feel when you’re in it. Note down the points and the spaces that you need access to. Think – your electricity box, your water meter,

And of course, regular access for your bins to come in and out. Some paths will need to be direct and as flat as possible, so you can easily carry things to your door, while some offer more planting opportunities, like these pavers with native violets creating a green mat between them.

Others allow you to be immersed in the space. The side of the house is often underutilised, but here the designer has added winding stepping stones to encourage kids and adults to take their time and enjoy the garden. Once you get a clearer idea of the limitations and opportunities

Across your site, it’s time for the creative part. This is where you get to dream up all of the things you want and need in your garden, and then take the time to juggle and tweak and find the right place for each of them. The family needed space for the kids

And a space to be together and apart. Don’t forget to think about privacy and views too. What do you want to see outside of each window? Do you need to block out the neighbours or roads? Draw these points down on your plan so you don’t forget

When it comes time for choosing plants, colours and exact placement. A site analysis can go into a lot of detail, and being thorough means that it gives you invaluable insights. And even if you just map out a few of the factors, it will help create a more harmonious space

For you and your plants to enjoy. So get planning.