How to Landscape a Garden

When you’re landscaping a garden you’ll need to start with a great plan.  I know I would say that, but how will you know what you’re spending your money on if you don’t have a plan?  If you’re building a house or having an extension you’d have a plan prepared.  Landscaping a garden is a complex piece of engineering and requires a plan.  You are creating an outdoor space to suit your specific needs, that it multi-functional as well as looking great and being useable all year round.  Preparing a plan allows you to visualize the space on paper and make amendments before undertaking costly hard landscaping.  

Contemporary Sloping Garden Landscaping

Clients often do not want to pay to work with a garden designer when they are landscaping a garden, but it really is worth the investment.  A garden designer will help you shape your ideas and translate these into a workable design that fits your budget and your requirements.  A garden designer will prepare the plans and 3D visuals of the proposed new garden which will give you a really good idea of how the garden will look and feel before the landscaping work is carried out.  Any good garden designer will also be able to recommend reputable landscaping contractors.  This is very important as the standard of landcapers work can vary widely and you often do not know what you’re getting until you’ve paid and it’s too late.

 Large Sloping Garden Landscaping with Stone Faced Walls

There are many things you’ll need to decide when you’re working out how to landscape a garden.  It’s essential that you do some research and get a good idea of what you want, need and like in a garden.  Use a checklist and then decide what is possible and affordable for your own garden landscaping project.  

 Small Shallow Garden Landascaing with Slate Clad Walls, Water Feature & Pergola

The first thing to consider is how you want to use the garden.  If you have lots of parties you’ll need plenty of space for a big dining table, plus plenty of informal seating.  If you have young children they’ll need safe preferably flat spaces to run around.  If you have elderly or disabled visitors or residents they will need special consideration when you’re landscaping the garden.  The amount of time you have to maintain the garden will dictate how much and what type of planting you should have.  Do you want or need a boundary fence, if so what type – fence, hedge, wall, railings, or a combination of these.  Do you want any water in the garden?

 Small Steep Courtyard Garden Landcaping

Next you’ll need to consider the site and its idiosyncrasies.  If the garden is on a slope and you want a terrace and a flat lawn, you’ll need to construct retaining walls.  If you want privacy and are overlooked by neighbours you’ll need obscure them with some kind of structure.  If the site is boggy your garden landscaping will need to include drainage.   

 Contemporary Garden Landscaping

Now you’ll need to decide what materials you wish to use to construct the various garden elements.  There is a bewildering array of paving materials – Sandstone, Limestone, Granite, etc.  Walls are usually constructed from concrete blocks which are either rendered (plastered), or faced with brick or stone.  Pergolas can be constructed from many different materials for example, timber, steel, bricks, blocks, or any combination of these materials.  There are a number of different materials that you can use to create a driveway – see this piece on creating a driveway.  The final choice of landscaping materials is usually a trade off between personal preference and available funds. A garden designer will be able to help you with all these decisions and give you samples as well as options.  

 Garden Design Landscaping Plan for Steep Garden

If you’re doing your own landscaping work there are many on-line resources to help you.  You’ll need to find out how to lay a sub-base for paving and the correct depths for each type – driveways, patio, path, etc.  Walls require a footing and this varies depending on the height of the wall and what, if anything, it is retaining.  Mortar for paving is different from mortar for brickwork.  Pergola and fence posts will need to be set into the ground deep enough for stability.  Building a deck is a feat of engineering, but can be done if you follow some basic rules and have good carpentry skills.  There is a correct way to lay turf. 

 Garden Landscaping Model for a Steep Garden

Before you can create the landscaping plan for the new garden you’ll need to do a thorough survey of the existing garden.  I wrote this article on triangulation and this one on taking a simple level survey which should help with this. 

I’ll write some more specific articles on how to landscape a garden covering in detail some of the broad topics I’ve touched on in this article. 

If you need help deciding how to landscape your garden  please get in touch.  You can visit my Web site for all contact details, or email me linsey@linseysgardens.com and I’ll be happy to help. 

Sloping Garden Design - Case Study - Post 1

This steeply sloping garden in Steeple Claydon, Buckinghamshire is another huge challenge. It is a tricky wedge shape and is set on top of a hill so that it has steep falls across its width and along its length. Luckily, as anyone who’s ever met me knows, I love designing sloping gardens. You can make the most amazing gardens from sloping sites.



The clients have young twins, two very active boys, who are desperate to go outside and run around, but the garden is simply too dangerous for them. I was asked to create a garden with an upper level that can be completely closed off so that the children can play safely there with minimum supervision and a lower level that they can use when adults are present. The garden also had to be a pleasant place for adults to relax and entertain, making the most of the stunning view across the Buckinghamshire countryside.



Designing sloping gardens is a feat of engineering as well as creativity, requiring retaining walls to create flat, useable levels. Not only does this require a thorough understanding of the level changes in the garden – an accurate level survey is essential – but it also needs a substantial budget. In this case I am working to a very tight budget. As I said at the start, it was a challenge!



My solution is to create an upper paved area with a shallow step down to a flat lawn – this entire upper area will be enclosed with a sturdy, child-proof fence. There are steps down from the terrace to a sunken deck which will give privacy and provide a more intimate seating area sheltered from the wind. Steps down from the deck give access to a wide paved ramp, perfect for running and riding bikes up and down, leading down to a decked play area.



The ramp to the play area leads past raised planters and a water feature. The play area is a simple deck with uprights at each corner onto which can be attached various play equipment or a canvas top to make the area weather proof. There is a set of wooden steps leading up through terraced planters to the bottom end of the lawn.



Master Plan


In order to keep the costs down all retaining walls will be constructed from railway sleepers. This is not ideal and but the only option given the limited budget. The sleepers are being bolted to 150mm x 150mm square uprights set into concrete at regular intervals to give the garden more stability. They will also be fixed to each other using timber locking screws. I have also designed the retaining walls so that none of them are too high, only one of the shorter runs is over 1m. Also, the lower walls will help to support the upper walls which helps the garden stay structurally sound.

Model - Whole Garden



The site is very windy as it is set on top of a hill, so if the budget can be stretched a little I have suggested steel posts and glass panels for the upper security fence. This will act as a wind break as well as looking fabulous.

Model - View from bottom of garden



The client loves their new garden design and we are waiting for quotations for the construction. I can’t wait to get started. This garden will transform the house and give it a real wow factor, as well as giving the children somewhere to play.

Sloping Garden Design - Surveying Levels 1

When you’re designing a sloping garden one of the trickiest parts is measuring and working with the level changes. Before you can start planning the garden layout for a sloping site you need to find out where and how steep the level changes are. The best way of measuring level changes is to use a use an optical site level (usually called a dumpy level) or a laser level and staff.

I’m going to give you a simple way of working out levels if you don’t have access to conventional site surveying equipment. You’ll need at least one plank, a spirit level, 25mm square wooden pegs of different lengths, a metal tape measure, a mallet and a pad and pencil. You’ll also need a blank survey of the existing garden layout and at least one 30/50m tape measure.

When taking a level survey you need to decide on a datum point. This is a flat area the height of which will not change. When surveying a sloping garden I usually use finished floor height inside the front or back door of the house. This will not be changing over the course of the garden build and can always be referred back to at any stage of construction. The datum point is at height 0, or if you are using correct surveying notation start at 100 or 50 to avoid negative measurements.

This example assumes the site slopes down from the datum point. Lay one end of the plank on your datum point and rest the other end on a peg banged into the ground. Adjust the height of the peg by banging it further into the ground or raising it up until a spirit level laid on top of the plank shows that the plank is level. Measure the distance from the underside of the plank to the ground. This measurement is the amount of drop or fall of the land away from the house at this specific point on the site. Now you need to find out the position of the peg in the garden. Measure a straight line from the peg to the house, then measure from this point to end of the house. Mark these measurements on your blank survey and give it a number. Note the distance from the peg to the ground on your pad and give it the same number. You can also use triangulation to locate the position of the peg – see this other post on how to measure using triangulation.

The next step is to place one end of the plank at the base of the first peg, rest the other end on a new peg, level the plank and measure the height of the peg from the ground. Repeat this exercise until you reach the bottom of the slope. The sum of all the peg heights will be the total fall over the length of the garden. You should measure down the slope in at least one other place. Remember to use the same datum point. If the garden has cross falls, ie slopes across its width as well as its length, you will also need to measure these and plot the peg points on your survey.

If you need help designing your garden please feel free to email me linsey@linseysgardens.com. You can visit my Web site and see some of my completed projects and get a bit more information.

Contemporary Garden Design - Part II

In addition to architects like Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius and Frank Lloyd Wright the Modernist movement also spawned leading contemporary garden designers.

Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx used tropical plants planted in blocks as structural elements in the garden. Marx was a gifted painter and his landscapes demonstrate a skillful use of colour and abstract flowing forms. Marx also designed beautiful pavements for public spaces decorated with colourful abstract stone mosaics.



Copacabana Boardwalk, Rio de Janiero - Roberto Burle Marx



Roberto Burle Marx

American landscape architect Dan Kiley’s work whilst embracing Modernist principles is completely different in style to Burle Marx. Kiley’s work is characterized by strict geometric layouts. Like Le Corbusier and Andre le Notre, Kiley believed that man was a part of nature, but he did not want to copy or imitate the curvilinear forms of nature, instead he imposed mathematical order to the landscape. Kiley’s landscapes overstepped their boundaries creating ambiguous relationships in the landscape and the idea of the borrowed view.



Nations Bank Plaza - Dan Kiley



Fountain Place, Dallas - Dan Kiley

Garrett Eckbo who studied and worked with Dan Kiley believed that landscape architecture could be used to engineer social change. His vision was of the interaction of art and science to create environments that were functional and livable. Ekbo used Modernist theory based on a multi-disciplinary design approach, with landscape design as a vehicle for social change.



Private Garden - Garrett Ekbo



Denver Botanic Gardens - Garrett Ekbo



Cranston Swimming Pool - Garrett Ekbo

Contemporary garden designers such as John Brookes popularised the idea of the garden as an outdoor room. The terrace or patio became an additional entertaining space and the whole garden a place for enjoyment often featuring a swimming pool, tennis court and Jacuzzi. The overall look was chic and modern. The fussy lines and planting schemes of the more traditional garden styles were replaced by sharply defined spaces with strong geometric elements and architectural planting. Contemporary gardens feature clean crisp colours with strong contrasts, architectural plants and grasses, and minimal but striking accessories.



Private Garden - John Brookes



Denmans Garden - John Brookes



Private Garden - John Brookes

The term contemporary garden design is often used as shorthand for gardens featuring painted walls, stainless steel, glass and architectural planting. In reality, contemporary garden design is an evolution of style and taste and reflects modern materials and preferences. Contemporary gardens are usually a blend of styles and influences. Flowing organic shapes are just as relevant to contemporary garden design as the ubiquitous rendered blockwork wall with steel water feature. Some contemporary garden designers prefer to use concrete, steel and glass others use natural materials in simple, elegant ways to achieve a different but equally contemporary style.

Here's a contemporary garden I designed.



If you need help designing your garden please feel free to email me linsey@linseysgardens.com. You can visit my Web site and see some of my completed projects and get a bit more information.

Here's a link to Contemporary Garden Design Part 1

Contemporary Garden Design - Part 1 - The Modernist Movement

When clients ask for a contemporary garden what they actually want is a specific style of garden. These days a contemporary garden design is usually shorthand for smooth, rendered walls with steel blade water features and spiky, architectural planting. You can bet your life that this kind of garden will feature at least one strip of blue LED lighting and probably a smart steel sculpture.

This contemporary garden design style was spawned by the Modernist movement which started in the 1800s and became particularly popular in the 1930s. The Modernist movement comprised writers, painters, philosophers and architects all searching for an alternative to the traditional values and styles which they believed to be unfashionable.

Spurred on by industrialization, the Modernist approach rejected tradition and created a new contemporary aesthetic. This new approach resulted in simplified forms without fussy details which the Modernists believed were unnecessary. In Modernist architecture form follows function, meaning that the buildings design is based on its intended purpose. Modernist architects used industrially produced materials like concrete and allowed their natural appearance to be seen rather than trying to disguise them. Modernist architecture is characterized by buildings with an emphasis on horizontal and vertical lines whose structure is seen rather than hidden.



Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House

Architect Le Corbusier was a leader of the modernist movement, his work emphasized the beauty inherent in the structure of a building. Le Corbusier’s designs combine the functionalism of the modern movement with a bold, sculptural expressionism. He was the first architect to make extensive use of rough cast concrete to create bold, sculptural forms. Le Corbusier described houses as ‘machines for living in’.



Le Corbusier's Chapelle Notre Dame de Haut

Self taught Mexican architect Luis Barragan was influenced by Le Corbusier. His work features flat planes, and blocks of bold colour. Barragan designed the house and garden as one and championed the idea of the garden as an extension of the house. One of his most famous projects is the Fuente de los Amantes horse ranch.



Luis Barragan's Campbell Divertimento House

In addition to architects like Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius and Frank Lloyd Wright the Modernist movement also spawned leading contemporary garden designers.



Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water

I love this style of architecture and designing contemporary style is what interests me most. Although the planting is not yet finished in the small Bracknell garden, it does illustrate how a contemporary garden design scheme can transform even the most modest outdoor space.



If you need help designing your garden please feel free to email me linsey@linseysgardens.com. You can visit my Web site and see some of my completed projects and get a bit more information.

Video Clips

How to prune Wisteria



How to re-pot a house plant

Garden Design Ideas - Covering an Unsightly Wall

A quick and elegant way to cover up an unsightly wall is by creating a wooden screen. You can do this with trellis, but I really like to use horizontal slats fixed to wooden uprights giving a sort of Venetian blind effect.

Secure some 25mm x 50mm treated softwood uprights to the wall at intervals of no more than a metre apart along the wall. These uprights should start at the base of the wall and finish at the top. Create the vertical slats of the screen using lengths of wood 10mm x 25mm and fix these horizontally across the supports with a small vertical gap in between each slat. You can use slightly wider pieces of wood if you prefer.



If the wall does not belong to you, for example, if it’s the back of a neighbours garage you’ll need to ask their permission before you fix anything to it. If they are not happy for you to do so, set some wooden uprights 100mm x 100mm as close to the wall as possible and use these as supports for the cross pieces.

Use the void behind the slats to disguise the pipes for a water spout that spills into a simple reservoir sunk into the lawn, border or paving in front of the screen. Or, create a fake window by incorporating some mirror. If you’re using mirror make sure it’s secured in a wooden frame and sealed in with waterproof mastic.

Here’s a shot of a garden I designed where we used this type of screening to enclose a built in seating area and to cover an ugly piece of a neighbours fence. A mirror has been used with a slatted surround to reflect the statue that forms the focal point at the end of the pergola.



If you need help designing your garden please feel free to email me linsey@linseysgardens.com. You can visit my Web site and see some of my completed projects and get a bit more information.