Thinking about spending time in the garden may be the furthest thing from your mind as the winter weather sets in and the usual scramble of Christmas chaos starts to gather pace. But if you are hoping to make some improvements to your outdoor space you really need to start planning this side of Christmas if you want the project completed in time for Spring 2011.
Before you meet with a designer to discuss your dream garden aspirations, you need to review the existing space and identify what you’d like to achieve from your outside living accommodation. Here are some useful pointers to get yourthinking on track:
- Ahead of any plotting out of what goes where, make a note of where the sun falls when, so you can plan a dining area in dappled shade; a sun-bathing area in full sun and a children's play area somewhere cool and sheltered
- Think about privacy. Do you need to work in some tall planting or trellis somewhere so that neighbours can't see into your garden?
- Will you need to put in an outside tap for a hosepipe? Or, perhaps, if you have kids, a hot tap will be handy, too, for the (few) times it's warm enough to fill up the paddling pool in the summer
- Be realistic about what you can achieve in your garden if you have children and / or pets. There's little point in creating a splendid display of delicate flowers if you live in constant fear of it being destroyed by boisterous kids or a playful pet!
- Ponds are probably a no no if you have young children due to the obvious safety hazard they represent - with an average of five children under the age of six drowning in garden ponds in the UK each year, according to RoSPA. If you want water, you could instead consider a pebble pond or a water feature that has no water basin, thereby eliminating any risk to children
- What storage will you need now and in the future? You should allow space for not just garden tools, but probably DIY tools, too. Plus, garden furniture, children's toys and bikes
- Do you plan to do much entertaining in the garden? Think about easy access to the kitchen and a dedicated ‘eating’ zone These are just a sample of some of the questions you need to ask yourself, for more ideas, advice and inspiration visit www.limeorchard.co.uk
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