Garden design for town gardens: our five step guide to enjoying our town gardens more
One of the joys of being a garden designer for areas around Grantham, Stamford and Newark is the amazing variety of different projects we are asked to look at. One day we might be in a large village garden with amazing views of rolling countryside, the next we could be at a small urban garden in the centre of town. Very different projects, but equally enjoyable in their own right.
Town gardens do, however, usually need to be treated a little differently to country gardens when it comes to design. Here’s Tythorne Garden Design’s 5 step guide to designing town gardens:
1. Let's keep garden design simple
Town gardens tend to be smaller than country gardens. Hardly surprising when developers try to squeeze so many properties on to their sites. That’s OK though, we can still create an interesting and practical garden in a smaller space if we keep things simple.
Focus on simple shapes and simple lines and always resist the urge to complicate. If we want curves, let's make them 'definite' geometric curves with a clear sense of direction and purpose.
2. Let's lose our garden's boundaries
Boundaries always make a garden feel even smaller than it actually is, particularly with tall fences or walls. We can’t move the boundaries, so we need to try to make them less dominant.
It may sound counter-intuitive, but introducing an element of height (perhaps a tree, internal screen or hedge) within our garden can make a real difference. Softening the boundaries with planting or a trellis can also work wonders, as can mirrors and ‘false’ doors or gates.
3. Remember that privacy in our garden is important
Nobody likes feeling overlooked, and if our neighbour’s house is very close it can sometimes be hard to relax in our garden. A little bit of judicious screening can make all the difference, perhaps with a carefully positioned tree or a structure supporting an attractive climbing plant. It’s a simple concept, but we tend not to think about ‘offending’ window or house if we can’t see it so readily.
4. Shall we talk about garden noise?
A bit of peace and quiet can be enormously therapeutic, but unwanted noise from neighbours or roads can be really irritating. Introducing some relaxing background sounds of our own, whether it's wind chimes, the rustling leaves, or the sound of wildlife can be remarkably successful at countering unwanted noise. Gently moving water can also be particularly soothing, so why not consider a low-maintenance water feature?
5. No view from your garden? Let’s create one
Some town gardens have lovely views. If we’re not so lucky we need to create our own to give our garden a sense of direction, movement and purpose. Paths help to lead our eye through a space, whilst focal points catch our attention and make our garden a more interesting place to be. Even a favourite plant or tree can provide a much-loved view if it’s positioned carefully.
Tythorne Garden Design provides professional fixed-fee garden design solutions for customers in Grantham, Stamford, Newark and surrounding areas. Let's see how we can help you to enjoy your garden more. Call us on 07900 224 239 or 01529 455 355.