Garden design planning
Garden design sounds fancy but when it comes to it, you can’t really go too wrong if you a) enjoy the process and b) don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
The main premise of the garden design phase is to basically get your plans together, do your research and put a timeframe and budget in place. This step of the process is pretty important to your wildflower garden design journey and it will definitely set you up for a smoother ride and better results at the end.
The main parts of the planning phase include:
- Creating a wildflower garden design brief
- Deciding on your garden features
- Understanding garden aspects
- Planning your hard & soft landscapes
- Deciding on colour & texture
- Setting a timescale & budget
- Drawing your idea
Create a wildflower garden design brief
A garden design brief is basically writing down exactly what you want from your garden and outdoor space. If you are renting or you own your home, then this may look different as the longevity of the design is likely to differ. Try and make the brief as clear as possible and feel free to chat it through with friends, family, neighbours or you can even ask for advice from people on social media!
When it comes to the content of the brief, we would advise including the following:
Split between soft & hard landscapes
We will go into this a bit later in the blog but having a think about how much plant-life versus man-made features you would like is super important for including in your brief. I would suggest that a garden should have a balance of about 60-70% soft/plant areas compared with 30-40% hard features such as patios or sculptures.
Colour palette
Wildflowers by nature are vibrant and colourful, bringing a real sense of life and energy to garden spaces. However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have different areas with different colour palette in your outdoor space! Again, this is something we will touch on in a bit more depth later in the blog, but in your brief have a think about what kind of atmosphere you want to create in your garden as a whole and also in specific areas of the garden. For example, you may want a high energy mix in next to your outdoor gym but a more relaxing feel around your alfresco dining area!
Current problems which need resolving
In the brief you may also want to identify what you consider to be the problems that need fixing in your garden design. These can include things like lack of privacy, seating areas in low sunlight spots, waterlogging, slopes, imbalance between hard and soft features and lack of colour or atmosphere.
Decide what features to keep in your garden deign
If you’re looking at your garden and you would ideally like to keep some features, then go with it! We can all build strong emotional connections with features which bring back good memories, remind us of someone in particular or which simply make us feel good when we are around them.
Don’t feel the need to start from scratch. From a cost point of view, it will be cheaper to keep some of what you already have and some continuity and familiarity never did anyone any harm!
Get to grips with garden aspects
As a starting point for garden design, gardening aspects is one of the most important things to consider. If you’re not too sure exactly what this is don’t worry, it’s actually super simple. Considering your garden aspects is simply determining which direction or compass point your garden faces i.e., north, south, east or west.
North-facing gardens
If you are planning a garden design for an area which is north-facing, it will be important to consider that your garden may have more shade than others and may also be a slightly cooler temperature. You will therefore need to pick a wildflower seed mix which grows in shady areas.
South-facing gardens
If you are planning a garden design for an area which is north-facing, it will be important to consider that your garden may have more shade than others and may also be a slightly cooler temperature. You will therefore need to pick a wildflower seed mix which grows in shady areas.
West-facing gardens
If you are planning a garden design for an area which is north-facing, it will be important to consider that your garden may have more shade than others and may also be a slightly cooler temperature. You will therefore need to pick a wildflower seed mix which grows in shady areas.
East-facing gardens
If you are planning a garden design for an area which is north-facing, it will be important to consider that your garden may have more shade than others and may also be a slightly cooler temperature. You will therefore need to pick a wildflower seed mix which grows in shady areas.
Soft & hard landscapes in wildflower garden design
Now that we have got to grips with aspects, let’s talk a bit about soft and hard features in your outdoor space.
As I mentioned previously in the blog, a garden should have a good balance of these features but that balance can depend on your individual style. Just remember that with a wildflower garden design, it’s important to be conscious of wildlife and the environment. Therefore, having more wildflowers and plants will provide greater biodiversity, a habitat for wildlife and also a pollen-source for bees, butterflies and other insects.
Some great examples of how the two can work together include areas like patios with integrated beds or plenty of planted pots. Other examples include trellis or walls with climbing plants and water features bordered with wildflowers.
When the two combine they can really create something special visually and emotionally, whilst also benefiting the environment.
Examples of hard features:
- Patios
- Water features
- Garden walls/fences
- Buildings
- Sculptures
- Paths
- Gates
- Trellis
- Furniture
Examples of soft features:
- Wildflower lawns
- Grass lawns
- Hedges
- Trees
- Garden beds
- Pots & planters
- Vegetable gardens
- Creeping plants
- Wildflower meadows
Colour & texture in garden design
When it comes down to it, wildflower garden design is all about creating a feeling or atmosphere. The colours and textures you choose for your wildflowers and other plants are super important for the vibe of your space.
Colour, wildflowers & garden design
As we all know, different colours can create different moods or feelings. So, it’s important to pick colours which reflect the type of atmosphere you want to create. Usually, gardens benefit from including an array of colour as this can feel uplifting, positive and generate energy. However, you may also want to use more cool colours, such as pinks, purples and whites, for a more relaxing and tranquil vibe. Take a look at our colour and mood guide below:
- Red, yellow, orange, pink: energising, passionate, and positive
- Blue, green, purple: calming and relaxing
- White: balance and goodness
Texture, wildflowers & garden design
Different types of texture can also add dimension and depth to your garden design. Wildflowers are perfect for creating texture as they are a mixture of species which have totally different characteristics. For example, wildflower heads come in all different shapes and sizes, their stalks can be smooth, rough, leafy and they are often varied heights and widths. This provides natural interest which is eye-catching and unique to your garden.
Research costs & set a budget
This is the part that can get some people a bit flustered! Creating a budget for your wildflower garden design is key but researching your costs and material options is also really important at this stage.
Obviously, budgets will vary as will the amount of work you are looking to do. I would also advise getting two or three quotes for the parts of your garden design which are more costly. You can also look at great second-hand or recycled pieces such as barrels, pallets and even old wellington boots!
For your plants and seeds, I would also advise going for the slightly higher end of the market and saving money elsewhere. This is because the wildflowers, grasses and possibly horticultural plants are really what make your outdoor space and if they are healthy and thriving, then that’s the holy grail of a great garden!
This is the part that can get some people a bit flustered! Creating a budget for your wildflower garden design is key but researching your costs and material options is also really important at this stage.
Obviously, budgets will vary as will the amount of work you are looking to do. I would also advise getting two or three quotes for the parts of your garden design which are more costly. You can also look at great second-hand or recycled pieces such as barrels, pallets and even old wellington boots!
For your plants and seeds, I would also advise going for the slightly higher end of the market and saving money elsewhere. This is because the wildflowers, grasses and possibly horticultural plants are really what make your outdoor space and if they are healthy and thriving, then that’s the holy grail of a great garden!
Draw out your wildflower garden design
Now you’ve got your head around your brief and budget, it’s time to draw-up your design!
Don’t worry if you’re not exactly Monet, just keep to clear shapes and colours. There’s no right or wrong with this and it can be as simple or detailed as you like!
You can also do your design by hand or digitally, whatever suits! There are some great free garden design sites our there like Gardena and Smart Draw.
Have a play and see what you’re most into. It’s best just to give a couple of different options a try. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how you well you do at creating a brilliant wildflower garden design brief and drawing to use to create your perfect garden!