Creating a new garden

Think very carefully how you will want to use your garden, both now and in future years. The needs of a young family in their first home are very different to those of their parents who may be approaching retirement.

Families with children and animals need plenty of open space, suggesting a durable garden with tough plants which can stand some physical abuse and large areas of lawn. A retiring couple with time on their hands may become more active gardeners, suggesting more garden beds with more specialised and delicate plants.

Consider, too, whether you wish to invest some of your time into growing some of your own food and include a vegetable garden in the plan.

Consider how much work you are willing to contribute the garden over time. There is no such thing as a maintenance-free garden, but a garden can be designed to minimise maintenance and irrigation needs. This can be achieved by planting trees and shrubs, particularly natives, that thrive in the area, and with good gardening practices such as mulching and composting.

Alternately, you may consider gardening to be a hobby and are happy to maintain cultivated beds of annuals and plants that require a high level of regular maintenance.

The style of a garden, the mood it creates, is very much a matter of personal taste. You may prefer a formal design with straight lines, symmetry and detail. Alternately you may prefer a relaxed, informal style with curving lines, softness and broad sweeps. The choice is entirely yours. Both extremes of garden style can be designed in a way that minimises maintenance and irrigation.

Be ambitious with your plan, even fantasise a bit. Even if your present resources don’t permit your dreams straight away, at least pencil them into the plan from the start.

Ask yourself if you might one day want any of the following …

• swimming pool
• ornamental pond
• cubby house, granny flat or studio
• animal enclosures (dog kennel, cathouse or chicken run)
• pergola or gazebo
• carport or garage
• shed or workshop
• greenhouse
• shadehouse
• vegetable garden
• patio, decking
• garden lighting
• fun and games, eg a basketball hoop or small cricket pitch.

Mark the future position of all of the garden elements you might want one day, so that you don’t end up planting trees where you might want to build a shed or install a pool at a later date.