10 signs your garden wasn’t designed first
It’s not easy to put your finger on what makes a great garden – a garden’s success doesn’t come down to a single factor. They are more than a collection of plants, just as a building is more than a collection of rooms. A garden that makes you linger balances aesthetics with structural elements that make it practical, polished and a great place to be. That’s what a skilled designer can bring to a garden.
Often, a garden that is simply a jumble of plants bought from the nursery, or directly landscaped without vision, betrays itself by being too busy, too bare, impractical, high-maintenance or even dangerous. Without careful planning and design, even a space with great potential can develop problems that are expensive or difficult to fix later.
Here are 10 common issues that show a garden lacked proper planning.
1. The lawn is the focus
A large expanse of lawn can look appealing in some settings (hi, soccer players and golf enthusiasts), but it is often not the best use of garden space – and it should never be the focus. Lawns require regular mowing, watering and maintenance, and can become difficult to manage on sloping or awkwardly shaped blocks. If the lawn was not prepared well and maintained meticulously, it can quickly develop problems. The increasing intensities of our climate can also make it difficult to care for in some areas, unless you’re willing to spend a lot of extra time watering and maintaining it.
Using potable water to maintain turf is one of the first things to be restricted during drought, so a lush carpet can quickly become brown. As our climate warms, it is less wise to grow species that are dependent on additional watering.
A garden designer can help determine how much lawn you actually need and where it will be most useful. Unnecessary lawn can often be replaced with planting beds, paths, trees, productive gardens, play areas or outdoor living areas. These other spaces provide more utility than a simple lawn, are more visually interesting and can be enjoyed more regularly.
2. Unmanaged slopes
Sloping gardens present particular challenges. Steep areas can be difficult to walk through, mow and maintain. Heavy rain can cause water to run rapidly downhill and wash away soil and mulch, and then can create wet patches once it settles, putting more strain on your drainage systems.
Good garden design can turn a slope into an asset. Terracing, steps, retaining walls, planting and carefully considered pathways can make a steep garden safer, drier, easier to navigate and more visually appealing. While these elements can be expensive, they need not be. A garden designer can advise on solutions that suit your site, your budget and your style. They consider how excess water moves and incorporate appropriate drainage and erosion-control measures into the overall design.
3. Lack of privacy
A garden can be elegantly planted and still feel uncomfortable if it lacks privacy. This is particularly important in denser areas, where overlooking neighbours, streets or nearby buildings can make outdoor spaces less enjoyable.
Privacy doesn't necessarily mean creating a solid wall of screening plants. A thoughtful garden design may combine trees, shrubs, hedging, screens, fences and changes in level to provide privacy where it is needed. When these elements are implemented together, they can lead to a sense of seclusion without emphasising property boundaries, or making the space feel enclosed.
This feeling of privacy is just as important from within the house, of course – and a great garden design will take the windows and doorways of buildings into account as well.
4. Impractical entertaining spaces, or none at all
Whether a garden includes an entertaining space depends on the garden and the owner. However, a garden that hasn’t been planned often misses out on creating a space to have multiple people sit and enjoy the garden together. An entertaining space might be as discreet and simple as a bench with a small side table. Or it could be dining seating for 12.
This element is often missed or mis-applied in poorly designed gardens. The simplest way to tell is if there is nowhere comfortable to sit, or if the space is too far away from the house, or not far enough, or the path is impractical. Valuable garden space may be going to waste.
When a garden has been designed well, the entertaining area facilitates greater use of the garden – it helps you use the garden the way you want. Designers consider the relationship between inside and outside spaces, the light throughout the year, the size of the space and the materials used. Good design creates flow between the kitchen (where the kettle is) and the nook you want to spend some time in.
5. Poor drainage
Drainage is one of the most important – and frequently overlooked – aspects of a garden. Water that collects around lawns, paths, garden beds or buildings can lead to muddy areas, unhealthy plants, damaged surfaces and soil erosion. As mentioned above, poor drainage can be particularly problematic on sloping sites, where water can move too quickly through the garden, which can lead to soil erosion and less efficient watering of your plants.
A garden designer can assess the site's levels, soil and existing drainage before deciding where planting, paving, retaining walls and drainage infrastructure should be located. Getting drainage right during the design stage is usually much easier than trying to solve a water problem after the garden has been constructed. Once a garden is mature, incorporating drainage can damage plants or conditions significantly.
“A well-designed garden [has] something different and beautiful happening in every season.”
6. There’s nothing happening in winter
A garden can look spectacular when everything is flowering in spring and summer. But a poorly planned garden reveals itself quietly when it becomes sparse and uninteresting during the cold season.
This is particularly important in cooler climates such as the Southern Highlands, where many exotic plants lose their leaves or become dormant during winter. While this is one of the beauties of cool-climate gardening, it is also a major challenge.
A garden designed for year-round interest considers more than flowering periods. Evergreen foliage, attractive bark, interesting structural elements, grasses, seed heads and winter flowers can all contribute to a garden's appearance in what is often seen as the garden’s down-time.
A well-designed garden structures its planting so that there is something different and beautiful happening in every season.
7. Garden ornaments that don’t work
Garden ornaments are often a notable feature of a polished garden – and an unpolished garden. Sometimes a gardener will have a strong preference for a particular style (such as a Balinese or formal English gardens) and will add elements of these styles to their garden.
When there is no design intent at the beginning of a garden’s establishment, these additions can seem out of place in the context of the broader space. Often, a garden ornament is best used as a large, striking visual focus to set the stage. But if this has not been considered earlier, there may not be room for this to be done properly. Smaller ornaments can get lost and fail to drive that overall style. In instances where many smaller ornaments are used, this can lead to a sense of clutter and confusion rather than a clear stylistic preference.
A garden designer can help to establish an aesthetic from the outset, using their understanding of what elements make up a particular garden style and applying it to a unique site in such a way that it makes sense.
8. Ugly or neglected boundaries
Garden boundaries are rarely considered as having a major influence on how a garden looks and feels. An unattractive fence, exposed retaining wall or awkward boundary angle can undermine the scale and aesthetic of a garden.
A garden designer can consider fences, hedges, screens, planting and architectural elements as part of the overall composition. In larger gardens, dividing spaces into smaller ‘garden rooms’ and linking pathways can disguise property boundaries and make a garden feel larger than it is. With the right treatment, a boundary can become part of the drama of a garden, or can be hidden for effect.
“A low-maintenance garden doesn’t mean boring. With thoughtful design, it can still be lush, layered and full of charm.”
9. A garden growing out of control
A common garden issue is an owner’s misunderstanding of what is required to achieve a certain style. A garden can look beautiful on paper (and even in person) but can eventually become far too much for the owner. Large areas of lawn and hedging, poor accessibility and plants that aren't suited to the natural conditions of the site can all mean more maintenance than you have the time for.
Formal gardens in particular require much more attention than many people realise. While meticulously clipped topiary over lawn might be your thing, it’s important to know what you’re up for before committing to weekly or fortnightly cutting during the growing season.
A good garden design should reflect your preferred level of maintenance. That might mean choosing plants suited to the local climate and soil, reducing unnecessary lawn, creating easily navigable garden beds, and planning efficient irrigation. A low-maintenance garden doesn't mean boring. With thoughtful design, it can still be lush, layered and full of charm.
10. Return trips to the nursery
It’s a common issue for home gardeners: repeat shopping trips to fill holes or because a patch feels ‘unfinished’. Repeat trips can become expensive and frustrating. Local plant nurseries are a vital part of our gardening community and deserve to be supported. However, if you’re spending multiple weekends returning to Bunnings to fix the same issue, there is something amiss.
A professional garden designer can advise you on how to resolve a garden problem or help to prevent issues altogether. Many garden problems are easier and less expensive to prevent than to fix. A garden designer looks at the whole property rather than considering individual elements in isolation. Site levels, soil type, drainage, sunlight, seasonal change, views, privacy, existing vegetation, access, entertaining requirements and maintenance all influence the decisions to be made. A designer can help to create a garden that works with your property, lifestyle, aesthetic preferences and local environment.
Speak to Tilbury Garden Design about your garden
Do you have a steep block, drainage problems or a patch that lacks inspiration? Tilbury Garden Design is a studio that pairs horticultural knowledge with experience in managing common garden problems. Our consultancy service can help you manage your garden bugbears and develop a holistic plan for your garden.