More on<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> Designer Helen Elks-Smith<\/a> says people often think that pushing the planting to the perimeter of a garden and leaving a space in the centre will make it look bigger. \u201cIn fact, the opposite is true. Boundary fences<\/a> and hedges<\/a> create strong verticals that draw the eye and create a sense of enclosure, making a space feel considerably smaller. Introducing layers of planting, paths<\/a>, lawns and seating<\/a> in the areas between you and those verticals will help to visually push the boundaries further away and make the garden feel larger.\u201d To soften the vertical lines of a 1.8m-high fence<\/a> with planting, she says, you should balance it out with a bed of the same depth. \u201cMany shrubs are as wide as they are tall, and narrow beds will only accommodate one at the most, which will probably also need pruning annually to keep it to size. A wider bed allows more space for combinations of shrubs, climbers<\/a>, perennials and bulbs that will disguise the boundaries and perform at different times of the year, so you always have something fabulous to look at.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Many of us make changes to our garden when the weather improves in spring, but selecting new plants for instant impact has many pitfalls, says designer Sue Townsend<\/a>. \u201cTry not to be wooed by the flowers on display at the garden centre, which will offer a limited period of interest, leaving you with little to look at for the rest of the year. Instead, ask the nursery staff which plants are best for different seasons, or use online suppliers such as Crocus and Burncoose, which offer an extensive range of plants, plus details of how and when they perform. \u201cI look at the garden as if I am the conductor of an orchestra, selecting plants for spring colour<\/a>, summer flowers<\/a>, autumn berries and foliage, and winter structure<\/a> to create a continual performance. I think about how each plant will emerge, flower and fade, and group those with similar or contrasting shapes, textures or colours, depending on whether I want a calming or more dynamic scheme.\u201d<\/p>\n Creating a snaking or zigzagged border edge may seem like a good way to introduce detail and interest into your design, but celebrated designer Andy Sturgeon<\/a> is not convinced. \u201cThe problem is that once you introduce plants and a lawn next to a wibbly wobbly border edge, the intricate shape is unreadable at eye level and can simply look messy. I use sweeping curves for borders that offer plenty of space for planting, or, for a more formal design, geometric squares and rectangles. You can also mix the two, with a rectangular patio, which will be cheaper to lay, and curved borders that take the eye through the garden. Also consider the ratio of hard to soft landscaping and aim for a 50:50 mix or thereabouts in a smaller garden; I usually err on the side of more planting than paving to prevent the garden from looking soulless.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Sara Jane Rothwell, owner of London Garden Designer, has won awards for her sloping<\/a> gardens and says that excavating a hillside to create large terraces is a practical solution, but tall retaining walls can look imposing when viewed from below. \u201cThis type of terracing can also come with a high price tag and a cost to the environment, too, if the soil is removed from the site. I prefer to work with the existing topography and, where possible, use planting instead of walls to keep the soil in place, linking smaller terraces or floating decks that offer key vantage points, with staggered flights of steps to create a meandering route to the top or bottom. Planting also absorbs rainfall<\/a> and helps to prevent flooding. If you want to develop a slope<\/a>, always call in a structural engineer to assess the site and ensure that any work will not destabilise your property or neighbouring buildings, or cause subsidence.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cA patio next to the house can work, but it\u2019s not always the best place for seating or dining<\/a>,\u201d explains Tony Woods of Garden Club London. \u201cBefore installing a seating area, consider where it\u2019s most likely to be used, which may be in the centre or at the end of the garden. For example, if you want to sit outside after work in the evening, a patio close to the house that gets the sun from breakfast until mid-afternoon will not be as practical as an area further away that catches the setting sun. Create privacy<\/a> and shade around your seating with a pergola<\/a> or planting that will also disguise the paving and envelop you with lush foliage. And when sizing up a patio, make sure it fits your table comfortably, and add twice the depth of the chairs to your measurements, to allow them to be pushed out without people falling off the edge.\u201d<\/p>\n![\""Garden\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/18\/2010\/08\/sarah_prices-border_flipped-7fedb63.jpg?quality=45&resize=556,556"\" "\\"\"Sarah\\"\/")
<\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>Garden design mistakes and how to avoid them<\/h2>\n
1. Skinny borders around a central lawn<\/h3>\n
![\""Great\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/18\/2021\/04\/aa-cover-vNEW-830ca1b.jpg?quality=90&resize=460%2C413"\" "\\"\"Great\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>2. Buying all your plants in flower<\/h3>\n
![\""Sue\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/18\/2023\/06\/Sue-Townsend-DSCF6556-42c9fa3.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Sue\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>3. Using intricate patterns and shapes<\/h3>\n
![\""Andy\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/18\/2023\/04\/JI020620AndySturgeon009-f46e35f.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Andy\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>4. Tall walls and steps up one side of a slope<\/h3>\n
![\""The\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/18\/2021\/10\/JI_160519_UlfNordfjell_045-9381ded.jpg?quality=90&crop=32px%2C23px%2C5080px%2C3384px&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Antibes,\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>5. Always putting the patio next to the house<\/h3>\n
![\""Seating\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/18\/2023\/02\/RBD050816-916bv2-6aa3203.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"James\\"\/")
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