Hi, Karen again. Have just drawn out a sketch from yours. My first thought is, having lived in Yorkshire for a 18 months and experienced the wind, why not hedge completely? This might sound expensive but if you buy bare root through a local nursery it is very affordable. Now is a good time to plant. Our garden is affected by high winds as we are in an exposed spot. We are fortunate to have inherited a very mature holly and cherry laurel hedge which is a fantastic wind break. Wouldn’t recommend laurel as it is very fast growing and so makes for a lot of work. The hedges we have planted are mainly yew. These grow surprisingly quickly, in the right conditions(they hate being waterlogged and it will kill them). The yew is used within the garden to compartmentalise areas and restrict views as the garden is on a slope and would otherwise be fully visible at first glance. However, on the boundaries we planted a copper beech hedge (stunning in full leaf) and a native hedge. The native hedge has been laid and is so beautiful. We had it done by a chap who works in National Trust properties. I have done some hedge laying,having chatted to him and, while I cannot produce the quality that he can, it is possible for it to be done by an amateur. I’m sure you could find videos on line. Laying strengthens and thickens a hedge making it a better windbreak. I wonder of your existing hedges could be laid. Unfortunately I have to stop now as I am planting tulips. A dear friend, now sadly dead, used to say “you can’t have too many spring bulbs” and she was right. ridiculously cheap. Native hedging is wonderful

One element that may help to soften and blur the boundaries is to re think the path. As you have found a full straight path seems very 'dictatorial' - you must walk here - in a garden. So changing the style of path to a broken path - large flag stones placed seperately or dark concrete rectangles set separately - which allows lawn between the steps softens the look while still offering solid support. It could meander a little to avoid a straght line.

Hi there, Pleached trees are a great way to add high up screening without taking too much space and so living space for a good underplanting for pops of colour and year around inteterest. When choosing the underplanting though, you should be aware that the trees tend to suck up a lot of water from the soil and so the conditions in the bed will tend to be on the dry side (potentially shady as well depending on the bed depth  - cant really tell because of the snow in the picture), so you should choose the planting accordingly. I offer online garden design services (in person in and around Twickenham/Richmond area) including planting plans and would love to help you with this! Please have a look at my website and get in touch if interested. www.therootedconceptgardendesign.co.uk  All the best, Deborah deborahbiasoli@gmail.com  07548105456

Hi, First of all, congratulations on your first house with a nice large garden. A few good points have been mentioned already with the screening and boundary fences. For me you need to make a wish list of what you need, would like to have, and dream of in your garden. You have already mentioned veg, and seating area. Think of a style that you like, there is also no reason to mix different styles as this is more common now like a contemporary layout and hard landscaping with a cottage flowing style of planting. I would also consider loosing that large shed, three reasons, one it looks rotten at the base, two, it's in the wrong place, and three, I think it may be far to large for what you need. Carful consideration of the sizes of the spaces for each area, like may your main patio/terrace big enough so it fits your garden furniture comfortably without you feeling like your falling into the borders and still leave room for people to walk around without tripping over things. Thinking of focal points and views through the garden. Do you need room for children to play? A garden is the largest room of your house and can be one of the most enjoyed to relax in and unwind or destress from a busy day. I would consider getting in a professional designer if not to do a full design, to at least have a consultation and walk around the garden with you to advise on solutions and possible ideas. Some designers will even do a rough sketch for you on site of how it could look, although not to an exact scale. Doing a garden is not a cheap thing, although there are thinks were you could save with the right advise. Getting it wrong by just doing a bit at a time will leave you with a garden that does not flow, better to follow a plan and do what you can when you can and afford it. That way you will end up with a beautiful space you can admire and enjoy. All the best Ian