First hide the septic tank. This could be done relatively inexpensively with willow or bamboo screening stretched between uprights. Your fences are not the same style. Painting or staining them would unify this. A couple of the posts do not look secure. I would replace or repaint the shed depending on how delapidated it is in reality. You really need a bin storage area that hides them as they are very untidy. Large plants to screen the overlooked part of the garden. Shrubs probably. It's a big job. Pick a couple of small projects to do at a time unless you have the funds to tackle it all at once. This is before you even think about planting beds or anything beautiful.

A thousand apologies, should read oil tank not septic!

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

Hi Emily,

What a lovely blank canvas you have in there! It is a sizeable space and with the right layout you wont even notice the weird shape.

I couldnt agree more with @AGI Landscapes! The planning of a garden is often overlooked but it is a very important step as mistakes can be expensive (and yes, also agree 100% that the cost of doing a garden is most times hugely underestimated - and I think that popular garden revamp TV shows have a lot to answer for that).

A well designed garden will match up what you want out of it (and therefore a wishlist is a first step), your tastes (inspirational pictures that you like are very helpful), the nature of the garden space (this includes its shape, natural conditions, any problems to be overcome etc) with aesthetic awareness to create a space that not only looks good but that also works and flows well for you. Because your garden is big, getting a design done could be very helpful as you could do the build step by step as budget allows without loosing sight of the big picture. Some designer like me offer online based services which could be cheaper than in person. If you are interested at all, you can find more details on my website.

www.therootedconceptgardendesign.co.uk

Best of luck with your garden!

Deborah

-Add Willow/wisteria tree on the far corner

-Add Colorful bushes and flowers

- Create a Seating area section or gazebo

-fix the shed

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