10 Common Garden Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Three Houzz garden designers reveal the errors it’s easy to make when planning an outside space
From bitty planting and skinny borders to trying to squeeze in a lawn and ignoring the style of your interior, there are several things to avoid when designing a garden to ensure it looks and feels great. As part of our Garden Planning guide, we asked three professional garden designers for a rundown of the most common mistakes they come across and for their tried-and-tested solutions. Read on to find tips for making the most of your outdoor plot.
Professional advice from: Peter Reader of Peter Reader Landscapes; Charlotte Rowe of Charlotte Rowe Garden Design; Catherine Rampton of Beaufort & Rampton Landscapes
Beginning your garden project? Read How to Start a Garden Redesign
Professional advice from: Peter Reader of Peter Reader Landscapes; Charlotte Rowe of Charlotte Rowe Garden Design; Catherine Rampton of Beaufort & Rampton Landscapes
Beginning your garden project? Read How to Start a Garden Redesign
Mistake 2: Making things too busy
“Many people overcomplicate design and planting schemes in their excitement to create the ultimate garden,” Charlotte Rowe says, “but it’s best to keep it simple.”
Solution
Catherine advises limiting the number of materials and colours you use in the garden. “Choose them to tie in with the materials used to build your house,” she says. “Stick to a maximum of three and try to use the same material in different areas of the garden.”
Charlotte suggests a smaller variety of plants, too. “If you’re not confident with your plant knowledge, it’s better to have a large wave of one variety than lots of bits and pieces,” she says.
“Establish what look you’re going for before you buy your first plant, whether that’s Mediterranean, cottage garden, tropical, or contemporary,” Catherine adds, “and buy your plants accordingly – be strict with yourself.”
Keen to revamp your outside space? Start the conversation with a garden designer in your area.
“Many people overcomplicate design and planting schemes in their excitement to create the ultimate garden,” Charlotte Rowe says, “but it’s best to keep it simple.”
Solution
Catherine advises limiting the number of materials and colours you use in the garden. “Choose them to tie in with the materials used to build your house,” she says. “Stick to a maximum of three and try to use the same material in different areas of the garden.”
Charlotte suggests a smaller variety of plants, too. “If you’re not confident with your plant knowledge, it’s better to have a large wave of one variety than lots of bits and pieces,” she says.
“Establish what look you’re going for before you buy your first plant, whether that’s Mediterranean, cottage garden, tropical, or contemporary,” Catherine adds, “and buy your plants accordingly – be strict with yourself.”
Keen to revamp your outside space? Start the conversation with a garden designer in your area.
Mistake 3: Treating the garden as separate from the home
Charlotte points out that many people forget to link the inside with the outside. “It pays to give the garden as much attention as the home’s interior,” she says. “Make sure the style and palette in the garden work with the style and decoration of your home.”
Solution
Plan where each area is going to be situated,” Catherine says. She points to a football spot as an example, and suggests locating it where the ruined grass can’t be seen from the kitchen window all winter.
“It’s a good idea to draw people out into the wider garden with focal points of interest or ‘hidden rooms’ just glimpsed tantalisingly from the main patio,” Peter says. “These additions don’t just make the garden view from the house more interesting, they encourage you to use the whole space, and to create and enjoy different rooms, views and atmospheres within it. Some of the best views can be looking back up through the garden to the house, so think imaginatively to benefit from using all of [the space].”
Charlotte points out that many people forget to link the inside with the outside. “It pays to give the garden as much attention as the home’s interior,” she says. “Make sure the style and palette in the garden work with the style and decoration of your home.”
Solution
Plan where each area is going to be situated,” Catherine says. She points to a football spot as an example, and suggests locating it where the ruined grass can’t be seen from the kitchen window all winter.
“It’s a good idea to draw people out into the wider garden with focal points of interest or ‘hidden rooms’ just glimpsed tantalisingly from the main patio,” Peter says. “These additions don’t just make the garden view from the house more interesting, they encourage you to use the whole space, and to create and enjoy different rooms, views and atmospheres within it. Some of the best views can be looking back up through the garden to the house, so think imaginatively to benefit from using all of [the space].”
Mistake 4: Planting without planning
“We hear so often from our clients that they put a load of plants in the garden only to find they didn’t come back the next year or that the plants don’t look good together,” Catherine says.
Solution
It’s important to do research before you start planting, advise our experts. “Always apply the time-honoured saying, ‘Right plant, right place,’” Catherine says. “Don’t expect a plant that needs full sun to flower next year if you’ve put it in the shade.”
“Plants growing in the natural environment are usually where the conditions suit them best. [They will] have grown from a seed at a speed the local conditions can support, with natural processes that provide for their nutrient needs,” Peter says. “The garden environment is completely different to this. So set your sights on growing plants that will like the conditions in your garden, water them as needed till the roots are established out into the wider soil, and feed them.
“Mulch the soil annually with organic mulch, such as well-rotted farmyard manure,” he continues. “This gives the plants nutrients, and improves the structure of the soil to help it drain and retain moisture, as well as supporting helpful animals such as worms. Remember, the soil is a living environment that will support your plants best if it’s well looked after itself.”
More: 8 Planting Tips for Novice Gardeners
“We hear so often from our clients that they put a load of plants in the garden only to find they didn’t come back the next year or that the plants don’t look good together,” Catherine says.
Solution
It’s important to do research before you start planting, advise our experts. “Always apply the time-honoured saying, ‘Right plant, right place,’” Catherine says. “Don’t expect a plant that needs full sun to flower next year if you’ve put it in the shade.”
“Plants growing in the natural environment are usually where the conditions suit them best. [They will] have grown from a seed at a speed the local conditions can support, with natural processes that provide for their nutrient needs,” Peter says. “The garden environment is completely different to this. So set your sights on growing plants that will like the conditions in your garden, water them as needed till the roots are established out into the wider soil, and feed them.
“Mulch the soil annually with organic mulch, such as well-rotted farmyard manure,” he continues. “This gives the plants nutrients, and improves the structure of the soil to help it drain and retain moisture, as well as supporting helpful animals such as worms. Remember, the soil is a living environment that will support your plants best if it’s well looked after itself.”
More: 8 Planting Tips for Novice Gardeners
Mistake 5: Going off-piste
It’s easy to get sidetracked when designing a garden, particularly if you don’t have a firm idea of how the whole space will look. Catherine explains that people tend to lose their nerve and cave in to the latest trend, even if it doesn’t suit the style of their home and surroundings.
Solution
“Establish the look and feel you’re aiming to create when planning the garden and stick to it,” Catherine advises. “It’s really worth spending your time and budget on the structural elements before you start on anything else. These are the bones of the garden and will determine the atmosphere of the space. They’re also the elements that will be in your garden the longest.”
It’s easy to get sidetracked when designing a garden, particularly if you don’t have a firm idea of how the whole space will look. Catherine explains that people tend to lose their nerve and cave in to the latest trend, even if it doesn’t suit the style of their home and surroundings.
Solution
“Establish the look and feel you’re aiming to create when planning the garden and stick to it,” Catherine advises. “It’s really worth spending your time and budget on the structural elements before you start on anything else. These are the bones of the garden and will determine the atmosphere of the space. They’re also the elements that will be in your garden the longest.”
Mistake 6: Thinking small spaces need to be bland
You don’t need to keep a small garden uncluttered to make it feel bigger, Peter explains. “While it sounds logical, in fact the opposite is true,” he says. “If you clear your garden of everything, when you look at it, you’ll be able to see everything at once and this will make it feel smaller and less interesting.”
Solution
“Design to the correct scale and add the right number of things, such as raised beds,” Peter says. “Then, as you look at the garden, your eye won’t be able to see instantly to the back and will flit from object to object. This will fool your brain into seeing the space as larger than it really is. It also looks much more interesting and attractive.”
To see more from any of the designers whose photos are featured in this article, click on the image, then on Learn More if you’re in the app, and follow the links to the professional’s profile.
You don’t need to keep a small garden uncluttered to make it feel bigger, Peter explains. “While it sounds logical, in fact the opposite is true,” he says. “If you clear your garden of everything, when you look at it, you’ll be able to see everything at once and this will make it feel smaller and less interesting.”
Solution
“Design to the correct scale and add the right number of things, such as raised beds,” Peter says. “Then, as you look at the garden, your eye won’t be able to see instantly to the back and will flit from object to object. This will fool your brain into seeing the space as larger than it really is. It also looks much more interesting and attractive.”
To see more from any of the designers whose photos are featured in this article, click on the image, then on Learn More if you’re in the app, and follow the links to the professional’s profile.
Mistake 7: Obsessing about a lawn
We often think it’s essential to have a large lawn, but grass isn’t always necessary. “Sometimes, there’s an understandable reason for having a lawn that’s as big as possible, such as the need for a space where children can play,” Peter says. “However, this frequently manifests as an obsession to recreate a full-size football pitch in a suburban garden – clearly an unachievable goal.”
Solution
“If you watch most children playing with a ball, they actually tend to have a ‘kick-about and tackle session’, which actually requires not that much space,” Peter says. “They also get lots of fun from chasing, hiding, exploring and imagination-based games. So instead of giving them a large, empty patch of boring grass, consider the more interesting option of clever planting, with dens and places to explore. Consider also that weekly mowing a large lawn can become a real chore.”
More: Can I Have a Lawn-free Garden That’s Kind to the Environment?
We often think it’s essential to have a large lawn, but grass isn’t always necessary. “Sometimes, there’s an understandable reason for having a lawn that’s as big as possible, such as the need for a space where children can play,” Peter says. “However, this frequently manifests as an obsession to recreate a full-size football pitch in a suburban garden – clearly an unachievable goal.”
Solution
“If you watch most children playing with a ball, they actually tend to have a ‘kick-about and tackle session’, which actually requires not that much space,” Peter says. “They also get lots of fun from chasing, hiding, exploring and imagination-based games. So instead of giving them a large, empty patch of boring grass, consider the more interesting option of clever planting, with dens and places to explore. Consider also that weekly mowing a large lawn can become a real chore.”
More: Can I Have a Lawn-free Garden That’s Kind to the Environment?
Mistake 8: Skimping on borders
“Many clients understandably don’t want a high-maintenance garden and this seems to manifest in them asking for narrow flowerbeds, as these will require less work – right?” Peter says. “Actually, this is wrong.”
Solution
“The best low-maintenance plants are shrubs,” he explains. “They last for many years, don’t require a lot of looking after, and can deliver interesting structure, flowers, berries and autumn leaf colour – and many of them are evergreen, so look good in winter, too.
“The thing about shrubs, though, is many of them will get quite big – from one to two metres in size,” he continues. “So if you put them in a narrow bed, you’ll fairly quickly be having to cut them back frequently, as they’ll overhang the lawn or paths. This destroys the beauty of their natural shape, creates woody holes in the foliage canopy and creates maintenance.
“By having a wider bed to start with, the shrubs can be gently pruned as they reach their mature size every three to five years and be kept looking beautiful,” he says.
“Many clients understandably don’t want a high-maintenance garden and this seems to manifest in them asking for narrow flowerbeds, as these will require less work – right?” Peter says. “Actually, this is wrong.”
Solution
“The best low-maintenance plants are shrubs,” he explains. “They last for many years, don’t require a lot of looking after, and can deliver interesting structure, flowers, berries and autumn leaf colour – and many of them are evergreen, so look good in winter, too.
“The thing about shrubs, though, is many of them will get quite big – from one to two metres in size,” he continues. “So if you put them in a narrow bed, you’ll fairly quickly be having to cut them back frequently, as they’ll overhang the lawn or paths. This destroys the beauty of their natural shape, creates woody holes in the foliage canopy and creates maintenance.
“By having a wider bed to start with, the shrubs can be gently pruned as they reach their mature size every three to five years and be kept looking beautiful,” he says.
Mistake 9: Ignoring the sun
Charlotte finds many people forget to think about the direction their garden faces when planning the space.
Solution
“Knowing the aspect of your garden will help you decide where to put certain things, such as your table for entertaining,” Charlotte says. “You want to maximise the hours of daylight, so there’s no point setting your dining table in an area that won’t catch the sun’s rays.
“This will also help you decide which plants to choose,” she adds. “A Mediterranean planting scheme will not work in a shady garden, and shady plants won’t thrive in a sunny one.”
Charlotte finds many people forget to think about the direction their garden faces when planning the space.
Solution
“Knowing the aspect of your garden will help you decide where to put certain things, such as your table for entertaining,” Charlotte says. “You want to maximise the hours of daylight, so there’s no point setting your dining table in an area that won’t catch the sun’s rays.
“This will also help you decide which plants to choose,” she adds. “A Mediterranean planting scheme will not work in a shady garden, and shady plants won’t thrive in a sunny one.”
Mistake 10: Being too hasty
People often want a tall, screening hedge quickly, so assume they should plant fast-growing trees and shrubs – but Peter recommends you consider your options carefully.
Solution
Think before you choose hedging and don’t just go for a quick fix. “It’s the classic Leylandii hedge error,” Peter says. “Plants that grow fast also grow huge. A Leylandii tree can grow 75cm a year and reach more than 15 metres in height. So, you may get a quick high hedge, but it will be a battle to keep it under control every year.
“Trees that get this big also get very wide and can quickly steal two or three metres from your garden,” he continues. “They’re also very hungry and thirsty and it’s virtually impossible to grow plants close to them, so you quickly end up with bare brown soil and exposed ugly lower trunks and old branches.”
More: How to Swap Your Fence for a Wildlife-friendly Hedge
Tell us…
Which of these tips will you be applying to your own garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
People often want a tall, screening hedge quickly, so assume they should plant fast-growing trees and shrubs – but Peter recommends you consider your options carefully.
Solution
Think before you choose hedging and don’t just go for a quick fix. “It’s the classic Leylandii hedge error,” Peter says. “Plants that grow fast also grow huge. A Leylandii tree can grow 75cm a year and reach more than 15 metres in height. So, you may get a quick high hedge, but it will be a battle to keep it under control every year.
“Trees that get this big also get very wide and can quickly steal two or three metres from your garden,” he continues. “They’re also very hungry and thirsty and it’s virtually impossible to grow plants close to them, so you quickly end up with bare brown soil and exposed ugly lower trunks and old branches.”
More: How to Swap Your Fence for a Wildlife-friendly Hedge
Tell us…
Which of these tips will you be applying to your own garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
“When planning a garden, people often think in terms of garden objects, such as a barbecue or trampoline, rather than standing back and assessing the space as a whole functional unit that needs to flow together,” Peter Reader says.
Solution
“Take a step back and plan your space before you start,” Catherine Rampton says. “Think about how you want to use the garden before you do anything. Do you need an area that can stand up to a football being kicked around, or do you need space for a quiet sit down at the end of the day? If you need both, how are you going to divide the space so the two areas work well?”
Peter recommends thinking about how the space will work in an interconnected way. “While understanding the required functions of a garden is key, it’s very important to think about how these will best fit into the garden in a way that makes sense and flow naturally together,” he says. “I talk to clients about ‘journeys’ or ‘stories’ within the garden, and [having] a layout [where everything] sits comfortably together.”