Style in your garden - written by Debby Lockey

How to bring STYLE to your garden! - written by Debby Lockey

Summer has arrived and I’ve been out in the garden checking which plants are growing well, where there are any gaps and generally taking stock of how the garden is progressing.  This usually results in a trip to the local garden centre to see what can be added to the general planting and design of my garden.  The choices are invariably immense and deciding what to buy becomes very hard as I would like everything.   So how do you choose the right plant or piece of furniture so the garden doesn’t become chaotic and busy, but instead induces calm and relaxation?  By knowing your own style and buying accordingly. 

There are lots of garden styles that can act as inspiration. You may want to create a sense of order in the garden and are therefore drawn to formal gardens, which usually have a central axis (maybe a path, or a rill) around which the garden is laid out in a symmetrical pattern.  Clipped hedges and topiary dominate.  At the other end of the scale, passionate gardeners may prefer the Cottage Garden.  Here the plants dominate and are allowed to self seed.  Vegetables, flowers and fruit all grow together with the emphasis on the garden looking natural rather than designed. Alternatively gardening may be the last thing you want to do in your garden, in which case a more contemporary garden could be the style you want.  In this garden hard landscaping in modern materials such as glass, steel and concrete would dominate, with architectural plants or group plantings of one type of plant being restrained within containers or defined boarders.

By identifying which style of garden appeals to you, you will be more confident when choosing plants and hard landscaping as you will know which ‘look’ you are trying to create.  And then going to a garden centre becomes much easier.

Happy gardening!

Debby Lockey

www.debbylockeygardendesign.co.uk

Debby Lockey has been working as a garden designer for 4 years in and around the New Forest National Park.
 
Debby has always been interested in enhancing the environment and took an honours degree in Environmental Science, where she specialized in soil composition.
 
Initially she worked in publishing, designing and producing books. After a career break to look after her children, Debby decided to combine her skills of design and understanding of the environment. She completed a diploma in garden design with the KLC school of design at Chelsea, which she passed with honours.
  
To help with this communication of ideas, Debby will initially produce a rough plan that can be amended, and final plans rendered in water colours.

She also draws perspective diagrams, axonometric plans, and elevations so the clients can envisage how the finished garden will look.

Debby is happy to create any kind of design and her work ranges from contemporary to traditional garden designs.

Click on the banner above to go to Debby's website!