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Design Inspiration

One of the main reasons I am called in to design a garden is because the client doesn’t know where to start. Unlike a room, which is a defined space into which furniture can be placed and walls and ceilings can be decorated, the garden seems to have no limits. There is sky above and trees can grow to exceptional heights. Erecting some kind of boundary, and adding some furniture can help, but then there is still the rest of the garden to contend with.

One approach that can help in creating a garden is to produce a concept, a theme or a style. A concept garden develops around an idea. An example on the design course I took was a garden by Topher Delaney who was asked to design a garden around a client’s recent divorce. Other, rather happier ideas could be a poem, a piece of music or words such as peace, or joy.

The hard landscaping materials, colours, plants and shapes are chosen to reflect this concept. For example if the concept was to create a peaceful garden you may choose to plant a few trees in a lawn as green is considered a peaceful colour. Scented flowers in soft pastels would enhance the feeling, as would flowers that attract insects. The droning of bees can be very soporific. Any materials used in the garden for furniture or hard landscaping needs to blend with the environment rather than jar. Paths could meander lazily around the garden, maybe ending near a water feature that gently splashes into a clear pool. Because everyone’s interpretation of an idea is different concept gardens are unique.

Alternatively, you could choose a theme or style which runs throughout the garden. An example of a theme that is very popular at the moment because of the drier summers is the Mediterranean garden. Other styles/ themes could be the cottage garden, minimalist garden, water garden, or, in Lymington because we are close to the sea, a sea side garden. By choosing a theme many of the decisions regarding plants and hard landscaping almost make themselves which makes it easier to implement the garden.

Recently I designed and produced a seaside garden for one of my clients. They live very close to the sea so it was an ideal choice of style, as this theme links well with the surrounding environment. Naturally the hard landscaping materials would be rocks, stones, wood and rusty metal because they are associated with the materials present at the coast.

The plants were chosen for several reasons. They were either maritime plants e.g. thrift; they had names linked to the sea e.g. sea holly; or they represented the sea in some way. In the latter case grasses were planted because they often grow by the sea, and they have movement and openness like waves. And Festuca and lavender were chosen for their blue colour. However one underlying fact all the plants had in common was their ability to cope with the harsh coastal environment.

The seaside theme was continued in the choice of accessories. A fantastic metal fish was hung on the back wall of the garden, ropes coiled around stones, and metal birds pecked amongst the pebbles.

(Before (left) and After (right) shows the effectiveness of a themed garden, using a combination of maritime plants and nautical accessories a successful seaside garden is produced)

Concept and theme gardens are a great way of letting your imagination go wild while still remaining focussed on an idea. The final result should lead to a harmonious garden because every object is related to a central idea. So next time you look at your garden, instead of wondering where to start, start wondering about an idea and see where it takes you.

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!