Why get a Garden Design?

Your property outside the house is as much part of your home as the building itself, so it makes sense to treat it with as much respect as the inside. The backyard really could be a purposefully thought out living space that directly integrates with the rest of the home.  Every part of the home landscape should have some purpose for you, whether it be entertaining, resting, working, playing or presentation.

It doesn’t have to be a fancy showcase garden. It can be an attractive low maintenance garden that is designed to meet your specific needs and lifestyle.

Some key aspects that would benefit from a well thought out garden design include:

Appearance of the garden

At the very least, you are likely to be able to see your landscape through windows from inside.  You will also notice it when you leave and return home.  Improving these views will make you feel better about your home environment.  They are no less important than the décor and furnishings inside.  You also want a reason to go outside to take advantage of a nice day. You won’t be so likely to be drawn outside with a cup of tea if there is no obvious, attractive spot to sit.  It makes sense to surround the built part of your home with a landscape that is nice to look at and to be in.

Functionality of your landscape

Apart from looking nice, your landscape should be purposeful and integrate with the rest of the home. You might need a storage shed, a washing line, a veggie garden or a cubby house.  You will also need convenient access routes to these places and other parts of the garden.  If things are just ‘plonked’ around the back yard without thoughtful placement, you end up with wasted space and inefficiencies that can waste your time.  Creating different zones can cater specifically to your varying needs.  A stimulating garden space for children’s play or a well organised productive area for growing vegetables or a convenient and effective place to hang out the washing can be quite distinct landscaped spaces.  They can also be arranged to relate to each other.  Children can be involved with the veggie growing or perhaps a herb garden would be perfect around the clothesline.

Living space

Creating an attractive and functional outdoor living space is an inexpensive way of extending your house.  This could consist of some decking or paving directly outside the back door. It may include a humble barbecue, or it could have a more elaborate outdoor kitchen.  By simply defining a nice space in the garden, with somewhere to sit, you create a garden room.  Even just placing a garden bench with a small café table beneath a shady tree can be as effective as a extending another room to your house.

Sustainable living

Having space around your house allows you to provide features that will help to protect you from destructive natural elements.  By thinking about the orientation of your home, you can design structures and garden plantings that will strategically provide shade and shelter that will make life more comfortable and reduce fuel bills.  The very presence of having plenty of green plants reduces the amount of heat radiation compared to the hard surfaces of building materials.  Growing food or encouraging wildlife is not only rewarding by contributes to having a softer environmental impact.  A sustainable garden is also one that is low maintenance.  A well-designed garden performs well while making fewer demands on your time and resources.

Value of the home

It has been well documented that a well-designed and presented garden increases the value of your home. This not only in monetary terms, but green places have been demonstrated to aid in people’s health and wellbeing.  Whether you are expecting to sell, or you are establishing a long-term family home, investing in the landscape is sure to be rewarding to your lifestyle and your pocket.