This is the fifth and last video in the series on ‘How to Lay out a Garden’. Finally, after all the preparation we can select a design for our garden. We look at how to work with shape to achieve a great design that is in the correct proportion and scale.
I have used the following books in the research for this video series:
Alexander, Rosemary. The essential garden design workbook. Second edition (2009)
Brickell, Christopher. Essential Garden Planning & Construction (2006)
Howcroft, Heidi & Majerus, Marianne. Garden Design – A book of Ideas (2015)
Kemp, Edward. How to lay out a Garden Second edition (1858)
Midgley, Kenneth. Garden Design (1984)
Strong, Roy. Creating Small Formal Gardens (1989)
Williams, Robin. The RHS The Garden Designer (2007)
0:31 Intro
1:48 The Books
3:01 Shapes, lines and patterns
4:00 The Circle
4:53 The Square
5:36 Curves
6:01 Grids
7:07 Positive & Negative
7:58 Scale & Proportion
11:39 Grids & Scale
12:10 Interest
12:46 Design Inspiration
13:06 Conclusion
14::06 Thanks & Goodbye
14:43 Quietness of Expression
7 Comments
Thank you for sharing your garden, experiences, and books. The quote at the end was delicious dessert.
Very helpful video! Love this series and can’t wait for the video on hedges.
So very interesting
Re shapes, I think rectangles and oval shapes are more common than squares and circles. The latter are used in formal garden design I think. I also find that most of us are stymied by the fact that we inherit a garden with certain features, and it is difficult to look beyond what you have – it takes more effort and imagination than many of us are capable of.
Oh thanks for sharing some of the points from RosemarAlexander's book that I have been studying for the last few months to design my first garden. Its a very usefull book.
“Quietness of Expression.” Love that quote. It causes me to think about WHY I garden. Indeed, Garden Design seems overwhelming at first, but taken in small bites & with such good instruction & ideas as you have supplied us with in your series, makes it not seem so daunting. Onward to Hedges! (I’m thinking the winter brownness of some of your hedges in your garden are Hawthorne?) Now if the weather would just cooperate a bit. Territorial rains last week. This week, Snow is in our forecast & single digits at night. Burrr…🥶 Please take us along when your weather is nice enough to actually do things in your Gardens. Even though I can’t garden right now, it’s fun to watch others do so…🌿
Morning to the Marcherlands.
Quite a few interesting points you raise.
When we moved in it was very much ground zero.
The big decision was in which direction we wanted to go – formal or informal.
Form follows function…..
A mentioned we spent quite a bit of time working out "focus points" places that would show the garden best from the house) later we put other areas that showed the garden from other vantage points. Eg a pagoda on the main lawn or a elevated pavillion. None of which was in the sightline of any other feature.
We eventually went for a combination.
The initial location was a 1000sq mtrs flat rectangular plot.
We put in all our "out of sight" access routes we kept straight. (easier for barrows etc)
The corners of the plot were curved on ave 3 – 4 mtrs in from the corners (providing extra shrub / seating / composting areas.
We avoided creating cu de sacs – thus you could walk the gardens without retracing your path.
Plant & shrub beds are not deeper than a rake length (where they are deeper – then they are accessible from both sides)
The lawns were laid out with good curves to facilitate using mowers and avoiding corners.
All in all we avoided a "formal" garden as it's a never ending process (tending box hedges rtc etc).
Regarding planting height we have aimed to use height only at the edge of the plot to create depth.
Any trees we gave put in are all at least 3mtrs from the property line and are all allowed to climb but all low limbs trimmed up to 2 mtrs tall creates summer shade and easier maintenance.