![[DESIGN SHOW 5] – Modern Landscape Design Ideas](https://149359669.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/DESIGNSHOW5covNEW.jpg)
Modern Garden Landscape Plan Ideas
In this episode, Rachel will share the secrets of creating a modern style garden. She will discuss how to use the “Less is more” method to get that modern style.
Also, she will give a detailed advice on how to create the illusion of a longer garden by using design tricks that can make your garden look wider than it really is. She will show you how you can successfully mix hardwood decking with natural stone paving. The video will also cover how to use rendered block walls and includes tips for incorporating a modern water feature and seating area.
There are also tips on where to place the lightings around your garden to create a cozy environment.
What Would You Like to See Covered in Future Shows?
I’d love to get your ideas for future shows so that this can be as beneficial to you as possible. Leave a comment me know what topics you’d like me to delve into in future episodes in the comment boxes below?
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38 replies to "[DESIGN SHOW 5] – Modern Landscape Design Ideas"
To answer your question why did you not make the depth of the lawn on the left side and line it up with the planter, so that the the lawn is going to feel longer and create more depth and appear longer since the whole garden is wide. You made the garden feel longer from bottom to top when the garden was divided in two (lawn and decking). By making one side longer (in this example the lawn), it created an illusion the garden is not wide as if the end of the deck lines up with the end of the lawn.
You didn’t line up the back edge to give the illusion the garden was deeper. The lines in the deck would make the garden longer on that side, the grass would not have the same effect.
By making the two areas staggered it prevents a visual full stop. A visual full stop would have make the garden seem smaller, a staggered line helps increase the sense of depth.
A staggered edge prevents a visual full stop, thereby increasing the sense of depth on the garden
Hi Rachel!
To answer the question: I agree with all the others up top but I’d add that you also need the extra grass space to help balance out the proportions of the hard scape.
Suggestion for future episodes: Ideas/tricks and helpful hints in picking and placing of focal points in the garden. How to know when a statue, plant or water feature would be best to use and sighting it properly. 🙂
Hi Eileen, thanks so much for your suggestion – I will indeed do an episode on how to pick and place focal points 🙂
Hi Rachel,
Thanks so much for sharing your valuable creative insights – you’ve taught me stacks.
In answer to the question – by retaining two distinctive shapes (basically two squares) rather than joining the two squares to create a rectangle you have created depth to the garden. A rectangle would have accentuated the width of an already wide garden.
In addition to retaining the all important shapes, some the seating area is presented with added intrigue in that part of the garden is hidden from sight. Children have the added bit of grass to play on!!
Hi Rachel,
great video! I really enjoyed it and got lot of tips out of it. For the future I’d like to see something about frontgardens or theme gardens. I’m very much interested in Japanese Garden style.
Hi Fadja,
Thank you for your suggestions – the very next Garden Design Show episode will feature front gardens. I’m rarely asked to do Japanese garden style, so I don’t know much about them but I will keep a look out on my travels and see if I can find some suitable gardens to feature.
I’m a garden newbie, stumbled across your webpage by chance, thanks to google, and have just watched all 5 online shows! We have moved into a house with a wonderful garden space that needs work and I need to learn fast!! My answer to the question will therefore be in layman’s terms … I’m guessing one solid line across the back would accentuate the width, whereas with a staggered line you lessen the visual emphasis on width in the garden, which was one of the aims.
As for future shows: despite having a large garden there isn’t a level space for a table and chairs, so a patio or deck area is needed, and levels are a big problem. Thanks to your shows this garden virgin has already learnt that the design is key!!
Hi Sally,
Welcome along, glad Google helped you get here. You watched all 5 episodes in one go – gosh, that deserves an award! 😉
Really pleased you are fining the Garden Design Show useful. I will tackle level changes in future episodes, and larger gardens as it’s been asked for a few times, so stay tuned!
Has it to do with the way the decking is running? The decking side takes your eye further than the solid grass space does, so therefore you lengthen the grass side? (probably wrong!)
Rachel, could you "delve" into the topic of retaining walls? (i.e. between the patio and the rest of garden) and what can be done to avoid having a boggy border/patch below the wall (because of water run-off)? Thank you.
I think the reason for extending the grassed area at the back is, as you said in the video, "if you can't see everything at once, the brain is tricked into thinking that there must be more around the corner." From the decking seats, the phyllostachys stems would reveal glimpses of the planting beyond, thus creating the illusion of a greater depth of garden. If the grass area followed the line created by the decking, all the planting along the back fence would be immediately visible from the decking enhancing the width of the garden at the expense of the depth.
Great answer Caro – you'll get to find out in next week's Garden Design Show if you're right! 😉
Hi Alison – certainly, I can do an episode on retaining walls – thanks for the suggestion!
You can find out in next week's Garden Design Show!
Great design and very clear guidence. Most gardens are enclosed. Could you
perhaps show modern gardens with a view on a great landscape at the end of
the garden? How can one solve view and privacy in these kind of designs?
Hi Ramon,
Thanks for your comment – I’m trying to think if I have any gardens like that. Can’t think of any off the top of my head but if one comes up I will feature it in a future show. When you have a landscape view beyond, it’s important to try and tie it in with design of the garden, so curved shapes and lines usually work better than straight lines for that.
Thanks Ramon, I will try to find some gardens that are less enclosed and I’ll let you know when I come across one to feature in the show.
Great design and very clear guidence. Most gardens are enclosed. Could you perhaps show modern gardens with a view on a great landscape at the end of the garden? How can one solve view and privacy in these kind of designs?
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+baljeet ahluwalia Thank you for your support 🙂
these gardening design ideas are great Rachel thankyou, i dont know the
answer to any of your questions yet sorry …lol im intending to create a
miniature orchard design type garden that has human health benefits good
air quality,skin healing qualities,etc.i only have a small space to work
with and so these videos you do are the BEST :)..ive subscribed.and
hopefuly ill see more og you @twitter,facebook google etc thanks again 🙂
Hi Jaymie – you are very welcome, glad you are finding them helpful. Sounds like your garden will be great when it’s done – keep us posted on how you get on. Hope that you’ll find plenty of ideas on the Successful Garden Design blog. I must admit, I’m awful at being on Twitter, FB is definitely the better option!
these gardening design ideas are great Rachel thankyou, i dont know the answer to any of your questions yet sorry …lol im intending to create a miniature orchard design type garden that has human health benefits good air quality,skin healing qualities,etc.i only have a small space to work with and so these videos you do are the BEST :)..ive subscribed.and hopefuly ill see more og you @twitter,facebook google etc thanks again 🙂
Hi Jaymie – you are very welcome, glad you are finding them helpful. Sounds like your garden will be great when it's done – keep us posted on how you get on. Hope that you'll find plenty of ideas on the Successful Garden Design blog. I must admit, I'm awful at being on Twitter, FB is definitely the better option!
How do i take your classes online.
+Robbie Tullos Thank you for your interest in our online Garden Design Courses. You can purchase them here https://www.successfulgardendesign.com/courses/. I hope you will enjoy them 🙂
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l’m loving these videos and I’ve done your online courses. I would love to see something about privacy for overlooked gardens, particularly around pleached trees, willow, privacy screens etc where there are restrictions on new build estates around raising the fencing height. Also creating a semi formal garden in a contemporary style and if you could recommend some good structural plants with evergreen colour (I’m using Photinia Pink Marble) & focal points, water features etc.
Thanks, Caroline, glad you’re enjoying the videos. Thanks for your suggestions, I’ve added them to my list. In the meantime, I have written an article about privacy screening that might be of help: https://www.successfulgardendesign.com/garden-privacy-screening-the-neighbours/
Hi Rachel – would love to see the finished design taken with an aerial shot and as seen from the house. Would it be possible to do this in another post? There are several things I would have done differently but I dont know all the facts and I’d probably change my mind 🙂