Having a garden that is an unusual or awkward shape can often feel like a nightmare to deal with. Actually though, an awkward shape garden often as not is a blessing because it enables you to come up with a design that is very unique, that you wouldn't have been able to do in a regular rectangular shape garden. So how do you transform an awkward shape … [Read more...] about Awkward shaped garden design solutions – Case study
Garden Design Courses
Front garden design makeover – Case study
Front gardens can be difficult to get right because often as not, they have to be functional, to accommodate the car and driveway or utility area for bins. Just because a driveway is there, it doesn't mean to say that the area should not be treated as a garden and be made to look beautiful. So how do you go about making a practical space a beautiful one? Step 1 … [Read more...] about Front garden design makeover – Case study
Changing a ‘nice enough’ garden that isn’t nice enough!
A few years back, a friend of mine asked me to redesign the garden of a house she'd just bought. I was happy to help as I could see there was lots of room for improvement. Her family were all keen gardeners, and by the look on their faces, they were somewhat aghast at her getting a garden designer in! The garden was perfectly 'nice enough' as it was, surely? It only needed a … [Read more...] about Changing a ‘nice enough’ garden that isn’t nice enough!
Power of THREE: Useful Tips from Garden Designers…
So, as the saying goes; 'Three's a crowd' well, not in my book, and not in the eyes of most other designers. For, ever since the beginning of time, we have understood the power of groupings of three (well, ok, slight exaggeration perhaps, but you get my drift!). It is the secret weapon of designers the world over. Stop. Take a look. And you will see. The Power of … [Read more...] about Power of THREE: Useful Tips from Garden Designers…
Trisha’s 1st Garden Plan – design case study
The conversation started like this: "Hi Rachel!!! I'm so lucky to have found you! You have such a knack for teaching the RIGHT information, quickly and in the right way. It's clicking immediately (you should see the garden I designed for my cousin, just after watching the free videos... Imagine what I'll be able to do after taking your courses)." As you can imagine, this … [Read more...] about Trisha’s 1st Garden Plan – design case study
Garden Case Study – ‘Blank Canvas’ Backyard Transformation (SGD student)
In the last garden case study, we featured a small front garden makeover, a reader had created after watching the Garden Design Workshop. The garden we're looking at today is from a Great Garden Formula course student called Ingrid, living in Ontario, Canada. Ingrid started her garden just 2 years ago, with NO previous design experience of any kind. She had created … [Read more...] about Garden Case Study – ‘Blank Canvas’ Backyard Transformation (SGD student)
Front Garden Makeover – SGD Reader’s Plans
I get so excited when people send me photographs of what they've done in their garden from what they've learned here at Successful Garden Design. So I'm thrilled to be able to share with you a really simple front garden makeover that one of our readers is in the process of doing. So these are the plans that Nicole, from Washington DC, has drawn up after watching just the … [Read more...] about Front Garden Makeover – SGD Reader’s Plans
Large square garden makeover – Case study
Square gardens can be a little bit tricky to design, because you can see everything in one go, which often makes them quite boring to look at. So, how do you design your garden if it's a boring square shape? Good question, glad you asked! If the garden is large enough, you can often divide the space up and make an interesting side area alongside the main lawn. This breaks up … [Read more...] about Large square garden makeover – Case study
Transforming a bland square shape back garden – Case study
Like a lot of gardens, the garden featured in this month's case study was a fairly typical one. It consisted mainly of just lawn with a few plants dotted around and a shed. So, if the majority of your garden is lawn, how do you make it more interesting? Step 1 Create a lawn shape that is simple, yet creates interest and utilises the space well. Step 2 Add some height … [Read more...] about Transforming a bland square shape back garden – Case study
L-shape garden design – Case study
L-shaped gardens can be difficult to deal with because one section is often quite narrow and leads into a larger area. To make the best use of the available space, it's important to bear the following things in mind… Step 1 Decide if you want to create two separate spaces or one continuous garden. You have the choice with an L-shape garden, you can either separate the areas … [Read more...] about L-shape garden design – Case study