How to design a landscaping plan

When designing a landscape plan, it's important to consider your preferences and priorities. Every person has a unique idea of what makes a perfect garden, so it's essential to identify your must-haves first. For some, growing fresh fruit and vegetables may be important. Others might want a dedicated area for family entertainment. We call these areas “zones”.

To help get you started, a handy zone guide is as follows – a zone to grow in, a zone to rest in, a zone to eat in, and a zone to play in. This could include a barbecue area, a playground, an entertainment space, a grassed area, water features, or anything else that may be important to you. Define which zones suit your lifestyle and jot them down.

Once you’ve identified your ideal zones, it’s time to assess the conditions and features of your garden. This will help determine where each zone will be. Take note of the features in your garden that you will need to design around, such as a shed, clothesline, and trees. You should also note other conditions, such as where the sun rises and sets on your property, where neighbors are located, wind direction, and any potential road noise.

It’s helpful to think of landscaping zones like rooms on a floor plan. Just like your home, you want to have a good idea of how your outdoor space will flow so that it feels functional and inviting. For example, consider if you need to add a pathway from the veranda to the pool, or whether you need tall trees to block out the sight of nearby powerlines. Factoring in design elements like these will help you to landscape your dream garden.

Selecting the right ground cover for each area of your garden is essential for creating a diverse and practical landscape. There are plenty of options available to you. You may want to consider using grass, mulch, decking, pebbles, pavers, or artificial turf.

Weigh up how different textures and colours will interact in the space and how they fit the aesthetic of your garden. Importantly, think about functionality when selecting ground cover. For example, choosing kids play mulch ensures play areas are safe and comfortable. Meanwhile, grass is perfect for creating a space for children and pets to enjoy. Pavers, decking, or concrete can be well-suited to entertainment areas, particularly if you plan to use flammable equipment such as barbecues, fire pits, or pizza ovens.

When designing your garden, you can create depth and variety with a deliberate selection of greenery. By utilising the natural elements of the surrounding landscape, you can create a garden that feels larger and more diverse. This technique is known as ‘borrowed landscape’ and is inspired by traditional East Asian garden design.

Assess the features already present in your outdoor space. If you have an interesting view or nearby trees, consider ‘borrowing’ these elements for your garden design. With some planning, you can incorporate the surrounding nature to create an outdoor space that feels as if it expands beyond the boundaries of your garden. To create depth and texture, place taller plants at the back of the garden, medium-sized plants in the middle, and shorter plants towards the front.

With this concept in mind, consider the height the trees or plants will eventually grow to and how they will serve your garden. For instance, they could offer additional privacy, or obscure unsightly powerlines.

Creating a flourishing and well-designed garden is all about paying attention to the details. One of the most important factors to consider is water drainage and irrigation systems. By ensuring that your garden has proper drainage and irrigation, you can help your plants and trees to grow healthy and strong.

Make sure that your garden is appropriately graded so that water can easily flow away from the plants. This will prevent excess water from pooling and causing root rot. Irrigation systems help reduce garden maintenance as they keep your plants watered so they can thrive all year round. Installing rain catchments and grey water tanks to collect excess water are also effective tools to ease the pressure of watering your garden.

For your plants to thrive in your garden, you need to think about the weather conditions, local climate, soil quality, and the level of maintenance you’re willing to commit to. Consider the unique conditions of your outdoor space to understand how much sun and shade your garden gets.

For low maintenance options, perennials and evergreen trees are fantastic as they provide colour all year long and require minimal upkeep. For households with kids or pets, opt for non-toxic and hardy plants such as spider plants or camellias. For keen cooks and foodies, vegie patches and herb gardens are great options.

If you’re looking for a garden that changes with the seasons, consider planting a few deciduous trees. They offer spectacular autumnal leaves and valuable shade in the summer months. And after shedding their leaves in the winter, the sun can shine through the bare tree, warming and brightening your home.

Feature areas are a great way to add eye-catching variety to your landscape design. With many different features to be inspired by, you can choose an option to fit your aesthetic and budget.

Consider including a secret hideaway bench to read your favourite book and enjoy a cup of tea, or a fountain to add a calming ambiance. And with a bigger budget, consider a pool or spa to entertain you and your guests. Whatever your budget, these features are a great way to enhance your backyard experience, as well as increasing the value of your property.