This is only the second garden I’ve ever designed and its a big learning curve. The thing I’ve found with designing gardens is that it can be really overwhelming. Gardens are multi-functional spaces, there is a lot to consider and so many ways you could take it. So rather than looking at the space as a whole, I’ve broken it down into zones, and even within those zones I’ve broken it down again.
This has allowed me to focus and get really clear on what I want from each area and its made it all so much more manageable. These are our four garden zones:
1. Vegetable Garden
2. Entertainment Area
3. Girls Garden
4. Utility Area
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN
So let’s start with the smallest area and definitely the easiest to tackle; two raised garden beds surrounded by gravel. Made even easier by the fact that my father in law made and installed the raised beds for us. Thank you TJ!
The only other addition to this space will be a fruit salad tree in the garden bed we’ve created beside the two raised beds. Have you heard of these tress? Basically we’ll have a lemon and lime tree all in one, how cool is that!
THE ENTERTAINMENT AREA
This area is by far the biggest one to tackle, and because of this I’ve broken it down into more zones; dining, BBQ area, relaxing and planting. This is the main area of our garden so is definitely were we’ve invested our time, money and energy.
I’ll go into the design of this area in another post as there is a lot going on and so much I want to share, but for now here is my concept mood board for this area.
Sources [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]
THE GIRLS GARDEN
If I’m honest I’ve only recently designed this space, it was going to be a patch of grass with a couple of plants until about two weeks ago. All of my attention has gone into the entertainment space, but now that space is well under way I just couldn’t help myself.
Having a small garden I want to utilise every inch of it, and having a patch of grass is a bit of a waste when land is at a premium. So I set about creating a fun and kid specific area the girls will love.
Again I have broken this area down into different zones; play house/cafe, chalkboard area and trampoline, all set along a winding path with planting throughout. I want to give this area a sense of secrecy and fun.
Sources [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
THE UTILITY AREA
The least interesting, but definitely necessary. This area is where we hang our laundry, keep our bins and store all kinds of stuff; from garden supplies to tools and paint.
I’d planned from the very beginning on this area being a dedicated utility space, and when we had our air-con installed I made sure that all of the external units where placed in this area too.
Having a dedicated zone for all of this stuff is so satisfying. I love having a place to keep all the stuff no one needs to see.
So that’s it, easy as that (insert lol here), but hopefully I’ve demonstrated to you how breaking it up and working on your concept for each area will help you design and ultimately build the garden of your dreams.
Good luck!
