Gardens planning begins with an inventory analysis. You must be Garden Design aware of the values and disadvantages of your gardens. First assess the good views in the garden – of a natural area, of a hill or a lake – mark on a map any views that you think are of value. Also mark important views – from the gardens terrace, from the living room in the house or any other place that is often used. Also assess bad prospects that should be screened off in gardens remodeling.

The first and most important aspect of gardens planning is functionality.

The garden plan should be made according to the functional zones of the territory. So, the first task is to divide the garden into functional zones.

Every garden has a representative zone. It usually includes the front yard and is located at the main entrance where the first glimpses of the property are as one approaches it. The representative zone has a decorative meaning – it should be attractive all year round. Therefore, in the representative area, evergreen plants are often used, plants that have a beautiful silhouette, decorative leaves, as well as annual flowers in summer. It is also recommended to place special decorative art items in the representative zone of the garden.

Which is most often used in the warm season

The recreation zone is a garden area that is most often used in the warm season. There may be a garden patio or gazebo, as well as a larger lawn area for outdoor activities and recreational equipment. If a swimming pool is provided, it will also be placed in the Garden Design recreation area. The local recreation area can be converted into a quiet and active zone. The relaxation zone is intended for relaxation, eating and resting, but the active zone can be designed for various sports activities – it can also include some sports fields. In the recreation area, such plants are planned that have a long flowering period and are especially decorative in the warm season. Some fragrant plants can be projected near the terrace or gazebo.

It should be a sunny place

If the garden is used by children, then a children’s playground will be one of the functional zones of the garden. The playground should be placed in such a part of a garden that can be supervised by adults from a place where they spend most of their time. It should be a sunny place, but there should also be shade in the hot season. The children’s playground is often suitable for children up to 6 years and for children from 7 – 14 years. There are different activities and different types of play equipment for these age groups. The playground can be themed or dedicated to specific activities – fantasy games, adventures, gymnastics, water therapy, etc. Choose the plants in the playground carefully – be careful to avoid poisonous plants and plants with thorns.

functional zone

Another important functional zone is the household area. It is a place where you can build a compost heap, barn or greenhouse where a dog can be kept and some building materials can be stored. It used to be a tradition to shield the household area from the rest of the garden, but these days it is often left open and designed to look appealing.

Don’t move elements from one zone to another zone – this is the basic tip to form a logical garden layout.

2. The second important aspect of a garden project is the ecological aspect.

Carefully assess the natural values of your site – do not rush trees and shrubs and eliminate natural biotopes. A natural meadow, wetland, river bank, or forest floor cover can be far more valuable than artificially created plantings.

Plants with opposing ecological needs cannot be planted densely.

3. The third important aspect of planning is the visual aspect

i.e. the artistic design of the garden – what will it look like in concrete terms? The garden composition, like any kind of art, must be harmonious, based on a good choice of proportions. Garden style can be more natural – suitable for landscapes, larger gardens and more natural environments.

4. For sites of great historical value

It is important to consider the historical aspect and the garden must be planned according to the historical style of the buildings.

5. Symbolic

Aspects of planning can be important in gardens with symbolic meaning.

6. The psychological aspect is very important in all gardens.

There are various environmental factors that affect our perception of the garden (e.g., vastness, complexity, mystery, flexibility, uniqueness, light, colors, contrasts, materials, etc.) and they should be tailored to the optimal level of garden users when creating a garden design. The optimal level is not the same for everyone – everyone has a different optimal level for each environmental factor.