Guide To Changing Your Garden

So, you are dissatisfied with the garden. You are thinking about getting professional help. Before you do that you need to ask yourself - and answer - these questions (a word document is provided here which you can print) 1. What needs must the garden meet? A place to entertain friends and family? A play space? A place that takes little time to maintain? Anyone in your household with special needs? A place that encourages wild life? Do you have a dog? 2. More specifically, do you want:

	A patio?		A pond or water feature?
	A lawn?		Exterior water and power supply?
	A shed?		A greenhouse?
	A barbecue?		Lighting?
	Containers?		Decking?

3. What style of garden do you want?

	English cottage garden?
	Mediterranean?
	Japanese?
	Modern?
	Formal or informal?

4. Any good/bad views to be emphasised/screened?

5. How much sun do you get, for how long and in which areas?

6. Which existing plants do you want to keep/get rid of?

7. How much do you know about plants and gardening?

8. How much time are you willing and able to spend maintaining the garden?

9. What is your budget?

(A word document containing all these questions is provided here which you can print)

What Style For Your Garden? - A summary of basic garden styles

People expect to find happiness in their gardens. Happiness will come by adding as much beauty and by eliminating as many irritations as possible - Thomas Church, 1902 - 1978, outstanding American landscape architect.

Roger Noakes - Making Life Better...