Your garden design that is..
If you've been following my Design Your Own Garden course (begun 3rd September under Simply Grow) you may appreciate a reality check!
Here are two important questions -
How much time would you be prepared or able to spend once any major work was done?
1 - 2 hours per week
2 - 4 hours per week
Some evenings and part of most weekends
Most of your spare time
Who would do any major work? You or a contractor?
In the light of your answers to this you may want to modify your plans. As an example - for one client who wanted a Romantic garden but worked full-time and could not afford help, I designed a Romantic Corner and kept the rest very simple; for another who wished he had a bigger garden I opened up the views to the surrounding countryside and managed the boundaries so that the 'borrowed view' appeared to be part of the garden, with no extra work required.
Thinking outside the box is good at this stage. For example you might swap skills with someone who can help you do the work which is physically too demanding for you.
Or perhaps have a beautifully shaped tree which is now blocking a path. You are thinking of pruning the tree, but you might be better moving the path....
Mull over all the possibilities, browse the web, visit or revisit with a more analytical eye gardens you love, ask everyone's opinion (if you are sure you won't be too easily swayed from your own preferences). Ask yourself why you like what you like as well as how can you achieve it.
Think things through. Take your time - a week, a month, a season.
I keep saying take your time, so I'll leave this post up for a few days!
Next post - keeping the dream and getting practical - you need both!
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