Ideas
Hi CAT101, before you get someone to draw a plan for you, it is always good to do a bit of research yourself. If you get a professional landscaper in, you may end up with a beautiful garden that never really feels like it is yours.
A good idea is to make lists:
!. who lives in the house?
Do you need space for animals, football, sandpit,bikes, rollerblades etc.
Do you like mowing grass,
do you like evergreen trees or do you prefer native deciduous ones
Would you like a vegetable garden, a herb garden, a poly tunnel, a pond
Are you people who like to work in the garden or just like to look at it.
Do you need a patio, or decking, or a barbeque area.
Do you prefer to dry clothes on a line or a whirly thingy(can't remember what it is called)
All of the answers to the above will give you an idea of what you want/need.
Next look at the garden at different times of the day.
Where does the sun rise?
Where is the warmest place in the afternoon. This is usually when we get a chance to sit out.
Is there a part of the garden that is permanently shady. This will influence the type of plants you put here.
Is there a breezy part, wind whipping around a corner. This may be where you plant shrubs/trees as a wind-break.
Gardens are functional too. Where is your oil tank, your fuel store, the wheelie bins. Can you choose an area and screen off with a trellis that can have climbers planted eg clematis, wisteria, jasmine, honeysuckle.
When you have worked through all of this and probably many more questions, you will begin to form a picture of your needs, the orientation of the garden, fixed structures etc. Some will dictate for youeg oil tank (expensive to move) and the break up of the garden may become clearer.
You may want the play area near the house where you can keep an eye on the little ones, whereas vegetables will grow quite happily out of your line of vision.
Hope this is helpful. At least if/when you get a garden planner you will have a lot of the 'spade work' done (pardon the pun!)
Eibhlin.
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