Garden Design Inspiration

Designing gardens is exciting, creative and challenging. As a garden designer we have to keep up-to-date, keep our fingers on the pulse, keep things fresh. We read books, magazines, and trawl the internet for imagery the gets our creative juices flowing. We research materials, methods and finishes to inspire our designs. We visit gardens, flower shows and trade show to see, ask, talk and note down new plants, materials and features.

One activity I do is organise garden visits every year for other garden designers. These are private gardens, and the morning is spent walking the space with the designer of that garden. This is an opportunity to ask the designer how they resolved issues, created solutions and overcame challenges. This is the real world of garden design.

Garden designers visit a garden by Marian Boswall

The garden below is a garden designed by Landscape Architect Marian Boswall. There were many take-homes from this visit, as there are with any of our visits.

See some selected images below for more.

Looking paving details, patterns and materials and how they interact visually, particularly after they have weathered, is useful.

Standing inside a garden and understanding the geometry, site lines, vistas and how the layout changes depending on where you are appreciating it from, really allows an understanding of the use of space.

It’s always useful to see different planting combinations in situ and established/establishing. Different plants, different uses, varying conditions on site. All have a take home for our studios.

Its always useful to visit gardens and take photos of features, materials, plant combinations and compositions that catch your eye. When you meet with a designer you will have a good idea as to what you hope and dream for your own garden. If you can’t get out before you start the garden design process, then how about pin some images in a Pinterest board.

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