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The fun planning bit
There’s no need to be too detailed
at this stage, a simple plan will suffice to mark approximate size
and positions of features.
As time goes on you may decide to
have a rose bed or house your National collection of Euphorbias
in a particular place rather than the original idea of a herbaceous
border. You may go for a patio instead of decking, but at least
you will have a good idea of the kinds of things in each area. Think
in terms of the use of the surface of how you will move around the
garden and of vertical height.
Once you have an idea of what goes
where, then prioritize the work. The order to aim for is;
1
-
Hard landscaping - patio / walls / rockery / path
/water feature / decking etc
2
-
Planting
3
-
Turf, laid as carpet up to the edges of 1 and
2.
 If
the time scale is longer, then I suggest that you prioritize
the planting of trees and shrubs (so that they can start growing
away) and laying down a lawn so that at least the garden space
becomes useable.
A lawn becomes essential if you have
children and / or a dog.
But avoid June / July and August if possible to plant trees
or lay a lawn, they will need lots of water and attention if they
are to survive over the summer.
If you are going to pay some one
else to do the work try to avoid the spring and early summer months,
as this is when every-one else wants the work done too. While you
may be looking forwards to a new patio in April, it could well be
into May or even June before you’re able to sit out on it. Try to
get the work done over the winter months so that you can appreciate
it as soon as possible.
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Moving
into a newly built house can pose entirely new opportunities and
challenges of its own for all, from those with luxuriant
green fingers to those with fingers the same colour as when they
were born.
Imagine
a JCB driving over wet ground, squashing in everything from nails
and bricks to cement bags and wheelbarrows (I know some-one who
dug an intact one up once) and leaving large ruts.