A new-build garden provides the opportunity to plan your planting borders from scratch and put your own stamp on the space.
The style of garden you prefer will have an influence on the shape of your borders. Straight borders can look sleek and streamlined in a contemporary space, while curved borders will add a more informal, organic feel.
If you’re going for a curved border, it’s a good idea to mark out the shape with a hose pipe; if your borders are going to be straight, use string and wooden pegs.
Mark out the edge with a garden hoe tool, then use a spade to lift the turf that’s covering your border.
When the earth is free of grass, dig in some organic matter in the form of well-rotted compost to prepare the soil for planting.
For a planting scheme that looks good all year, it pays to include some evergreen shrubs. Larger shrubs will form a structure at the back and middle of your borders, while smaller plants can give shape to the front.
Try boxus balls for a formal look, viburnum or buddleja for bee-friendly flowers, or daphne for a sweet aroma.
Taller shrubs will give some interest to the back of your border and will help to create privacy in your garden.
Trees are a great thing to have in your outside space, even in a small plot. Fruit trees like cherry, pear and apple are covered with pretty blossom in the spring, and you can find varieties in different sizes depending on the dimensions of your garden.
At the back of your border, you could also grow climbing plants, which will cover the fence to provide a gorgeous backdrop to your garden. Jasmine and honeysuckle are good if you’re looking for a sweet-smelling climber, or there are infinite varieties of clematis to choose from.
Make sure you give your climbing plant something to grow along, by nailing a trellis to your garden fence.
Among the shrubs you can plant perennials – these are plants that flower for a certain amount of time every year, then die down and grow again even stronger the following year.
When choosing perennials, consider the aspect of your garden and whether it gets a lot of sun, or is in the shade. There are perennials for every position, so you should be able to find the perfect ones for your space.
You could have a border that finishes naturally at the edge of the lawn with no adornments apart from some low growing plants – or you could add a decorative finish such as a traditional log roll, which is made from a line of half logs along a curved or straight edge.
Alternatively lay bricks facing outwards along the rim to build up a flat, even pattern. If your borders are straight you could use railway sleepers to mark out the edge, and fill your soil higher than the lawn.
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