Traditional Gardens by Roger Platts

Where to start? When designing a garden, whether from scratch or working with an established garden, it is necessary to prioritise requirements. These are dictated usually by location, budget and practical considerations such as purpose: ‘what is the garden to be used for?

‘…My advice when planning a traditional garden is always to keep the layout simple and do not let the design be driven by the need to include a specific feature…’

‘…You will see throughout this book that in my designs, plants dominate the gardens. However, underneath the soft green living exterior should be a strong supporting structure...’

‘…It is true that planting can cover up mistakes, unsightly materials or structures but poor design or construction normally shows through in the end and it is better to get the right structure in place from the start and only then rely on the plants to do their best for you…’

‘…At the layout stage budget is not a major factor as it does not necessarily cost more to build a garden with a pleasing layout than it does to create one lacking balance and unity…’

‘…My own appreciation of garden design started from the need to create appropriate areas to grow the wide range of plants that would look good together. [But] however successful you may be with plant combinations and plant cultivation, if the supporting layout and structure are not in balance with the surroundings, the garden will never feel quite right…’

‘…Often a small adjustment to existing layouts can make huge improvements with relatively small cost. Look for these opportunities first, especially when making improvements to an existing garden. Be bold with sweeping and exaggerated curves. This gives more depth and interest and sometimes even mystery to the garden…’

‘…I try wherever possible to use local materials that are in keeping with the house and surrounding properties. Try to avoid using many different materials, which can result in making the garden over-fussy and do not create a sense of continuity...’

‘…The mix of deciduous and evergreen is important to ensure interest in a garden all year round…’