THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A PLANTING PLAN

Planting plans and designs to transform your space

There are many ways to make your garden an attractive and inviting space to be, but we know that a lot of people are unsure of how to start. A good first step would be to create a planting plan.

As experts in landscaping, gardening and planting, we’ve learnt that hard landscaping provides a structure for your garden, but that garden plants bring the design and the garden to life.

We are often asked to design low maintenance gardens, by which clients mean gardens with very few plants. However, this doesn’t have to be the case as we can incorporate a lot of plants that require little maintenance. In fact, a wide range of plants is beneficial as it will ensure a sufficient amount of ground cover.

We want all our customers to invest in plants as there is nothing better than spending time in a garden filled with unique and beautiful varieties of plants. It is also a great way to add interest, colour, height, scent, softness and volume to any garden.

Another reason we encourage people to invest in plants for their gardens is that they help to create more reason to go outside. A beautiful garden encourages us to enjoy the wildlife and the colours and do some simple gardening jobs, which is both exercise and a therapeutic way to spend some time.

Planning your planting design

Before buying any plants, we suggest that you check your garden for sunlight and shade, whether the soil is well drained or waterlogged, what the pH of the soil is and whether your garden is sheltered or exposed to wind.

Only then will you be able to choose the best plants for your garden: shade-loving plants for sheltered areas, sun-loving varieties for warm spots, drought-resistant plants for drier areas (which may be either sunny or shaded), or plants for specific garden designs: whether coastal, Japanese, cottage, wildflower, modern, or traditional English. It is a good idea to choose an overall style for the garden and to stick with it. When you begin your design project, it is good to make a simple drawing of the design to help visualize your concept.

When choosing plants, you should pay attention to the flowering time; planting perennials with different flowering times close together will create a garden that blooms all season long.

Also think about a colour scheme when choosing plants as the right colours are one way to maintain the harmony of your garden. Imagine the colour of the flowers blooming. Some colours may clash with others, but they can still be planted side-by-side if they have a different blooming season. The colour of the leaves is also important in planning your design. Many plants have beautiful silver, grey or purplish foliage that is as attractive as the flowers and is an additional feature.

Before planting, place the plants around the flower bed in pots to see how they will look. Grouping plants in sets of threes or fives usually looks better than planting them in groups of even numbers.

Make sure you have an interesting combination of plant colours, heights and textures. Tall plants should be positioned at the back or in the centre surrounded by smaller varieties.
When planting plants, it is essential to remember to follow the instructions on the label. Always buy plants that will thrive in the conditions in which you intend to grow them. You can also check lots of information regarding plants on ‘Gardeners’ World’ or ‘Royal Horticultural Society’ websites.

Why choose our planting plan and design service?

If you plan to have a complete garden design or want to refresh part of your garden, we will be happy to do this for you. Whether your back or front yards, and whether you need advice or a full garden plan, just give us a call.

We also offer quick and convenient online garden design services, take a look!

Our designer will choose plants suitable for your garden design and existing conditions (soil type, sun exposure, etc.) and provide you with a list of plants, numbers, and sizes. They will also include a copy of the design and a simple maintenance guide to help you look after the plants.

This final design will be discussed with you to ensure that it meets your needs and requirements.

You can source all the plants yourself or ask us to quote for a supply and planting service. Currently, we are working closely with two plant nurseries located in the Fife area, which can provide us with a much more extensive range of plants than available in local garden centres.

On our website, you can also read an article on creating a perfect wild-life garden, with a list of suitable plants.

Take a look at these examples of our planting plan services

As with all of our planting plans, we work with the space and the environment our client has, choosing the right plants that will flourish in the given environment. This is based on many factors ranging from the type and makeup of the soil and levels of sun exposure in the area.

This first example shows the planting plan we designed for a modern feel, classic look and to thrive in a sunny but sandy environment.

While the following example was designed for a sunny environment with lots of clay present in the soil.