Companies that specialise in small garden design in London will often say that fruit and vegetables can often grow better in pots than in the ground. Maybe you prefer an ‘alfresco dinning area’, this too can be achieved by choosing a small round table and chairs, then spreading white gravel around the space.

Anyway, getting back to the small garden design in London for vegetables, imagine having all your salad leaves growing in one pot – well you can, in a hanging basket, which will save even more space!

A Small garden design in London will advise you to line a compost-filled basket, then in the centre plant a micro tom cherry tomatoe, or any other variety. Plant the soft-leaved salads around it, such as spinach, then add a few basil seeds, and hey presto you have a hanging salad basket. Don’t forget to keep it well watered.

Window boxes are another perfect way to grow perennial herbs in a small garden design in London. Because most window boxes are placed in a sheltered position the herbs  can  survive through most of the winter months, and can last for years.

You may think you needs yards of trellising to grow peas – not true! Peas can be successfully grown in pots, with the bonus that you can eat the shoots and tendrils, as well as the peas.

Domestic garden landscaping in London can range from a comprehensive contract including complete garden clearance, then designing and creating a lovely new garden, working with the customer and their choices and ideas. Whether you have a very large garden or a tiny area at the back of your property garden landscaping in London can transform your outside space to something only the lay person can dream of.

With all the expertise, advice, knowledge and experience garden landscaping in London will take on board your vision and expectations to produce as near as that vision as possible.

For the larger projects like commercial turf laying for a much larger area and the smaller projects like a domestic back garden, customers should research garden landscaping in London, which can be found on the internet, to make sure you choose a reputable garden landscaping in London company such as  http://www.kategouldgardens.com

Garden landscaping in London can be needed for the smallest roof top garden to acres of outside space, commercial or domestic. There are different rates of payment quoted for garden landscaping in London and usually it is based on the square metre or the whole project, but every company works differently.

The same as you can get as many quotes from companies that you want and most of them are free, so make sure you are confident that the landscapers you choose can understand exactly what you visualise for your garden.

A popular choice for the London garden designers to use as an evergreen backdrop is the Aucuba Japonica or Spotted Laurel, ideal for a shady area. This evergreen back drop is also perfect for enhancing the visual display of the more exciting, colourful plants.

The Aucuba Japonica is a very hardy plant that can thrive in the toughest conditions where the soil is dry and shaded. London garden designers will always try to use the hardiest plants that can survive in tough conditions because it will ensure that the garden design will flourish year after year.

London garden designers are not just committed to the garden design but also forthcoming in giving help, advice and tips on how to look after your garden. A top tip to improve your dry shady borders is to spread an annual layer of organic mulch, this will retain moisture resulting in greatly improving the soil. If the organic mulch can be horse manure based this is an added boost for all the existing plants as well as improving the chances of new plants establishing.

Many home owners simply don’t have the time to attend their gardens so a garden designer in London will be called upon for their services. When visiting a garden for the first time, a garden designer in London will assess the soil quality and the amount of shade or sunshine, amongst many other things, before deciding on any planting scheme.

If the soil is poor but gets the sun all day Sedum Spectabile would be a good choice to use in the garden design. However, this is not one of the most popular plants, as it tends to ‘sprawl and flop’ when its in flower towards the end of summer, making it look very untidy. If the garden designer in London suggests that this would be a good plant to use in the garden design, expert advice will be given to prevent this from happening.

Firstly, remember that this plant likes dry poor soil so avoid over watering and keep the fertilizers and mulch away. Then by cutting a quarter of sedum back in May will significantly reduce the ‘sprawling and flopping’. The plant will grow bushier and shorter and the flowers will be delayed a little and also be a little smaller, but overall it will stay looking much neater and tidier. Just be aware of the slugs as they are ark enemy number one to Sedum and many a beautiful Sedum has been completely ruined by this ‘slimy creature’.

This is a popular choice for the  garden designer in London, especially where the soil is poor but the garden receives lots of sun. The vibrant burst of the varying shades of pink it produces in the late summer is another reason why the garden designer in London likes to use Sedum.  Also, and more importantly; because it is loved by the butterflies and the bees and the emphasis on the concept of preserving wild life is ever present.

A London based garden planning professional would start by improving the soil using compost and manure and then attending to any existing plants that have survived. After the long colourless winter months planting lots of pinks and purples with yellows and oranges really add a freshness to the green foliage.

Pensternons give colour from June right through to November but remember they need regular dead heading. If you required lots of colour throughout the year a London based garden planning professional will use a planting scheme that includes a winter structure.

A London based garden planning service will listen to the customers likes and dislikes regarding various planting schemes. There are many plants that people don’t want in their garden design and one of the most popular dislikes are Bergenias, otherwise known as Elephant Ears. However, Bergenias are  a  useful evergreen perennial and a tough ground plant, excellent during the long winter months to enhance the colour scheme. There are many Bergenias to choose from and although a London based garden planning professional accepts that they are not the most popular, these plants have a definite advantage to a garden design when planted in the right place.

Rich purple leaves of Bergenia Overture, which turn to a reddish purple in the autumn and winter months, then produce vibrant cerise flowers in the spring, would certainly be a good choice of plant to incorporate in a London based garden planning design.

Garden landscapers can create a sense of calm and balance for your garden, or maybe a vibrancy of colour; if that is the customer requirements.  Many garden landscapers are requested to create an edible landscape which is becoming more and more popular as we learn more about our health and what we eat.

Also many people are living in a more economical age so they need to think about how to reduce the family outgoings. A garden landscaper’s edible garden would reduce the weekly grocery bills and at the same time you would be consuming foods at peak freshness.

There are many edible plants and flowers that could be introduced in to your edible garden landscape as well as fruit, vegetables and herbs. Years ago during the First World War and the Second World War the edible garden, as we now refer to them; were called ‘victory’ gardens.

Many years on our garden landscapers of today are frequently asked by customers for a victory garden. It’s not only for people that are economising but it’s also about self-reliance.

There are many wealthy people who prefer to grow as much of their own food as possible purely because they are in control of how it is grown.

Many garden designs have used sculptures and art to achieve this even when the sculptures may have been bought for inside but used in the garden design, this can be seen as an extension of the home.

Using a piece of sculpture in garden designs can add a focus point to a space if it is placed at the end of a garden path. A sculpture can also be hidden from the overall view of the garden so that when you wander in the garden you discover it, and it’s the surprise element.

Some sculptures in garden designs that can be placed in different settings throughout the years so they always keep an interesting focal point. Sometimes the sculptures can be place in positions where they cannot be seen until the leaves drop of the trees and then it’s a focus point for the winter months.

Sculptures, or art for your garden; doesn’t have to cost a fortune either as you can make them yourself with a bit of imagination. Even if you do purchase a more expensive piece of art for your garden it will last for years and moving it to different places and settings will ameliorate its attraction.

The owner of the property or land can be their own garden design planner but if you want a professional job then there are garden design planners with varying levels of experience and expertise.

Many professional garden design planners with qualifications are trained using the principles of design and horticulture. This knowledge is needed for a garden design planner to know which plants to use that will survive and where to plant them.

There is formal training available for a garden design planner working right up to an advanced degree as a landscape architect. Many garden enthusiasts attain a high level of knowledge just through working in their own gardens and joining a local gardening club.

Gardening is also a hobby for many people but finding the time to spend in the garden is very difficult for people who work full time. Many people start to take an interest in gardening when they retire as they then have more time to spend in the garden increasing their knowledge which develops their skills as a gardener.

Spring is a good time for the garden design planner as it is for all garden enthusiasts. There is lots of clearing to do after the long winter months so the leaves need to be raked away and the borders will need clearing. Spring in the garden is all about the groundwork needed for the planting in the coming year.

Many experts in small garden landscaping will say that using the more curved designs can be utilised to create the perception of space. The conception behind this method is that designing a curved border, patio or lawn area can produce a flowing effect creating the illusion of the garden appearing to unfold.

Using these methods in small garden landscaping also makes interesting garden features as well as extended the area. Small garden landscaping can still include objects or features in the design as long as they are placed strategically throughout the garden and they are kept in similar size and type. This method is used in small garden landscaping to keep the movement and balance of the whole garden.

Using an assortment of different rocks placed throughout the garden can work as they are a collection of objects together as opposed to just one object. Apart from appearing more interesting visually this helps to create depth.
Another small garden landscaping tactic to create the illusion of space is to section the garden using dividers or creating different levels. This can make the garden appear full and deep but keeping the appearance of space.
The dividers can be trellises, shrubbery, rocks, bridges etc…separating the sections of the garden.
The levels for small garden landscaping can be created by raised beds or building platform decking.

The garden planner would talk to you about what you want your secret garden to include i.e. plants, shrubs, flowers and if you wanted a space for somewhere to sit and relax.
The garden planner would then start thinking about a hidden path that would lead to the secret garden and put some ideas forward. After all it won’t be a secret garden if it isn’t concealed!

Maybe you would want to have an archway at the end of the secret path leading in to your secret garden. Or your garden planner may suggest a garden wall covered with ivy that hides your secret garden.

Fencing is another way to conceal a secret garden as there are many types of fencing available such as; brush fences, iron ones, wooden ones and many more. The choice of a fence type could coordinate with the style of your garden.

If you wanted to keep a green theme, the garden planner may suggest a hedge of some kind to hide your secret garden. Hedges can provide a screen and they can be clipped and shaped or left looking slightly wild. Grouping together large plants could also provide a screen for your secret garden.