PART TWO: CHOOSING A STYLE FOR YOUR GARDEN

Now that you have your wish list, it's time to do some research with regards to the style of your garden and its various features.

Choosing a style for your garden will help you bring the elements together so that the design has continuity.

You might already have an idea of your favourite style and, if you do then you should still research that style and try to find examples of the items on your wish list that fit with your chosen theme.

There are many gardening styles to choose from: traditional, contemporary, oriental, Mediterranean, formal, etc. So, how do you arrive at a style which suits you?

Look through gardening magazines and books and pick out gardens that you like. You can research on the internet by searching through garden designer's portfolios or on gardening sites or you can search for websites which have images of show gardens at garden shows such as Chelsea or Hampton Court Palace.

As you identify gardens you like, you will find that a particular style emerges as your favoured one. You may find that you favour more than one style. Don't worry about this, it is possible to mix styles and still have a garden that gels. You will find out how the elements of your garden will gel together when you compile your ideas board in part three of this tutorial. In the meantime, all you need to do is to get an idea of what you like.

Don't forget to ask others in your household what they like too. They may come up with ideas you haven't even thought of.

A word of warning about choosing a style for your garden. Don't go overboard. You may be in danger of making your garden look over-designed and this is fine if that's what you're aiming for but, remember, you will feel more relaxed in a garden that appears natural.

POPULAR DESIGN STYLES

Traditional Formal Cottage

Mediterranean Oriental Courtyard

Contemporary

Once you have an idea of the style of garden your prefer, you are ready to put all your ideas together. Find out how to do this in part three of the course: compiling an ideas board.

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