Depending on the type, size and function of your garden, both the decorative and practical items will have to be arranged in a certain way, which may be more or less suitable for the activities that you actually perform in it, as well as to your tastes as a gardener which may change overtime.
In order for your garden to be not only adequate for the purpose for which you built it, but also flexible and easy to redesign if you were to change your opinion, it is a good idea to work based on a series of space principles, valid for all types of gardens and that follow essential rules to take advantage of and balance all the surfaces.
Whether your garden is designed to house a place to grow vegetables, a playground for your family or as additional space to some rooms of the house (perhaps giving continuity to a living room with chairs in similar tones) the first thing to consider if you want change or are you thinking of improving your garden is the structure.
Structuring a garden means organizing the spaces so that they make of the whole area a balanced landscape, with different focal points that should be distributed in a balanced way and that allow for good integration with furniture and other decorative elements.
To this end, you need to think about the plants you want to grow in your garden: some should definitely be evergreens of different heights, placed around the garden so that the final result does not look as a flat bed of flowers. Play with combinations of bushes and small trees that will last throughout the year to ensure that your garden does not look empty in the winter. Then proceed to add the plants of more vivid colors taking into account which kind of palette you are looking for.
If you have a hard time finding plants that balance the heights of your garden you can also use decorative objects such as statues, columns or large vases. That way, you attract the attention to several different points, each one with a peculiarity and characteristics of its own.
You then have to think of flower colors: you may decide to grow flowers of complementary colors such as blue and orange or yellow, or instead create a more harmonious and less contrasting palette by combining shades of pink and purple. Try to use plants with different foliage and textures as this will help you give volume to the various areas of the garden and avoid the dreaded two-dimension effect. Consider the timing when flowers will appear too in order to avoid having a flowerless garden at some points in the year.
Consider adding decorative elements of a stable or short-lived nature. For example, if you would like to create a seating area with chairs and a table or a place to sunbathe, you could install a different floor perhaps in the form of travertine tiles or a tile road leading to the patio space.
As you can see the secret is in planning, taking a mental picture of what you would want your garden to look like and try to reproduce it by applying the principles of equilibrium and harmony. Then all you have to do is enjoy your new garden and the beautiful days of summer outdoors.
