Light and shade
Well-designed gardens also use light to best effect. The contrast between bright light and shade in a garden can have many different qualities. Shafts of sunlight falling into an otherwise shady area will transform a space, especially where these shafts light up a water feature. Too much light, however, can also be a problem. I am sure you know how welcome it is to seek the comfort of shade on a hot, sunny day. If shade is not a natural part of your garden, it can be created by the careful siting and planting of trees. Or use climbers, as in my garden, where a leafy vine-covered seating area provides pretty, dappled shade and so is the perfect area for relaxing and entertaining.
Evening light can be usefully employed, too. Planting trees or shrubs with coloured leaves in such a way that they are backlit by the setting sun can create a dramatic and pleasing effect at the end of the day. Ornamental grasses also look particularly beautiful when backlit. We have giant feather grass (Stipa gigantea) planted in a position where it casts a silhouette in the morning and is then bathed in warm sunlight by late afternoon. As the sun sets behind it, the seed head plumes look quite lovely.
My outdoor dining room, where a vine-covered pergola provides shade from the midday sunshine.
Keeping things to scale
Correct scale in a garden is vital. For example, planting a large viburnum next to a delicate bellflower (Campanula) is not going to be a successful combination. On visiting a great garden it’s easy to take scale for granted, but we would soon notice if it wasn’t right. This applies in smaller spaces too: correct scale means features such as sculpture, pots, furniture and plants sit at ease within the garden and also with each other, working both individually and as a whole. An out-of-scale sculpture or feature will upset the overall balance of the garden.
Consider the relationship of all elements within the garden with regard to scale. Successful use of scale means all elements are in complete harmony and it will be imperceptible that you have carefully considered this aspect.
Hard landscaping
The choice of hard landscaping materials is another important consideration that affects the feel of the garden. Patios, steps, timber decking and gravel areas are among many options available, but should be in proportion to the surroundings. Don’t spend time, effort and money creating hard landscaping features when they are simply not required. An over-landscaped garden can look cold and soulless, lacking the essential balance between plants and man-made features. Where hard landscaping is required local natural materials, such as stone, brick or gravel, always sit more comfortably in a garden (see here). Never choose more than two or three materials as the overall look can quickly become restless and cluttered, and always refer your choices to your location, the site and the style of your house.
Limit the use of landscaping materials to achieve a sense of unity and allow the plants to do the talking.
The aspect of your garden plays a significant role in how your garden looks and feels, and to the kinds of plants that will flourish there. A garden with little shade that is baked by the summer sun may even be too hot to use in high summer, whereas shadier gardens will have a much cooler feel to them. In both these instances, the range of plants that you can choose is quite different. Plants that originated in the Mediterranean region such as lavender (Lavandula), rosemary (Rosmarinus) and lavender cotton (Santolina) will enjoy basking in the heat, and will have adapted through time to thrive in such conditions. Those plants with woodland origins such as ferns, snowdrops (Galanthus) and camellias are adapted to grow in shade and may suffer if planted in the same hot, sunny position. Many gardens have planting opportunities for both aspects, so make a note of where the sun shines in your garden throughout the day, and then make your plant choices accordingly.
In a sunny garden
In the northern hemisphere, gardens that have an open, south or westerly aspect are usually hot and sunny for most of the day. The way in which the sun falls in your garden is an important consideration in the planning of features, and as the sun sets in the west, this aspect will be bathed with warm evening sunshine – a great bonus for those of us that work during the daytime – and so is an obvious choice for an evening seating area. During high summer, a south-facing, warm, sunny wall may be uncomfortably hot, but during the colder months any warmth at all will be welcomed. In our open, south-facing garden, I especially enjoy my seat by the kitchen door, so that I can take pleasure in a little winter sunshine; perfect for enjoying morning coffee outside while I let the dog out!
If your garden is particularly hot and sunny due to its aspect, consider planting trees to create some light shade and shelter, or consider an arbour or pergola (see here). Remember, too, that even in the hottest, driest spot, there are sun-loving plants that will flourish (see here).
An open, sunny aspect is perfect for many perennials and shrubs.
Here are some favourite sun-loving plants in my garden: French lavender (Lavandula stoechas), globe thistle (Echinops sphaerocephalus ‘Niveus’) and the soft yellow Phlomis russeliana.
Small trees to provide light shade
Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Brilliantissimum’
Amelanchier lamarckii (snowy mespilus)
Betula utilis var. jacquemontii (Himalayan birch)
Cercidyphyllum japonicum (Katsura tree)
Crataegus laevigata ‘Paul’s Scarlet’ (May hawthorn)
Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Sunburst’ (honey locust)
Malus × robusta ‘Red Sentinel’ (crab apple)
Prunusx subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ (Higan cherry)
Rhus typhina (velvet sumach)
Sorbus cashmiriana
KIM’S TIPS
Use a compass to help you establish which direction your garden faces.
For gardens in the southern hemisphere, all directions are reversed. So a south- or west-facing garden is predominantly shady, while a north- or east-facing garden enjoys plenty of sun.
In a shady garden
A northerly or easterly aspect will almost certainly mean more shade, but this doesn’t mean it needs to be dark and dull. First, consider thinning out some of the trees and tall shrubs to let in more light, and plant golden-leaved plants to lighten the shade, such as the golden-leaved mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius ‘Aureus’)