There are many reasons why you might need a new planting design for your garden. You might want some exciting, different and contemporary plants as part of a whole new-look landscape garden design.

Alternatively, it could be that you don’t want to change your garden’s general layout, but feel replanting is needed in some areas. Perhaps there is an absence of colour at certain times of the year, or some plants are not doing well, or you may simply find that your current flowers and shrubs take too much maintenance for the time you have available.

If any of these apply, the answer is to call in plant consultancy specialists. At Compass Garden & Landscape Design, we have experience choosing plants for beautiful, individual gardens in Bath, Bristol, Bradford-on-Avon and across the South West.

We can give you all the gardening advice you need, bearing in mind many different factors involved in successful planting and helping you to choose plants which will flourish in your specific garden.

Space to Grow

When choosing plants, the amount of space which is available is an essential consideration. Urban gardens in cities such as Bath or Bristol, where space is likely to be at a premium, will require different plants to larger gardens in more rural areas, such as some of the surrounding villages in Wiltshire or Somerset.

Overcrowding plants can lead to them failing to thrive, while choosing some fast-growing shrubs or bushes could quickly lead to other plants being overshadowed and to light being cut out of your home’s windows. There needs to be enough space allowed for growth sideways as well as upwards.

Where space is limited, ferns and evergreen shrubs such as Pittosporum or Choisya may be ideal choices, as well as Acer/Japanese maples. In larger rural gardens, where there is more space, you could consider including woodland areas, an orchard, or perhaps Mediterranean trees such as olives or palms within the design.

Attracting Wildlife

If you want to attract more wildlife to your garden, there are advantages to choosing native plants, and going for varieties which are especially important for birds, butterflies and bees.

For example, Buddleia has won the nickname the “butterfly bush” because the many varieties of this flowering shrub are so popular with butterflies. Climbing honeysuckle is a cottage garden favourite which attracts birds and moths, while hawthorn hedges are also great for birds as well as looking beautiful and improving security.

Seasonal and Year-Round Colour

Is your garden full of colour in summer, but rather bleak and colourless in winter? Including more evergreens and shrubs in the planting design is a way to solve this by adding colour at even the coldest times of year. Drawing up a flowering calendar can also help, by making you aware of which plants will be in bloom at different times of the year.

Planning colours for your garden has some similarities with interior design, as you need to choose the colours which appeal to you, and also to think about which ones work well together.

Perhaps you want an area which is all in similar shades, whether this is pinks and pastels or hot Mediterranean colours. Or you may prefer a cottage garden look, with different colours and plant types interspersed.

Creating Structure

As well as being ornamental, plants are also key to a garden’s structure. For instance, hedges and trellises may be used to distinguish different areas or as screens, and architectural plants and specimen trees can give a garden a focal point. Blocking views of corners in the garden can give the effect of a much bigger space.

Borders are usually structured with taller plants at the back and lower ones at the front, so that you can easily see all the blooms. Plant shapes are another element of structure, adding interest to a garden, while areas of planting can be used to soften hard edges within your garden.

Personal Style

The most important elements of all in choosing plants for your garden are of course your own style and taste, and what purpose the garden needs to serve. The types of plant which you will choose for a more formal garden, perhaps in a commercial setting, will be very different from those which would be suitable for a more informal country garden.

Plant Consultancy from Compass Garden & Landscape Design

If you live in Bath, Bristol or anywhere else in the South West and need planting design services, we can provide expert advice. We will start by visiting you and taking a look at your garden, before drawing up a planting plan. We will discuss with you how the existing plants are doing, which areas you are happy with and which might need changing.

Our advice also includes factors such as which plants do well in local soil types (drainage and pH), which plants need sun or shade, and how suitable your garden is for growing the blooms and shrubs you are thinking about buying.

We will then source the plants for you, ensuring high quality at a lower cost than if you were to buy direct from garden centres. We can also arrange for them to be delivered and planted. Click here for more details.