Creating a garden which can be enjoyed all year round is a challenge for any keen horticulturist. Every garden has its own unique characteristics – be it size, shape, soil or climate – while every gardener has different tastes too.

Compass Garden and Landscape Design have many years of experience in creating gardens which their owners can enjoy whatever the time of year. Here are some key factors to bear in mind if you want to make as much use of your garden in autumn and winter as you do in spring and summer.

Make Maximum Use of Evergreens

Ensuring you have plenty of evergreens in your garden will mean that whatever the season, you always have something in bloom. Holly, hebe, pyracantha and euonymus are all examples of plants which look good all year round.

To add interest and colour, you should introduce seasonal flowers such as tulips, daffodils other bulbs in the spring, followed by summer bedding plants such as geraniums, Busy Lizzies and Begonias. At Compass Garden and Landscape Design we offer a planting consultancy service for customers in Bath, Bristol, and across the south-west of England.

This means we can offer expert advice on which flowers will flourish in your garden, taking into consideration the soil type and the levels of sunlight and rainfall it typically gets. We will also be able to recommend which plants – and colours – work well with each other.

Don’t Just Plant in Beds

Remember, plants don’t have to be planted in flower beds. Pots and containers will ensure you can bridge the normal growing seasons by providing temporary splashes of colour. Plants such as viola, primula and cyclamen will flower in mild winter spells, as well as in the spring, if grown in containers – although you need to take care to ensure pots are well watered so the compost does not dry out.

Fences can also be used as supports for evergreen climbing plants, such as ivies and clematis should survive the toughest of winters. If your fence is in a sheltered, sunny spot, then Star Jasmine will produce highly fragrant, delicate, white flowers in summer, as well as plenty of autumn and winter foliage.

Build in a Focal Point

All gardens benefit from a central feature which draws the eye and acts as a focal point throughout the year. What form it takes depends on your personal taste, as well as how much room you have. If your space is limited, then consider growing one dominant plant, such as an ornamental pear tree, which will produce colour from spring right into autumn. If your tastes are more artistic, then a statue, sculpture or decorative urn will serve equally well.

In larger gardens, water features can be particularly soothing and encourage other forms of wildlife. Ponds can attract frogs, dragonflies and other wild creatures, even if you don’t populate them with fish, while a bird bath will bring some new feathered friends into your garden.

Let There be Lights

A well-illuminated garden means you can get more use out of your garden, even during the darker winter months. Carefully positioned lights can provide some spectacular perspectives on specific trees or plants.

There are plenty of different types of lights to choose from. Wall-mounted lamps are particularly effective at highlighting individual beds or seating areas, while solar-powered lights are better at illuminating paths, borders and edges, and, because they store up electricity from the sun during the day, won’t add much to your electricity bill. String lights, which can either run off the mains power supply or batteries, can be draped around balcony railings, fences or trees.

Compass Garden and Landscape Design

Compass Garden and Landscape Design provides a complete consultation service if you are looking to refresh or redesign your garden. After our initial consultation, we will produce concept sketches for you for your consideration. After a further meeting to discuss these ideas, we’ll produce a full garden design, with 3D sketches if required, and help you source reputable contractors to carry out the work.

As well as our planting consultancy service, we also can offer expert garden maintenance advice to customers across the south west of England. If you would like to know more about what Compass Garden and Landscape Design can offer you, follow this link and fill in the online form, or call our office on 07920 051549.