How do you feel? The final part of site analysis!

Have you recovered from our mammoth session yesterday? We're nearly done with the site analysis but there's still some things to consider. So, if you're ready to crack on then let's get going again.

It is important in any garden to understand its climatic conditions. It will directly influence many of your design solutions, adding screening and shelter for plants and people, or helping decide which plants to use.

The climate is directly influenced by the location of the site. A garden close to the sea would create a fairly mild climate (depending on the orientation of the coastline) as you rarely get frosts or snow close to the sea. If you were situated very close to the sea, it is more than likely that you would suffer from strong winds and salt spray, which would affect the climatic condition of your garden. Built up areas and towns can offer a warmer climate for gardens than rural situations, as the neighbouring buildings create shelter. However, you need to be aware of wind funnels that sweep between buildings and can cause quite a lot of damage to any plants in their path. When you're searching your garden for clues to what your climatic condition may be, make sure you check for signs of wind damage, which will conclude that you have a wind problem in your garden - unless it's blowing a gale, in which case, you'll be able to tell how windy your site is without studying the plants! You can recognise wind damage on plants by scorched markings on leaves, which would, in severe cases turn the leaf brown and dry up completely. Larger shrubs and trees may be growing in a different direction if they are subjected to strong winds over a long period of time. What is the typical amount of rainfall in your region and does that affect how dry your garden is? If you have a particularly dry site, you will need to consider plants that will tolerate drought better. The other extreme would be excessive rainfall, and this can have a damaging effect on plants and soil. In heavy, long lasting down pours, soil could be pounded to such an extent that it is made smooth and in this case, water has difficulty penetrating the surface. Check your soil after a heavy downpour. Dig down a little and see how far the water has soaked down. This will give you a good indication to what your drainage is like.

If your garden suffers from heavy frosts then you will need to carefully decide which plants to grow. Trying to grow a banana in the British countryside is unlikely to work! Built up areas and coastal regions rarely suffer from frost and if you have a garden located in such a place, then you can be more adventurous with your plant choice.That's if you want to be, of course!

Recognising climatic conditions is fairly simple - just remember that everything in your garden is linked - climate, soil type and environment are all contributing factors to the condition of your garden.

Okay, so now you are beginning to learn a lot about your garden. You will need to also know whether your garden has any problems with drainage. Look at existing patios, paths and steps. Are there any signs of bad drainage? You may need to run a hose over them if it's a dry day to see if there's any pooling of water. This would suggest that the fall of the patio, or steps, etc, is not at the correct level and water is unable to drain away. If areas are green with algae and slippery then you've likely got bad drainage in that area. Don't forget to check flower beds for drainage problems too. Many drainage problems could be related to poor soil conditions and can be easily rectified. Built up, raised flower beds may not have adequate drainage in their walls and this will also need to be rectified or plants will just 'sit' in water and their roots will become waterlogged and eventually die of suffocation. Lawns should also be laid at a slight angle to allow for surface run-off. If your lawn is covered in a lot of moss and creeping buttercup, then you have poor drainage. This can be improved by aerating your lawn and adding lawn sand at certain times of the year.

Whilst we are considering drainage and water, make a note of any water features that you may have in your garden. You will need to observe not just what it is - plastic pond, brick water fountain, etc - but also any types of wildlife present. Are there any fish or frogs present? If it is well positioned and maintained annually then there should be signs of life and the water should be clear. If it is not then you may need to consider a different option or position.

Consider also the views into and out of your site. How overlooked are you? Is their an eyesore outside of your garden that you'd rather not see? Is there a particular window in the house that you would like a better view from? Remember seasons will affect your views at different times of the year.

If your thinking big for your design and are planning on major excavation work, then you will need to locate any service lines or pipes that are in your garden. Chopping through a gas pipe could be dangerous and costly!

If your site is situated in a conservation area then you will need to check with local authorities what work is permitted to be carried out in your garden. Likewise if you have a particularly beautiful or rare tree in your garden it may be subject to a TPO (Tree Preservation Order) , and you will need to seek permission before you carry out any work to this tree. Make sure you're aware of any public right of ways through your property. I don't think ramblers would appreciate a brick wall suddenly appearing on their Sunday morning walk!

Whilst noting all of the plants that are currently growing in your garden you will need to make notes of which ones you'd like to keep, move, or get rid of altogether. Don't panic that you don't know any of their names. Take a good plant reference book out in the garden with you and work out what they are from that. If you are still having difficulties, take samples, making notes of what growing habits they've got. Then, take the samples to a local garden centre. They should have experts on site that will be able to identify the plants for you. Bear in mind that not all plants may be showing at the time of year that your analysing. Perennials and bulbs may be hidden below ground out of their growing seasons. Try looking at past photographs if you cannot remember exactly what you've got. If you're in a new garden, then it would probably be advisable to wait until you have experienced all seasons in your garden before making any final plans. You never know what might pop up when you least expect it!

Take a closer look at the plants whilst you identify them and check for signs of damage by pests and diseases. Again, you can use a reference book to identify any problems and then can decide what remedies need to be taken.

Finally... take time to consider how you "feel" in your garden. Although it is important to record all of the above details, it is also important to be aware of how you, and your family, fit into the space. Does it make you feel relaxed, energetic, claustrophobic? It is your garden and you need the design to fit your purpose. If you want a garden that the kids can play in but it currently has extravagant planting then you will need to consider what modifications are needed. Start to become aware of what you want your garden to do for you. This will help when we come to creating a design brief later on.

Magnifying glasses at the ready, it's time for the site analysis!

How did your random sketching go? Don't worry if what you had in mind didn't really happen when you tried putting it on paper. We'll go through drawing techniques at a later stage and you'll be able to convey your ideas then. Until then though keep practicing.

Right, where were we? By now we have all of our site survey measurements and some piccies to go with it. We will need to draw up this measurements on a scaled plan soon but before we do that, we need to capture, and record, any other information about the site that is potentially important and relevant to the design process. This part is known as the site analysis and includes all non-measurable information. The information you gain here can be added to your final site survey plan, or you can do a separate plan. It will depend on how much information you find and how complex the plan is in the first place.

To carry out a site analysis you will need to pretend you have never been to your garden before. There may be things that you just don't notice any more, like a train passing by or excessive traffic noise. By pretending that you've never been here, you are more likely to notice things that you have become blind to. Of course, at times it will be helpful to remember things that occur in other seasons, for example, where bulbs come up in the spring and which plants provide good autumn colour.

You will need to 'get a feel' for the garden. To do this, don't just look at the physical landscape within the boundaries, but study the garden's surroundings. Where are you? Is your garden set amongst countryside, or woodland, or more town gardens? Are there any visible structures outside of your boundaries that affect the 'feel' of your garden. It can be good or bad, you need to observe and record everything!

Take a thorough look around your garden. Are there any elements that suggest a theme or would influence the new design? Are there features or materials that you would want to keep? Take a look at your house? Is it a particular style or period? You could use this style to influence your design. If you wanted to create a garden that was true to style, then visit a library, (or a search engine!) and research what gardens were like in the year that your house was built. If you want to, visit show gardens that depict designs from that period and seek inspiration. If you have a period house and want to include some historical elements to the garden, but don't want a complete restoration, then look at what materials were used then, or methods that were used. Including small elements of the period can work just as well to creating a link to the building as a complete restoration would. Another way to create a link between the house and the garden is to use similar proportions in your garden as are on the house facade. It is subtle, but will help your garden to flow, and make you feel at ease when you are in your garden.

An important piece of information to know is the orientation of your site. Which way does it face? Use your compass to establish in which direction magnetic north faces, and note this down onto your rough survey plan. You will also need to note what conditions are like on-site. Is part of the garden shady, gloomy, damp, a sun trap, etc? What shadows are cast by certain tress or buildings throughout a day? You can do a little exercise to find this out by choosing a relatively sunny day and making a study of how the sun moves around the garden at hourly intervals. Draw yourself another rough outline plan of your garden (doesn't need to be drawn to scale), and mark down any large features that may cast shadows (sheds, trees,etc). Each hour, sketch the areas that are sunny or shadowed onto your rough plan. Remember that the sun is higher in the summer and so you will get different shadows in your garden at different times of the year. The garden will have less light in the winter than in the summer. You will need to think of every season and how each element in your garden would be affected by them. By being aware of these factors you will be able to successfully chose plants that will flourish in your garden. If you observe moss or green algae on walls and steps it would suggest that there could be a drainage problem and this will need addressing too.

As well as considering physical factors you will need to observe environmental ones. A busy nearby road can cause noise and air pollution and may be something that you wish to improve when you come to create your design. There may be a local industry that creates pollution, and whilst it will not be possible for you to do anything about this, you can develop a design that will help disguise the problems.

You will need to know what type of soil you have (and no, saying it's muddy isn't good enough!). If you are unaware of your soil type and quality then any plants you try to grow will have a greater chance of failing.

All soils consist of four parts - inorganic materials, organic matter, air and water. It is the balance of these four parts that determine the quality and fertility of your soil. When analysing your soil you will need to record the texture and the pH level (pH means the potential hydrogen content, and tells you how acidic or alkaline your soil is). The texture of most garden soils generally fit into the categories of sandy, clay, loamy, chalky or peat. We find this out by examining the different particles that make up the soil. This is much easier than it sounds and simply consists of you rubbing a moist sample of the soil in between your fingers to determine its texture. Do this in several places in your garden, as the texture may differ in different places.

To tell what the texture is, here is a short description of the characteristics of each type:

Clay - the particles are less than 0.002mm in diameter. It is a fine textured soil that feels sticky to touch. In extreme cases you can work the soil into a shape and it will stay that shape! It is heavy to work with and is slow to warm up in the spring due to its high water content. It can be very fertile. In winter it can easily become waterlogged and in summer it becomes cracked and shrinks when dry. It's not all bad news though, as its make-up does hold many essential elements that are needed for healthy plant growth.

Sand - is gritty to touch. It is light and free-draining and warms up quickly in the spring. You will be able to work a sandy soil easily but its free-draining nature means that nutrients will be washed away quickly. As it loses water and nutrients easily, it tends to become acidic quite quickly and needs to have as much organic matter added to it as you can find. This will help to retain the moisture.

Loam - steals characteristics from both clay and sand. It is moisture-retentive and fertile, but will compact easily. If you've got this soil then you are in an enviable position, as it is easy to work with and encourages healthy plant growth for a wide range of varieties.

Chalk - is pale and shallow. It is free-draining and fairly fertile but is very alkaline making your choice of plants limited. Nutrients get washed through quickly and you will have to work hard to improve it with the addition of rich organic matter and fertilisers.

Peat - is very humus rich and fertile. It is dark in colour and retains moisture well. It is a good growing medium but tends to be acidic and would benefit from the addition of loam and drainage material. You will need to focus on acid loving plants for this soil type.

Look at the diagram below. You will see that soil is made up of four layers;

Surface Layer - contains organic debris from leaves, etc.

Topsoil- where most living organisms (worms, grubs,etc) and highest levels of nutrients live. This is due to the surface layer of organic matter which releases nutrients into the soil below it. This is the best part of soil for growing plants as they will absorb the nutrients whilst searching for oxygen and water.

Subsoil - supports less life than the topsoil layer. It is usually firmer and more compacted and nutrients that have been washed through from the topsoil will settle here. You will usually find it lighter in colour than the topsoil as it supports less life. If you cannot notice much difference in colour between the topsoil and the subsoil, then it would suggest that your topsoil is deficient of organic matter.

Parent rock - supports no life and derives from rock that is local to your area.

To find out the proportion of each of these layers in your garden, it is usually sufficient to take samples of soil with a trowel and a plastic bag. Again, remembering to take samples from various places around your garden. If you need a better inspection then you can dig a soil pit. This hole will need to be large enough for you to see into it. Once you can see the colour of the soil, either by looking at the sample in the plastic bag or in the pit, you can determine what condition your soil is in. If the soil is dark brown or even black in colour then it would suggest that the soil is rich in organic matter, and if it is also well drained then it is likely to be rich in nutrients. If the soil is extremely black then it is likely that there is a drainage problem. A well-drained soil is usually brown to the depth of one metre. A soil that is completely waterlogged will sometimes turn a blue/slate kind of colour. If your soil is grey or white then it would signify that the soil is chalky or that it has had its nutrients washed out.

Now you should have a good idea of what type of soil you have and just how good its going to be at growing plants. You will also need to know it's pH level. The higher amount of Hydrogen present in the soil signifies more acidity. The lower the amount of Hydrogen present in the soil then, yes, you guessed it, the more alkaline the soil is.

The pH scale goes from 1 to 14 with acidic readings starting at 1. If you get a reading of 6.5 - 7 then you have a neutral soil. A reading of 13 indicates an extremely alkaline soil and so on. I'm sure you get the picture! Most soils in temperate regions will vary between the pH readings of 4 (acid) and 8 (alkaline). When you know your pH level of soil you will be able to choose the plants that will grow best in that soil type. Trying to grow an Azalea in a soil with a pH reading of 10 just isn't going to work!

The pH level controls the release of nutrients in the soil. The more extreme a pH level (at either end of the scale), the more plant nutrients are locked out of the soil. This will prevent the growth of certain plants. If you have a neutral reading then you are in the most fortunate position as most plant nutrients will be released and you can chose from a wider variety of plants. Although, if you were hoping to create a Japanese garden, you'll have to add ericaceous composts and feeds, else the plants just won't grow - they need acid soils.

So, you've read all of that and I haven't told you how to find your pH level reading! Easy. If you haven't already done so, go to your local garden centre and buy a pH soil testing kit. They will vary in price and sophistication but you can pick up simple ones that only cost a couple of pounds. Most of these kits give you an indication of the pH level by using a colour chart. When mixing water to the soil sample only use distilled water as this a neutral pH and won't affect your reading.

It would be advisable to take soil pH readings and texture samples from the same places on-site. You will be able to note down on your rough plan what each reading is. If you are running out of room on your plan now then you can number the positions on the plan and add a list on another page.

That's enough to be going on with for today. We'll continue to look at the site analysis tomorrow.

Back to work - Measuring level changes in the garden

Okay, party celebrations over. Time to get back to work!

If I remember correctly (and I do because I've just re-read it) then we were discussing your steps and how they change level.

Any level change in your garden needs recording whether it's steps or slopes. Measuring them isn't actually that bad, so there's no need to panic just yet! If the incline is particularly complicated then it may be worthwhile hiring a professional surveyor. If you're willing to give it a go though then well done you.

The key to getting this bit right (and in fact any other bit) is to work methodically and accurately. If you haven't used your assistant up to now, then it may be a good time to ask them to put down their cup of tea and come and help you. There are different methods for measuring levels, but whichever method you choose you must make a record of not only the change in level of a certain distance, but also make a record of the actual distance you are measuring. Plot the points that you are recording on to your survey plan. If you fail to do this and later cannot locate the points then it will have been a complete waste of time and you still won't know your level changes for your plan.

The most common method of measuring level changes is to use a straight piece of timber and a spirit level. You will also need shorter wooden pegs. Aim for your piece of timber to be 3 metres long if you have an average sized garden. Starting at the highest point, place your long piece of timber (i'm going to call it Woody from now on because it will be quicker to type) onto the ground. Support Woody with a wooden peg at the lower end. Sit your spirit level on top of Woody to make sure it's straight. Then, when you're happy that Woody is level, measure the distance from the bottom edge of Woody to the ground. This will tell you what the fall of the land is over a 3 metre period. Needless to say if you can't fit a 3 metre "Woody" equivalent into your space then use a shorter piece, allowing for this in your calculations. You can repeat this procedure over a longer length by moving Woody along each time (see diagram).

If you are unable to obtain a 3 metre piece of timber named Woody (name optional), then you can carry out the same procedure using a 3 metre length of string. This method isopen to more error though as you must remember to keep the string taut at all times.

Another method of measuring changes in ground level is by using optical measuring equipment. This equipment is really useful in much larger gardens and is usually available to buy or hire. As we are looking to save money by designing our gardens ourselves though, I won't go into detail about this method.

Whatever method you eventually opt for you will need to establish a datum point onto your survey plan. The purpose of a datum point is to allow you to have a fixed point that all subsequent measurements can be related back to. Where you decide to position your datum point is not crucial although it would be easier for you if you pick somewhere that is accessible. often the datum point is positioned close to the house or in a piece of ground that is going to remain at the same level when the design is completed.

At a risk of confusing you even more, the datum point, once you have chosen it's position will be known as your 'zero level point'. All recorded heights will then either be higher (+) or lower (-) than your datum point (zero level point).

At your chosen datum point position on the survey write "0:00". If your next level measured is, say, 70cm lower than the datum point, it would be written as "-0:70" or if the level recorded was 30cm higher than the datum point, then you would write "+0:30". Get it?

And that's all there is to it! Easy huh? You can have another cup of tea now and then we'll get the camera out!

Refreshed? Good. This next bit of the site survey is the easiest of all. This is the bit when you can be like David Bailey (or any other photographer you admire) and snap away to your hearts content.

"Why do I need to take photos when I can just look out of the window?"

Photographs provide an excellent record of the site and you can use them to create underlays for any sketches of designs (brilliant if you're not picasso!). The best way to capture the whole garden is to take a composite photograph. This involves you standing in one spot and rotating 360* taking a series of photos that overlap each other. When you have your photos you can piece them together like a jig saw. If you have a posh photo editing programme you may be able to piece together the photos on the computer, and then print out the finished composite photograph. Whichever way you chose, the proportions of the garden will get extremely distorted, and you will need to remember this when you use them as underlays for sketches.

What are you like at drawing? You may find it helpful to draw or sketch a particular scene or feature in the garden that you want to capture. By sketching it you will become more familiar with it as you're having to actually study it, and not just click a camera at it.

Once you've got your photos, have a mess around with them. Enlarge or reduce the images and make photocopies of them. Grab some tracing paper and put it on top of your photos as an overlay. Try sketching new ideas on top of them. They don't have to be masterpieces. It's just an opportunity to start experimenting.

Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me!

Hi

Just a quickie today as I've loads of non-computer related things to do.

It's my one week blog owning birthday today and I am thoroughly enjoying the experience. Although I am acutely aware that I am still talking to myself, it is still all good. Thinking about it it's probably best that I am alone on this page, as I have a lot to learn about setting up blogs. Still the company would be welcome!

Drop me a line to let me know how you think I'm getting on.

Cheers for now!

Plant File Friday - Rhus typhina

Do you fancy a break from all of that garden measuring?

I've decided that Friday will be known as Plant File Friday! It's a naff name, I know but until I come up with a better one, it'll have to do.

The purpose of "Plant File Friday" is to build up a file of plants that you can call upon in any situation. It will hopefully help you when it comes to planting designs.

Plant File Category:

Trees for small gardens

Latin Name: Rhus typhina

Deciduous or Evergreen: Deciduous

Design Function: Focal Point, Structure

Form and Shape: Large, shrubby mound. Almost bell-like in habit. Can be trained to be more "tree-like"

Texture of Leaves: Smooth, pinnate, long

Colour of Foliage: Green (vivid reds/oranges in autumn)

Colour of Bark: Deep Brown

Colours of Flowers: Dark Maroon, 'horn-like' spikes (female only) fruit

Main Season of Interest: Late summer, Autumn

Horticultural Information:

Country of Origin: East, North America

Soil Type: Light well-drained

Aspect prefered: Sunny

Height and spread at 5 years: 3.0m x 3.0m

Height and Spread at maturity: 3-4.5m x 3-4.5m

Common Problems: Roots can be invasive

So what do you think? I'd appreciate any comments about this plant profile. Tell me what you like and what other information you would like to see included in future plant profiles.

Knowing how to make your Measurements

Right! Back for the next step already?

We are, you'll be pleased to hear, onto the last stages of recording measurements on-site. Now that you've calculated all of the baseline details you're ready to measure the rest of the garden-hooray! First things first, you'll need to measure the boundaries. At this point it's worth pointing out that your garden, in most cases, will not be square (or rectangular). Even if you have an amazing eye for details and would swear to a court of law that yours is square (or rectangular), it's worthwhile checking these things properly, all the same. Most gardens are an irregular shape - which is really annoying at times! - and it is necessary to get these measurements absolutely correct. Am I repeating myself here? Sorry, but it really is important to measure your garden accurately.

There are a few techniques used in carrying out a site survey. Let's look at two of them in detail.

Triangulation

This technique helps to establish correct angles and is excellent for measuring boundaries. Also, if you have a random tree (or other feature) on-site that you cannot measure from the baseline, then triangulation would work well for this too.

In order to use triangulation, you will need two fixed points that feature on the baseline. In other words, you need to refer to two known measurements from your baseline. It is usually the two corners of the house, but it could be any measurements you want to use. It will be easier to do if they are some distance apart though, as they'll be less cluttered on your rough survey plan. In case I've confused you, your rough survey plan is the bit of reasonable sized paper on your clipboard that you've sketched your baseline measurements on. Once you've established your two fixed points, simply take your second 30- metre tape and measure from each fixed point to the item that needs measuring. In the first instance this will be the top boundary corner of the garden. When you put these two measurements together they will form a triangle and establish the exact position of the boundary corner (or whatever item it is that you're measuring at the time).

Recording this on your rough survey plan, you will find it less confusing at a later date to ensure that you label each fixed point (see diagram below).

In the diagram, you can see that 'point A' and 'point B' are on the baseline and the item being measured, in this case, the boundary corner, is 'point G'. Note the triangle that is created from the two measurements.

Always make sure that the two measurements are taken to the item in the exact same place. If you were to measure a tree, for example, and with one reading you went one side of the trunk, but with the next reading you went to the other side of the trunk, it could be very inaccurate - depending on how old the tree is! You would need to measure in the centre of the trunk, or, do two different triangulation measurements of the tree and later measure its circumference.

If an item that you need to measure is too far away from your baseline's fixed points, then you will need to establish new fixed points closer to the item. This is okay to do so long as you ensure the accuracy of these new fixed points. You can have as many fixed points on-site as you require. Try to keep it as simple as possible though otherwise you'll end up in a right pickle when you come to draw it up later.

Once you have established the boundary corners you can continue to measure the lengths of the boundaries and record the results onto your rough site survey. When you come to create your design, you will need to know who owns each boundary. If you decide to do something spectacular with it and your neighbour owns it, you may end up in all sorts of trouble. Don't forget to write down any information about the boundary itself in your little note pad. Include features such as, what material the boundary is made of, it's height and what condition it's in. If you're looking at a fence, then you'll need to measure each panel and so forth. You will benefit from knowing as much as possible about your garden. Get intimate with it!

You can measure all of the features along your boundary by repeating the same process that you used for the baseline. There may be other features along the boundary that you will also need to record. Flowerbeds, plants, pond or structures may all be present. If you are measuring flowerbeds, you will need to record the position of plants in the bed. This may make your rough site survey too crowded and you may find it easier to complete a seperate sketch for each flowerbed. To measure the plants you will need to start from your boundary and run your measure to the centre of the plants. This is actually an offset measurement, which we'll look at in a moment. For large, spreading plants you will need to record the spread too. It would be helpful if you were able to identify the plants that you're measuring. Don't worry, we'll look at that plant identification later too.

For all internal features on-site you will need to decide whether the triangulation method is the best to use, or whether you would get a better result using the offset technique. Both methods are fine and you will probably have to use both during the survey. So long as, whichever technique you are using, the measurements come from a fixed point.

Offset measurements

These are excellent for determining an irregular shape such as lawn edges, flowerbeds and ponds. You will need to introduce a new baseline that is in a more convenient position. Wherever your new baseline is, be it along a fence or down the middle of the garden, make sure you plot that baseline in relation with other fixed points. Using your steel retractable measuring tape, take measurements from your new baseline at right angles to the feature to be measured. Use aset square if necessary, to ensure excat 90* angles. Take measurements at regular intervals along the feature (see diagram below), allowing closer intervals for more curvier subjects. If you find your baseline is greater than, say, 3 metres from the feature you are trying to measure, it would be advisable to move your baseline closer to avoid inaccuracy.

Try to be as methodical as you can when you measure your garden. When you worked on your original baseline, I encouraged you to measure any features that were close by. If you are certain that you have all measurements required in the area of the first baseline, you can move it and use the tape for new baselines around the garden. Unless you want to use this process as a fitness workout and want to run about all over the place, then you'll find it easier, and faster, to measure an area of your garden just once.

Make sure that you record every feature, whether you plan on getting rid of it or not. If you have a summerhouse, that you intend on getting rid of, but later change your mind, you will already have its dimensions and position to hand. Remember to measure heights and thicknesses of retaining walls. With greenhouses and other buildings don't just measure to the apex of the roof but also to the lowest part of the roof. Remember to observe the way the doors open, their width, any other interesting details that you may find helpful later on. You will need to measure any steps in the garden, including the risers ands depth of each step. Any features, such as lighting or handrails will need to be recorded.

Are you exhausted yet? Don't worry you're nearly finished with this stage, then you can move onto more exciting parts of garden design.

If you have got steps in your garden, then that indicates that you must have a change in levels - don't lie to me now, I'll know! Guess what? You'll need to measure the level changes too. I'll go into that next time. Right now though, I'd say you deserve a nice cup of tea/coffee/other after all that hard work!

More Garden Designing Secrets Revealed

So...How did you get on with your baseline?

No problem, right? Good. Now we're up and running with this recording garden measurements thing we can crack on.

As I said yesterday, the next thing that we need to measure are all of the vertical measurements on the house. "Why bother?" I hear you ask( actually I don't hear you at all, but that would be really clever wouldn't it?). The purpose of having a detailed plan of your house face is so that any design you create matches in with architecture and is kept within proportion to the building. Although you may not be aware of it at the time, if you design a feature that is out of proportion to the house then it just won't 'sit' right in the garden and will bug you forever, or until you get so fed up with it, you rip it out and change it.

To record the vertical measurements of the house you need to include everything you can see. It sounds a bit daunting, but actually, once you get going, it's not that bad - honest. Remember to record the dimensions and locations of all windows and doors, windowsills, air bricks, vents, downpipes (carrying water, electric, gas), taps, and also the damp proof course (DPC) level. If you can't see a DPC then it may not be visible or may not even exist - don't worry about it in this case then. You will need to be really detailed with measurements for the doors and windows. Don't just record their dimensions, but also measure the doorframe, jamb, and where the middle point of french doors are located. You will also benefit from noting which way all doors and windows open. On the windows look out for not only the actual size of it but where the glass finishes and the sill begins. You might find on inspection an unusual pattern of glass that you can incorporate into your design at a later date.

In order to record all of this accurately, imagine that your baseline tape is now running up the right-hand side of the house face as you are stood looking at it ( only imagine- don't actually move that baseline tape!). Your original point of origin will still be in the same position. Now, using your steel retractable measuring tape, record from the base of the building up to each feature that doesn't reach the ground (see diagram below). You should already have it's location along the building face from your original baseline measurements but you may find it handy to check. There's inevitably something that gets missed.

You won't need to risk your life to measure the whole height of the building. Nor will you need to run to your neighbour, asking to borrow their ladder (apologies if you, yourself, own a ladder). You can approximate the height of the building by counting the courses of bricks and multiplying them. You will need to measure a brick and one side of the mortar joint to do this!

Before you ask what to do if there is no exposed brick, here's what to do. Simply take a photograph of the house, and using a known measurement, for example a window height, calculate how many times that measurement fits within the height of the building. Any features that are above the ground floor may not be directly relevent to the design of the garden and so there is no need for complete accuracy with these measurements. It is acceptable to guesstimate these measurements.

Whilst making all of these measurements, it is wise to add notes in a separate pad, to record details and observations as you discover them. Note the style of the house, colour of bricks, etc.

If your house has a conservatory or existing extension then you will need to take this into careful consideration before you lay your baseline. You will need to record all the measurements of these additional buildings too - sorry!

Now you should have every measurement required to give you an accurate drawing of the house face. You may also have measurements for existing drain covers, outlines of patios, built-in bbqs, etc. That's all good. These will enable you to make a detailed site survey drawing to scale later on.

A Bit about Scale and how to work to it.

The purpose of a scale is to represent a full sized garden. I would be seriously impressed if you could find a sheet of paper large enough to draw a fully sized plan of your garden but I somehow doubt that that is possible.That is why scale is so useful. You can create an exact replica of your garden just smaller.

Before I get all technical with the scale talk, you may find it handy to have your scale rule close by.

If you require a detailed drawing then it is advisable to use a larger scale (these are the smaller numbers on the scale rule). You will need to be careful with just how large a scale you decide to use though, as the larger the scale, the larger the paper, and that could cause difficulties. A drawing that is produced using a scale of 1:20 is going to be much larger than a scale drawing at 1:100. The size of paper needs to be practical to use. I use A2 or occasionally A3. I find that A4 is just too small. There needs to be room for detailed notes as well as the drawing.

The following scales are usually used for garden design drawings:

A Scale of 1:200 - every unit of your drawn plan represents 200 units on the ground. So if you draw 1cm onto your plan, it will represent 200cms, or 2 metres. This scale is restricted to larger gardens where details are not really required.

A Scale of 1:100 - every unit of your drawn plan represents 100 units on the ground. So if you draw 1cm onto your plan, it will represent 100cms, or 1 metre. If you have a small or medium sized garden then this is the scale for you. You will be able to include a reasonable amount of detail without needing a forest to achieve it (that's a metaphorical forest- you don't have to put one in your garden!).

A Scale of 1:20 - every unit of your drawn plan represents 20 units on the ground. So if you draw 1cm onto your plan, it will represent....yep, you guessed it, 20cm on the ground. This scale is excellent for more detailed drawings, such as construction drawings and very small gardens.

A Scale of 1:50 - is between the two scales above and is commonly used for planting plans and medium gardens.

Have a look at your scale rule. You will see that it includes ( or mine does anyway) scales of up to 1:500, 1:1000, 1:10000, 1:1250. These would all produce tiny drawings, so are generally used for producing maps and plans of extremely large areas. I'm talking country estate size here, so it's best you avoid these sized scales, unless you own a country estate that is!

It is vitally important to draw your plans to scale so that you can eventually have your design created in real life. If some poor person is having to re-jig your design so that it fits into your allocated space, they aren't going to be happy.

Try practising using your scale rule to draw simple objects. Only use your scale rule to make measurements. Do not use it to draw the actual lines. This will ruin the edges of the scale rule and future results will be innaccurate.

Try drawing these rectangles at scales of 1:100 and 1:50:

• 6m x 12m
• 3.5m x 5m
• 16m x 8.5m

Repeat the exercise using these following dimensions:

• 10cm x 5cm
• 15cm x 20cm

Now draw them using scales 1:10 and 1:20

Remember to write the scale that you decide to use on the bottom right-hand side of each drawing you produce. That way, when you refer back to it, you won't have to spend ages trying to work out what scale you were working to.

The next part of the site survey to measure, are the boundaries and features within the garden. I'll talk about that later. For now though, have a practice of scale drawing with those rectangles and measure your house facade.

Garden Designing made easy (ish)

So... how do you fancy learning something new today?

Have you ever looked over the fence at your neighbours garden and wished that your garden looked as good as theirs? Have you spent hours admiring their water feature, or their planted borders? Do you want to have a poshly designed garden but can't afford the extortionate fees that professional designers charge? ( I sound like an advertisement, sorry!)

I'm going to use this blog to show you some of the techniques that I use to design gardens. As with before, these are only my suggestions and are in no way, shape or form, gospel. There are no set rules for how to design a garden and you may know of a better way. That's fine with me, but you may find a few tips here anyway,that you hadn't thought of.

Okay...are you ready? Let's get started.

Before you even dare to consider what you might like in your garden, you will need to carry out a site survey. This will give you a measured plan of your garden and provide a blank canvas with which to create your masterpieces. It sounds quite boring, and, I'm afraid to say, it is! However, it is the most important part of designing your garden. Get this stage wrong and your designs won't fit causing all sorts of problems later on.

Can't draw? Don't worry, you won't need to be an artist to do this. It's just a matter of doing things in a methodical and logical manner to ensure that you end up with an accurate site survey drawing.

Things you will need:

• A clipboard and pad


• Large drawing pad - graph or plain paper


• Pens and pencils (pencils work better if it's wet, but I recommend only going out when it's dry, just because it's nicer then!))


• Scale Ruler (I'll go into more detail about scale later on)


• Beam Compass - allows you to create larger arcs than a normal compass


• Measuring tapes - should be 2x 30 metres if possible


• A 10 metres steel retractable tape measure


• Magnetic Compass (unless your already know your site orientation)


• Strong bamboo (or anything else) canes, or poles with which to mark out areas


• One 1 metre spirit level


• Soil pH testing kit (you can buy disposable kits from any garden centre - I'll talk about soil types later on)


• Some clean plastic bags and labels for your soil samples


• A digital camera (you could use a camera that needs film but it is harder)


• A trowel


• A pair of secateurs (how overgrown is your garden?)


• A large ball of string, 20- 35cm wooden pegs and some lengths of timber (this is to measure any differences in ground level)


• You may like to consider getting yourself an assistant at this point to help with the survey

And that's it, you're ready to go measure that garden. You can of course, use anything else that comes to hand that you might find useful. Old bricks or stones for holding down tapes, etc.

Okay, so the primary purpose of a site survey is to accurately measure the plot. However, it is also at this time that you should make notes of anything that may influence your design. Become a detective in your own who-dunnit mystery and use your sleuthing skills to spot any potential problems. For example, there may be old electric cables running just underground, which if later dug up could prove rather dangerous.

Don't think that you can only measure the plot in one go. If you think, when you come to drawing up your site survey that you've made a mistake, get yourself back out to the garden, and measure it again. Take as much time as you need. As I said before, it's important to get this bit right.

When on-site ( this means you're in your garden but I'm going to refer to it as on-site now as it's quicker for me to type), you will need to make as accurate a record of all features as possible. You will not need to draw your plan to scale at this point. Which is lucky, as if it was pouring down with rain, it could prove tricky to be drawing a scale plan! You will however need to sketch a rough plan of everything you need to measure onto your graph paper (or whatever paper you chose to use). You may find it beneficial to record some of the main features (boundaries and baseline) to scale whilst you're on-site to ensure accuracy when you come to draw up the entire site survey. Your chances of success are greatly improved if you use a sensibly sized piece of paper for your on-site draft - using a small sheet of paper is just going to get too crowded with numbers for you to read it.

A quick lesson on how to use a measuring tape

Sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs at this point, but it is important that you get to know your particular tools well. Familiarise yourself with your tape measures (you don't need to be on first name terms with them, knowing what they look like will suffice!). Some tapes are bound by metal ends which unfold to produce the start of the measure. Have a look at yours. It may be that it starts at 3-4 centimetres. If this is the case you need to remember this when you are using it.

When using your tape, make sure that the ends are up close to the position you want to record and that you hold it taut. Do not allow the tape to twist and keep it as low to the ground as possible. Holding a tape high could cause it to sag and you would not get an accurate reading. This could occasionally be unavoidable in the garden setting. For example, you may need to measure through large shrubs. If this situation occurs, don your camouflage paint and army trousers and head into ambush (or should that be "a bush"?). The only way to do this successfully is to get right into the thick of things. Your secateurs may come in handy at this point!

Measuring tape lesson over.

The first thing that you will need to establish on your site survey is the baseline. This is a line between two static points in the garden that you will take all major measurements from. It is usually taken from the line of the side of the house that faces the garden. This is because, with a bit of luck, the person who built your house, built it straight and so should provide accurate results. After this you can then measure the boundary walls, or fences, that come from the baseline. You should try, as much as is possible, to use the baseline to record all significant features. This includes any drain covers, trees, or plants that you wish to keep. At times, it may be necessary to have more than one baseline. If you're lucky enough to have a garden that surrounds your house, then you will need to create a baseline for each side of the house and take subsequent measurements for that side of the garden only. Are you still with me? Or have I lost you completely?

Let's look in detail at how to measure the baseline...

Arm yourself with your first 30 metre tape. Position its end at the left-hand boundary of the house and secure it there. Now run the tape along the edge of the house and to the edge of the garden (boundary) that is in line with your baseline (see diagram a). This is your baseline and will be referred to as the point of origin for all future measurements. Following this, you will need to plot every detail that happens along the baseline. For example, doors, drains, air bricks, etc.

The baseline in this diagram runs along just in front of the house rather than up against it. This is to allow for any protrusions such as doorsteps. Notice that all measurements are written at right angles to the line. This is to prevent numbers muddling into one another and creating chaos when you come to draw them up.

When you measure points along your baseline, you should measure starting from zero. Refer to diagram a again, you will notice that each feature is measured from the same point of origin, in this case, the left-hand boundary. You should never move your baseline, or point of origin as any mistakes made will acculminate and be made worse with subsequent measurements.

If, as is in the case of our made up house in diagram a, your fixed baseline has had to to be laid away from the house wall to allow for protrusions, then you will need to use your steel measuring tape to record where the house face moves in and out.

Once you are satisfied that you have all of the measurements that exist along the baseline, leave the measuring tape where it is, you will need it again.

The next thing to record will be all of the vertical measurements for the house face. I'll discuss that later though. For now, just focus on getting your baseline measurements accurate and we'll go from there.

In The beginning

As I am a virgin Blogger, I hope you will bear with me while I learn what the hell I'm meant to be doing!

My plan is to generally talk about anything that takes my whim that day. I will probably discuss gardening the most, as that is what I do (correction- did) for a living. I have in mind to pass on my advice to anyone who wants it. Take heed though - I don't proclaim to be an expert on everything and anything I say is just my opinion and not guaranteed to work. So no law suits please, thanks.

Okay...let's do this...