How to Improve Your Garden: 10 Expert Tips for Better Garden Design

The best gardens have one thing in common: they are easy to love.

They feel right from the moment you step into them. They are places you want to spend time in and enjoy everything they have to offer.

Most gardens struggle with the same few things that hold them back from ever feeling calm and right.

The following ten points highlight where gardens most often fall short, and how to fix that.

10 Practical Changes that Make a Real Difference in Any Garden

1) Don’t Show Everything at Once

The fastest way to make a garden feel unconvincing? Reveal everything at once.

In practice, this usually happens for two reasons:

Nothing to Hold the Eye

There is nothing to see in the first place. The garden doesn't offer us anything. The lawn has no deliberate shape; it merely follows the outline that the house dictates. There are no planting beds or borders. The eye has nowhere meaningful to land.

Instead, our view drifts outward, toward neighboring houses, their drying racks, trampolines, AC, and heat pump units.

And so, these elements become the accidental focal points of our garden because nothing else is offered and nothing else competes for attention.

When a garden lacks substance, it cannot guide the eye in a controlled, deliberate way. And when the eye is not guided toward something more pleasant, it settles on whatever is available, whether we like it or not.

Planting Pushed to the Boundary

The second issue is just as common. There may be some planting, but it is pushed to the boundary and confined to a thin strip along the plot’s border.

The result is a garden, defined by the shape of the plot, which is rarely flattering.

What remains is an empty, exposed space with no depth, no structure, and no interest. The boundary becomes the only area that draws the eye, simply because it is the only place where anything is happening, where any planting exists.

A garden that reveals everything at once has no narrative. It feels flat and emotionless. It has little ability to charm us. It is immediately understood and just as quickly forgotten.

Good gardens do the opposite. They hold something back.

They guide the eye in a controlled way and direct our movement through space. They evoke our curiosity, they offer reasons to explore it, and provide a sense of anticipation. Well-designed gardens charm us through surprise and discovery.

So we create paths that lead the eye away from the boundary and toward something interesting. We place sculptures to act as focal points. We block views with hedges or walls. We use trees to screen less desirable views in the distance. We use planting to partially obscure the view, suggesting that more of the garden lies on the other side.

Planting is a powerful design tool when we want to interrupt the view just enough so the garden is not revealed in a single glance, yet still offers glimpses of it.

The goal is not to hide everything, but to reveal the garden gradually.

2) Beef Up the Planting

It can feel counterintuitive and even unnatural. A two-meter strip of bare soil waiting to be planted can look excessive, and it often raises questions. But this is exactly where the difference is made. Go as generous with planting beds as your garden can accommodate.

The depth of planting beds and borders is what gives a garden immersion, richness, and a guaranteed wow factor.

Even in a tiny garden, no bed should be narrower than 60 cm, and that is already pushing the limit. You might get away with one narrow border if other borders in the same garden are wider. But, where space allows, go wider without hesitation.

When the Lawn Takes Over

A garden cannot feel balanced if the lawn dominates the space, with the lawn-to-planting-area ratio heavily favoring the lawn.

When most of the space is given over to lawn and planting is reduced to thin strips of 50 cm or less, which is surprisingly common, the result does not feel like a garden, much less a refined one.

The depth of a planting bed will make your garden feel more immersive and allow for much better layering, creating depth and interest. Plant in layers (underplanting, bulbs, perennials, shrubs, trees), and include evergreens for year-round structure.

This becomes especially important along the boundaries of the garden. Generous planting beds blur that boundary and prevent the eye from landing immediately on fences or hedges. Without planting borders, or if they are not sufficiently deep, the eye lands directly on fences and hedges, which is something we deliberately try to avoid in most designs.

The rule is simple. Wherever the planting bed is positioned, whether near a terrace, along a pergola, or as a planting border at the boundary of the plot, make it as generous as possible.

3) Reduce the Variety of Planting

Ask yourself one simple question. Does your planting feel calm or busy? Aim for calm.

Calm should not mean empty, and calm does not mean boring. It means avoiding a mix of too many textures, colors, and forms competing for attention at once.

In very small gardens, you can limit yourself to around five plant varieties while still layering properly, and the result will often be far more harmonious than an overloaded scheme. In small gardens, around ten varieties can be enough.

It is much easier to achieve cohesion with fewer plants. The eye needs places to rest and patterns to follow. Rhythm and repetition provide this. Too many scattered plants break that rhythm and create visual noise.

Many DIY stores and poorly stocked garden centers contribute to this problem by encouraging small, mixed purchases, often because they do not stock the same varieties in sufficient quantities. The result is planting that feels busy rather than calm, and confusing rather than composed.

Here, a planting plan proves its worth by defining what to plant and in what quantities, avoiding scattered, ad hoc choices. It gives you a clear list to work from, removing the temptation to pick up a few of everything at the garden center, which often leads to disappointing results.

4) Identify and Handle Intrusive Elements

Principle: first identify, then decide whether to keep, move, or remove.

Garden designers love focal points. Thought-out, well-chosen focal points. The aim is to draw attention to something specific and deliberate, without confusing the eye or forcing it to compete with unnecessary visual noise.

The problem is that many gardens are defined by elements that were never meant to be the main attraction. Yet they end up acting as focal points. We call them accidental focal points.

It is far more common than you might think. There are plenty of these in gardens, drawing attention away from everything else and taking on a role they were never meant to play.

Let’s look at a few typical examples:

Trampolines

We always tell clients that it’s worth being honest about whether the trampoline is still regularly used. In many cases, the answer is no. If it no longer serves a purpose, remove it.

The space it occupies is large and valuable, especially in small- to medium-sized gardens.

If it does need to stay, treat it properly. A sunken trampoline framed by generous planting is far less intrusive than a tall, above-ground one. Alternatively, consider screening it with instant hedging that is already large enough to cover a meaningful portion of its height from the start.

And think a step ahead. Children grow up. Over time, this area can evolve into something more refined that nicely contributes to the overall design. A quiet reading nook, a place for morning yoga, a fire pit for late evenings with friends, or even a hedged vegetable garden.

Play Equipment

Play equipment today is often very plasticky and overly colorful, with strong primary colors that immediately draw attention.

On its own, it already dominates the space and becomes even more intrusive when trying to create a calm, balanced garden.

Where possible, opt for neutral-colored or natural materials. Wooden play equipment is easier on the eye and far more forgiving when integrating it into the overall design. If you have a suitable tree, a simple swing hung from it will always feel more natural and welcoming than an intrusive, freestanding A-frame swing set.

It is also worth considering what is actually used. In many gardens, a few elements are used constantly, while others are barely touched. Remove and sell, or donate what is no longer needed.

Then create a simple, well-defined play area in one part of the garden, with just a few well-used elements. This can be positioned so parents can sit comfortably and supervise. It works far better than having multiple elements scattered across the entire garden.

Raised Beds

Raised beds are often introduced with good intentions. They make growing vegetables easier, are gentler on the back, and can look lovely when properly integrated into the garden.

The problem is scale. When raised beds are too large, too tall, or too dominant compared to the rest of the garden, they immediately draw attention. They become accidental focal points, which is rarely what we want.

In most climates, they also spend much of the year looking sad, empty, or unkempt. And even at their peak, vegetables rarely provide lasting visual interest.

The idea of a picture-perfect vegetable bed is often more appealing than the reality.

General advice is to avoid very high and overly long raised beds. Lower, smaller beds are far more forgiving to the eye and sit more comfortably within the overall composition of the garden.

Another common issue is placement.

When positioning a long, rectangular raised bed parallel to a long, narrow part of the garden, this only emphasizes the narrowness of the space, making it feel even more constrained.

Instead, breaking up such an area with smaller beds, placed perpendicular to the space, opens it up, makes it feel wider, and creates a more inviting and usable layout.

Depending on the style of your house and garden, sometimes, alternatives can work better. Large terracotta planters or even simple barrels can be a more flexible and visually pleasing way to grow herbs or vegetables.

Whatever you choose, you can soften these elements with planting. Low herbs, such as thyme, at the base, help integrate these elements into the garden and prevent them from standing out too starkly.

Material choice also matters. Prefabricated raised beds often come in materials that do not relate to anything else in the garden. Whenever possible, choose materials already present on your property so they feel linked to the overall design rather than competing with it.

5) Unify Materials and Colors

Another common issue is a lack of cohesion in materials, often seen as a mix of mismatched finishes.

It happens a lot, in practice, to see different gravels, slabs, and finishes that do not relate to one another.

A simple test helps: look at everything in your garden visible at once and ask yourself, would I wear all of this together? Think of the house as the body and everything in the garden as an outfit - clothing, shoes, and jewelry. If it doesn’t work as one outfit, the garden will feel mismatched, too, no matter how good the individual pieces are.

All finishing details, especially in hardscaping, need to work together. They should not feel as separate, conflicting elements pulling in different directions, each doing its own thing.

Terraces and patios next to the house should feel cohesive with the adjoining interior. This does not mean extending indoor materials outside, but it does mean considering them carefully so the transition feels natural and that materials do not clash.

In particular, in smaller gardens where the garden serves as an extension of the living space, indoor and outdoor materials should be well integrated.

When choosing finishes, always lean toward timeless rather than trend-driven.

Hardscape and built elements such as paving, fencing, and garden walls are long-term decisions. Here, timelessness and longevity should guide your choices, not short-term styling.

If you want to introduce something more playful, quirky, or trendy, do it with smaller, movable elements. Pots, textiles, cute lanterns. These can carry personality without long-term commitment. When you move on from that phase, they can easily be replaced or passed on without regret. Hardscape materials cannot.

Be mindful when experimenting with trends in hardscaping. Changing paving after two seasons because you no longer like it is a costly commitment most people try to avoid. Instead, many end up living with their choice for years, disliking it, hoping to grow fond of it, and wishing they had chosen natural stone.

6) Unify Furniture and Decoration

Take a step back and look at your outdoor furniture as a whole. Does it feel like it belongs together? Does it have a common essence?

If an eclectic mix is what you are aiming for, it can absolutely work. But it needs to be deliberate. A random mix of colors, styles, and finishes is far less forgiving than it seems and instantly affects the entire feel of the garden.

It is perfectly fine to introduce color here and there. A small, bright turquoise or even yellow bistro set, if it works with the planting, can be charming and uplifting in a secluded, lush corner of the garden. The main dining area, however, is usually not the best place to experiment, especially if it clashes with the house facade or the interior spaces it connects to. Conversely, if the house is very restrained, a touch of color in the furniture can help bring warmth and character to the space.

It is also a common misconception that good furniture has to be expensive. High-quality teak pieces are often available second-hand, and they last for decades. In many cases, all they need is a proper cleaning. Left untreated, they develop a lovely soft grey patina that works beautifully across different styles.

When it comes to furniture and decoration, finishes matter just as much as form. An umbrella fabric that does not relate to outdoor cushions or rugs can feel disconnected. Even more noticeable are built-in elements, such as awnings or pergolas attached to the house. If these are in colors that do not relate to the house, they stand out immediately. These decisions are expensive to correct later and tend to dominate the space in the wrong way.

It is why designers create mood boards for each project, aligning the house, hardscape, furniture, and planting into a coherent whole from the outset.

Example: Two mood boards illustrating a coherent design approach: one focused on soft landscaping, the other on hardscape.

Add a Sculpture

There is little that immediately elevates a garden more than a beautiful, properly displayed sculpture.

In a well-placed, perfectly chosen position, it acts as a focal point, adding a little extra to the garden, while tying the whole space together.

A nice, well-placed sculpture can give even the most ordinary setting an exceptional presence throughout the year. It creates something to look at, something to move towards, and something that anchors the space.

But it needs to belong. A sculpture must feel integrated, not feel like an object placed on a lawn, or simply sticking out from the middle of nowhere. It needs to be grounded. This can be done by elevating it on a pedestal, placing it on a solid base such as a stone plinth or beam, or setting it into a more structured setting.

In all cases, a sculpture looks best when framed by planting that supports it and gives it the presence it deserves.

Remember, the golden rule in unifying materials is simple: simplify.

Reduce the variety, and be deliberate about how each element will fit into the garden before bringing it in. A good deal is rarely worth years of looking at something that doesn’t belong, so consider carefully how each new item fits into the whole before purchasing.

7) Paths Should Never Be an Afterthought

With paths, as with everything in garden design, we must first define their function and purpose within the design.

Paths reinforce directional movement, and as such, they must lead somewhere. If they don’t, the result is confusing and feels unresolved.

The way a path leads can differ greatly. It can take us from A to B in the most direct way, or it can guide us through the garden more slowly, inviting exploration and discovery. In all cases, paths must be in tune with the overall design. They should never feel like an afterthought or just a connection between functional zones or garden rooms. They should link these areas into a coherent whole.

Where things often go wrong is when paths are added later, once it becomes clear that walking across the same line in the lawn turns muddy. The result is exactly what it is: an afterthought. It does not integrate with the design and stands out in an intrusive way, becoming an accidental element that draws the eye.

Instead, paths should always be positioned deliberately, so they support the design rather than fight it.

Paths allow us to control how the garden is used and experienced, and designing them comes down to asking the right questions:

• Which areas should paths link?

• What feelings do we want to evoke on certain paths or parts of paths?

• Where do we want people to pause, and what should they look at there?

• Do we want people to breeze by on certain paths, or walk slowly on others? With design, width, and material choices, we control the desired outcomes.

• What should paths offer in terms of aesthetics?

• What materials should be used, where, and why (for example, in shady, damp areas, we would not use slippery materials; we also would not use a woodchips path as the main path to the garden)?

• How many people should be able to walk side by side on the path?

• If paths are to be used by people with disabilities or those using wheelchairs, this should be considered when determining width and paving material.

• Do we want a certain area to look larger than it is? Narrower paths, with close planting alongside, can achieve this by making the space that follows feel wider and more open.

• Will we lay slabs perpendicular or parallel to a narrow area? Using a wider orientation across the space rather than along its length can make it feel larger.

• Have we adequately considered the fall to allow water to drain away? And drainage?

• What edging should be used for paths?

8) Careful With Curvilinear Shapes

The common thinking is that nature does not do straight lines, so curves must feel more natural in a garden, but this is often where things can go terribly wrong.

Why Straight Lines Often Work Better

Chances are pretty high that you don’t live in a circular house. And so, in most cases, straight, rectilinear planting beds will sit far more comfortably in the space than wavy, wiggly, overworked borders. Rectangular beds feel more grounded and more in tune with the house. As plants mature and begin to spill over the edges, nature softens these lines and far more convincingly than we ever could.

Curvilinear lines, when used well, can feel natural and serene. But their success depends on where and how they are used.

Design starts with the house

John Brookes forever changed how we think about gardens. He moved them away from merely being spaces for displaying or growing plants, presenting them as usable outside rooms and as an extension of the home.

Being credited as the “man who made the modern garden”, he highlighted the importance of shapes and patterns that link directly to the house. In garden design, this translates into the use of clear geometric principles and strong ground patterns.

The Rule of Thirds in Practice

In his designs, Brookes structured a garden into three parts:

• the First Third,

• the Second Third

• and the Last Third.

The first third, closest to the house, reflects the building through its hardscape. It is typically kept simple, with straight lines that follow the building’s outline and the architecture of the house, forming terraces, patios, and paths right next to the house.

Then the garden branches into the second and third, becoming less formal as it begins to loosen. Lines extend into the garden, often at right angles, before opening into broader forms. Here, curves may begin to appear, and planting becomes less rigid. The design creates a strong ground pattern that can be emphasized with shaped lawns, walls, hedges, rough grass shapes, or planting beds. The planting then gradually shifts to a wilder, more naturalistic look as we progress into the final third of the garden.

As the garden enters its final third and moves further away from the house, both physically and visually. In the final third, particularly in larger gardens, we lean into curvilinear shapes, where, when possible, we tie the design into its surroundings, borrowing views and working with the wider landscape.

In the most practical possible way, the rule of thirds tells us what shapes we aim to use in what areas of the garden, and also what kind of materials and planting should be applied for best results.

The Rule of Thirds is Less Distinct in Small Gardens

In small gardens, the rule of thirds is less distinct, as limited space restricts the full expression of the final third. In many cases, there is little or no room for lawn, let alone meadow planting. In courtyard gardens, borrowed views are rarely possible, so it is typically through the planting in the latter parts of the garden that this sense of loosening is expressed.

Why Small, Nervous Curves Fail

If curves are used, they need to be generous. Avoid tight, nervous lines. Do not compress multiple turns into a short distance. Let the curves be broad and calm, organic, turning gently through the space. The goal is not to create fake and forced movement for its own sake, but to create a garden that feels composed and pleasant.

Small “wiggly” curves, often seen in edging that separates the lawn from flower beds or patios, are a far cry from that sense of calm or refinement.

If planting beds are well-designed, generously laid out, and with year-round interest in mind, they look good throughout the seasons. In winter, however, the structure and shape of the beds are more exposed. Here, strong, simple lines hold the design together. Small, restless curves do not.

What may look decent in summer often becomes awkward in winter, when all those wiggly, uneven curves stand out.

Every line we introduce, whether through a planting edge border, a path, or a wall, establishes a relationship with the house.

These lines need to be clear and strong enough to stand on their own, while still relating back to the architecture.

When curves are introduced too close to the house, that relationship often breaks down. The planting then has to work much harder to soften the transition, and in most gardens, planting simply isn’t strong enough to do this well.

9) Add Height

External space is defined by three planes:

• the Ground or Base Plane,

• the Vertical Plane,

• and the Overhead Plane.

We introduce height into a space through the vertical and overhead planes.

The vertical plane includes the house walls, garden walls, fences, trees, and shrubs. It directly affects what we see and how much privacy we feel. It controls how views are revealed or concealed. We also use the vertical plane to guide the eye in the direction we want, to frame desirable views, and to screen or hide less attractive ones.

The overhead plane is created by awnings, trellises, arbors, pergolas, tree canopies, and the sky. It serves two key functions. It controls the amount and quality of light entering the space, and it strongly influences the perceived scale of the garden.

A garden feels pleasant and resolved when all three planes are considered and work together in balance.

Introducing height is an important design move that gives the space structure, scale, presence, and year-round performance.

Too many gardens are designed almost entirely on the ground plane, without considering all three planes.

How would you feel in a room with only a floor and some furniture, but no walls or ceiling? Exposed? Uncomfortable? Not quite at ease? Such a space would not feel calm or complete. The same applies to a garden.

We need a vertical plane and an overhead layer, as both play an important role in how we feel in the garden. We want to feel secluded, safe, and relaxed. Without vertical and overhead elements, something essential is missing.

These elements shape how we perceive the scale, size, and atmosphere of a garden.

Pergolas, arbors, and archways bring so much interest, depth, and structure to a garden. These are elements that can tie together two areas, two outdoor rooms, seamlessly and meaningfully. And it feels amazing every time you walk through a blooming rose arbor. The experience it creates, the atmosphere, the emotion, it is such a valuable addition to a garden, yet it is still too rarely used.

It does not need to be complicated. A simple, modern, decorative pergola with two posts and a clean beam on top can make a world of difference, adding structure, interest, and presence throughout the year.

10) Plant Trees and Larger Shrubs

A well-chosen and well-placed tree makes an immense contribution to a garden. It transforms how we perceive the space and how we feel when looking at it and moving through it.

Every garden needs a tree or a larger shrub. And yet, many are left without even a single one.

There is rarely a good reason for this. If a garden truly cannot accommodate a small tree or a taller shrub, it is likely too small to accommodate people as well.

A tree does not need to be large. It can be a modest three-meter specimen, carefully chosen to suit the scale of the space.

Where constraints are even greater and planting in the ground is not possible, for example, above an underground garage, with limited soil depth, or on a terrace, a well-chosen multi-stem shrub in a generous planter can serve the same role. What matters is not size, but presence.

Trees should be chosen with great care. It is easy to get this wrong, and it often shows in trees that sit awkwardly within the design, disrupt the scale, outgrow their space, block light where it is needed, and stand out rather than belong.

Before deciding which tree or large shrub to plant, it is important to understand the role it needs to fulfill within the design, how it fits the overall style, and whether it will thrive in the given conditions.

Should it frame a view, provide shade, create privacy, or act as a focal point? And just as importantly, is the chosen species capable of delivering that over time, and throughout the year?

Answering the following questions will help narrow the selection:

• What space do we have available?

• What conditions will it grow in (soil type, climate, sun or shade, wind exposure, pollution)?

• Is the tree reliable, or is it prone to disease?

• What growth rate do we want?

• How much pruning are we willing to do?

• Will it provide structure to the garden?

• Will it act as a focal point?

• Does it need to provide privacy or screen views?

• Should it be evergreen?

• How dense should the canopy be? Do we want dense shade or a lighter, filtered canopy?

• Should it offer year-round interest?

• What form or habit are we looking for, and why?

• Do bark, texture, foliage, or flowers fit the overall planting scheme?

• Should it produce edible fruit?

  
  

Get this right, and the garden settles. The scale makes sense, the proportions feel right, the space gains structure, and the planting has something to relate to.

You know you made the right decision when the tree does not feel like an addition, but like it was always meant to be there.

See also 10 Common Planting Mistakes in garden design.