Gardening Inspiration

Well, one of the best ways is to visit other gardens. Most of the gardens open to the public on a regular basis are on the large scale - botanical gardens, stately homes, etc - but that doesn't mean you can't get ideas from them. Large gardens are often divided into smaller areas or rooms, which relate to the size of the average domestic garden.

But if you would really like a chance to take a peek at some fabulous private gardens then why not investigate the National Gardens Scheme? The Scheme raises money for various charities by opening private gardens to the public. Owners generously open their gardens to the public on specific days and money is raised from entry charges plus the sales of teas and plants. In all, there are 3,500 gardens in the Scheme and they are spread throughout England and Wales. They range from small urban gardens to country cottages and extensive landscape gardens.

Each year the NGS publish 'The Yellow Book' which lists the details of all the gardens in the scheme. Alternatively, you can purchase county lists, which are usually available at local nurseries and garden centres. Or you can now check out details on the NGS website, using their Garden Finder.

If you seek inspiration in a more sedentary fashion, then you can turn to books and magazines, and, of course, the Internet. But you don't need to limit your reading matter to horticultural themes - books on architecture, interior design and art can often provide inspiration of a very original kind. Look at how architects and interior designers divide spaces - could you adapt their methods to your own garden? Or could you incorporate the colour schemes and shapes from a piece of art into a border, or perhaps a whole garden. What about garden themes, such as a Charles Rennie Mackintosh garden or a Clarice Cliff one?

Once you start thinking along these lines you will start to see inspiration wherever you go - whether it is the effect of light and shade in a birch wood or the architecture in a busy city railstation!

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