The right garden for you

With summer finally here, more and more people are enjoying the lighter nights and balmy evenings in the pleasant surroundings of what many perceive as the extension of their home - the garden.

The results of a survey, carried out by George Wimpey, suggests that homeowners in the South East are a region of garden lovers with 67% considering it as important as their indoor living space. The survey also reveals that 83% of homebuyers in South East are now looking for an easy-to-keep garden that provides the ideal space for a safe play area for children or somewhere to entertain friends - rather than somewhere that requires a great deal of time and effort to maintain.

So we know that we all value our outdoor space, but we all use our gardens differently. Some of us want an outdoor haven perfect for relaxing and entertaining, some of us want space for the flower beds and vegetable patch, whilst many want the ultimate low-maintenance garden. George Wimpey has teamed up with Kirsti Exelby from The Constant Gardener to help homebuyers create the perfect garden to suit their lifestyle.

"Moving home is a great opportunity to have a re-think about what you want from your outdoor space," explains Kirsti. "Moving into a new home means you literally get to wipe the ‘garden' slate clean and start again, which for most people is ideal. The garden is often the thing that gets forgotten or at best gets the after-thought when moving home so plan your garden move early and you'll be able to enjoy your outdoor space soon after you move in."

To help home-movers make the most of their new outdoor space, George Wimpey has joined forces with Kirsti to come up with ten top tips for creating the garden that is right for you.

George Wimpey South East Sales and Marketing Director, Mark Pajak, comments. "Taking on a new home is a daunting enough prospect as it is and the extra consideration of the outdoor space is a little too much for many home-movers and often gets left until further down the line. By following our top tips on garden design and maintenance, home-movers can create the garden to suit their lifestyle."

Top Tips For Creating the Right Garden For You

1. Plan a little, live a lot

You will have access to a ‘footprint' or drawing of your new home which includes a scale drawing of your garden. Use this to do a sketch of how you'd like the garden to look. Sketching on graph paper allows you to calculate how many metres sq of paving, turf etc you'll need to landscape the garden. This sketch can also be given to a garden designer.

2. North, South, East or West?

Which way does your plot face? If south-facing, you will have lots of sun and will need to consider using sun-tolerant plants. If north-facing, you'll need to consider shade-tolerant plants. If you want to create an entertaining or relaxing area, make sure you locate this where you get the sun.

3. Whose garden is it anyway?

If you have small children, you may wish to have a dedicated area for them including swings, climbing frame or playhouse. Kids also love growing vegetables and studying insects! You can use screens or hedges to ‘zone' the garden. If you want to use your garden for entertaining, you'll need an attractive area for tables, chairs, barbecue and storage. Choose from different materials such as natural stone, decking or gravel. And remember the all-important sun!
4. Look local!

Look around at the plants and trees growing locally. If they are thriving you'll know that they are going to be a good choice for you. Look at friends' and neighbours' gardens and decide what you like. Gaze around for inspiration!

5. Size matters!

Make sure you choose the correct size of plants for your garden.... oak trees are for parklands, not back gardens! The right selection of plants will make the most of the space you have. The wrong selection will take over the space and may not survive.

6. Low maintenance

If you want flowers but don't want the weeding, consider raised beds, well-mulched to suppress weeds, keeping maintenance to a minimum. Pot plants and hanging baskets are another great low-maintenance trick for featuring flowers in the garden.

7. Plant in pots and window boxes

Containers allow easy access and require minimum maintenance. Make sure you provide holes for drainage and be sure to water often - daily if possible. You can also grow fruit, vegetables and herbs in containers. These are great for sunny balconies and add another splash of colour.

8. Specimen trees

A specimen tree is always a good idea, particularly for a small garden and there's a great choice of dwarf-rooting stock which basically means they won't get really big! A good choice is silver birch which provides a fantastic all year-round interest or a mountain ash which blossoms with berries and wonderful autumnal colours.

9. Garden talking points

Add stylish garden furniture and ‘talking points', such as an eye-catching chrome ball fountain water feature for a contemporary feel. These are great for adding extra style and character to your garden and can be obtained at great value. Shop around!

10. A budget to suit you

Remember that you can create the garden in stages. That way, you can find a budget to suit you. You can create a great outdoor space in no time at all and then continue to build on your design and landscaping as your budget allows.

George Wimpey has a range of properties on offer across the South East region.

For further information, visit George Wimpey's information centres, which are open seven days a week from 10.00am to 5.00pm or log on to Georgewimpey.co.uk.