WHAT YOU NEED TO START YOUR DREAM GARDEN To start on the process of creating your own dream garden I would first recommend getting a small list of handy items. The one thing that I cannot do without as I’m designing is a small notebook with unlined pages. Wherever I go I always end up collecting notebooks in all shapes and sizes. These are invaluable for jotting down ideas, making sketches and as a collection point for pictures from magazines. Get yourself a pretty one which you will enjoy using. You will also need some A3 paper. I would recommend using layout paper, as this thin paper is great for rough sketches. Paper, pencils, erasers and sharpeners will also come in handy, and for the ‘What Have You Got?’ chapter it would be good to have a scale rule, which is a ruler with different scales on it that is often used in building, so that you can draw your site to scale.
REMEMBER: don’t be daunted if you can’t draw well. This is not an art competition, it’s simply a means of exploring your ideas and dreaming up your own beautiful garden space.
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YOUR DREAMS |
an emotional way of dreaming up a concept
Long before we embark on the actual design of your garden on paper, and before we start looking at the practicalities of your site and design, I want you to consider this – what is your garden dream? Design choices, practicalities and functions are all important factors in the design process, but the vital first step is figuring out what you want your dream garden to be. At this stage, the founding idea behind your dream garden should be more of an emotion than a description, i.e. how you want the garden to make you feel when you walk into it. Think about it: have you ever walked into a garden and just sighed with the sheer beauty of it? This is not accidental. Well-designed spaces follow the rules of design, but they also have that certain something that makes them more than just a lovely space. They tend to offer an emotional connection.
REMEMBER that this is your garden and your chance to create your very own perfect space. There’s one major thing that I always say to my clients at this stage: DREAM BIG.
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DREAM BIG There are no limits at this stage of the design process. There is no budget, no restrictions, not even a site. All that comes later. This stage is about opening your mind and allowing yourself to dream up your most amazing, most inspiring and personally perfect garden space.
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