The young children loved to look at creepy-crawlies and wildlife. The parents wanted a more interesting garden for themselves and the children at a low cost.

Starting with the current plan as shown below, then one adds the grid to it as shown in the second plan. A diagonal grid was used to aid the design in making it a series of triangles to break up the long length of this garden. The grid was based on the width of the French windows at the back.

The third plan shows the proposed structural design, which reuses the original patio slabs. The beds would provide different habitats for the wildlife (Compost bin for worms, water cistern and bog garden for water based creatures and plants) and flower in the different seasons (winter, spring, summer). It is very important that the structural design is agreed by everyone, before any further detailed design work is carried out.

This plan shows the proportions of the lawn, beds and patio/path areas, which should be about equal. To keep the cost down, the path/patio proportion has been considerably lowered in favour of lawn, which is cheaper.

This shows the detail of the plants selected and each turn of the green line from the plant name indicates the central position of each of those plants.

This one shows the bulbs that would be planted. It is to be remembered that in the same patch of soil, you can have a tree, a climbing plant, a shrub, a groundcover plant, a summer bulb, and autumn bulb, a winter bulb and a spring bulb. Please use your vertical spaces as well as the space on the ground. It is not wise to select plants in the same area that will end up being all either the same width or height. If the same height; then it looks like a hedge. If the same width, then it looks too regimented. It is also wise to use a minimum of 3 plants of the same selection or an odd number of them above that number. If an even number is used, then the mind will try and make sure that they are evenly spaced, which may not be the effect that you are looking for!!

This plan has got the CAD program to calculate the lengths of edging of the path/patio etc. These facilities in the CAD program to calculate lengths and areas are very useful and save you time in trying to calculate them yourself.

This shows the irrigation plan, which uses Leaky Pipe to irrigate the garden. Leaky-Pipe is made from recycled tyres and uses low water pressure to drip water onto the soil in up to 50 feet lengths. Remember to fit a pressure reducer after the external water tap and the battery driven water controller. You may find that once every 3 days for one hour will be sufficient: trial and error required!! The irrigation system is laid after the plants have been inserted. Then, apply a 3" layer of mulch of either Bark or Spent Mushroom Compost to a) feed the plants and b) stop the water from evaporating from the surface due to wind or sun drying it out. You can assume that water from the Leaky-Pipe will reach 9" each side of the pipe.

This plan shows the current lawns in green and the path/patio in red

This plan shows the prosed lawns in green and the proposed paths/patios in red. These block diagrams then provide an easier visual for your family to understand the difference between the current and the proposed plans.

It is important to produce all these plans before any construction work progresses.

If some electricity was required in the garage, then the armalite cable could be put under the path. For irrigation, the feeder pipes to the the Leaky-Pipe could also go under the path. These decisions about design ramifications can then be made at design, rather than after construction starts.

The following two photos show what was the existing state of the garden:-

The following 8 photographs show the just completed state of the planting, irrigation system and mulching of the garden.

The Leaky-Pipe irrigation system is laid on the ground after the plants have been inserted, and before a 3" deep mulch of Spent Mushroom Compost is laid on top. The Right hand photo above indicates that the system starts from the external tap on the house wall.

The vine-eye climbing support system shown below is composed of short vine-eyes on the top and bottom rows, together with the 2 ends. The middle rows have 4" long vine-eyes to keep an airflow behind the climber. The 1.25 mm wire is drawn through the diagonals first and the horizontal rows are done. If it is done the other way round, then there will be too much friction to get all the diagonals through.

The following 2 photos show the completed garden:-

The following 7 photos show the garden 10 months later. This garden had then been maintained during that time by the family living there:-