A successful garden design makes the most of the garden's space and achieves a harmony between its elements - plants, structures and the open spaces in-between. By combining lines and shapes, you'll be able to come up with a scheme that makes the most of your garden's size and shape and connects it visually with your house. But before you decide on the best arrangement of shapes to suit your garden's needs, you'll need to sketch out a plan...

Sketching your layout
Begin by measuring your garden's boundaries and sketching them out as a rough plan using graph paper and a pencil, or use our Garden Designer. Try not to get too bogged down by exact measurements, but do your best to ensure that everything is in proportion. Next, mark out any fixed aspects like the position of the house and its doors and windows; the main gate and immovable features you plan on keeping like pergolas, patios, water features and large trees/shrubs. You should also mark in any features that you plan on hiding in your new design - an unsightly shed or compost bins, for example. This is your basic layout. You might want to make a few photocopies or print-outs of it at this stage so you can experiment with the possibilities!

Adding lines and shapes
Think of your garden plan as an empty picture frame which you can fill with any lines or shapes you choose. Lines will lead your eye through the garden to areas of interest and shapes created blocked-out areas for hard or soft landscaping.

Flowing lines and curved shapes give the garden an informal feel, while circles can work in both formal and informal designs. Both oval and circular shapes draw the eye into the centre of the garden and make it feel more open.

Straight lines, squares and rectangles are more formal and provide a simple framework for gardens of all sizes. Use them squared off in the centre of the space for a formal design or lay them on the diagonal for a more relaxed look. Overlapping smaller squares and rectangles can also be very effective in creating a modern style.