30 August 2024
Our gardens are up to 54% larger than the average new build plot in the region - so what do you do with all that outdoor space?
A large blank canvas can appear overwhelming, when in fact, it’s the perfect opportunity to get creative! Here we’ve compiled our top tips on how to make the most of your new build garden:
1. Seek inspiration - from this season’s Chelsea champions’ award-winning garden designs:
Gold winner is an accessible, immersive forest bathing experience creating a green tapestry of 4,000 plants amongst 50 birch trees. Ula Maria’s design is inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, which translates to bathing in the forest atmosphere and reconnecting with nature through our senses. In return, forest bathing can offer many physical and mental health benefits such as stress relief, lowered blood pressure and improved pain threshold. You too can create a sheltered sanctuary to reconnect with nature by planting trees in your gardens.
Multi award-winner Octavia Hill Garden by Blue Diamond with the National Trust. Features vibrant colours from Irises and Alliums amongst sweeping grasses and wildflowers, with seating immersed in nature.
Pioneering social reformer Octavia Hill (1838–1912), a founder of the National Trust, believed that ‘the healthy gift of air and the joy of plants and flowers’ were vital in everyone’s life. She worked tirelessly to improve urban housing and protect green space; a value Walton Homes today holds strong. While celebrating Octavia’s legacy, the garden also aims to inspire people to create innovative gardens that connects with the beauty and complexity of the natural world.
2. Create dedicated spaces - begin by thinking about how you will use your garden. This could be a quiet space for reflection, for entertaining friends and family, playing with the children, growing your own vegetables. Link these areas with pathways to connect your space.
3. Listen to the experts - named the 2024 Chelsea Plant of the Year by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the ornamental cherry tree was selected for its combination of beauty, practicality, and performance, and for being well-suited to the UK's climate; making it an ideal choice for an English garden!
4. If privacy is a priority - in addition to planting trees, adding Red Robin, laurel and trellises with climbers such as clematis and roses to your garden fence will create instant vertical greenery and a feeling of enclosure.
5. Check your plant choices -it can be difficult to know what to plant, and where best to plant it, so we recommend the RHS plant checker. As a starter for ten, if you are looking to create colour:
Buddleia is an easy and fast-growing shrub, that will suit any garden where there is sun and well-drained soil.
Hebbes are a popular choice for new build gardens for their striking foliage and blooms and are low maintenance.
Usually planted in the autumn ready to bloom in early spring, perennials such as daffodils and tulips are a popular choice, flowering year after year.
6. Take a seat – remember to incorporate an outdoor space where you can enjoy all your hard work. This can be as simple as a garden bench, patio seating area or garden room with outdoor kitchen. With so much space, the choice is yours!
