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You wouldn't dream of randomly decorating a room in your house, without planning it out beforehand. The same should also be true when creating a garden from scratch. A well-designed garden looks like a picture, one that can be achieved by following a few simple steps. Together we’ll discover some tricks of the trade, and once you’ve got to grips with the basics, take a look at our range of garden styles to inspire you in your own design.

A garden that is completely empty of plants and features is good as you can put your own stamp on it right from the start. But it can also be tremendously daunting. Where do you start? What goes in and what should be left out? Don’t panic. Take your time and go one step at a time and the right garden will gradually evolve.

You don’t need a gingerbread cottage in the country to have a cottage garden. Old-fashioned flowers and a cluttered ‘look’ usually suits more traditional-style properties, but it’s a good style for plant lovers with small gardens just about anywhere, as it allows you to pack lots of colour and interest into a small space.

Water brings a magical ‘fourth dimension’ to the garden. Reflections, sparkle, musical sounds - if you have a fountain - and the opportunity to attract wildlife and grow the types of plants that are only happy in a watery environment. There are so many ways of working with water that you are spoiled for choice. You can go formal or natural, traditional or modern; choose from open ponds or enclosed water features. There’s something to suit every style and size of garden.

A small garden has to provide colour, interest and entertainment for everyone who uses it, all year round. When you don't have much available room, that can prove to be quite a challenge. That's why a small garden needs a strong design, so you really make the most of every square inch of space. The way to do that is to be bold with your use of shapes, colours and planting.

The secret of successful gardening is to go with nature instead of trying to fight it. Even a ‘problem’ hot, dry, sunny spot can be turned into a real feature if you treat it right. It could become a stunning patio, courtyard or gravel garden.

It’s one thing to have a sensational garden, but if keeping it up to scratch takes all your spare time you can never just sit and enjoy it. The trick is to work out how much time you can spare, and design a garden that gives you the right balance.

Show gardens are great… at shows. But what if you want something that looks less man-made and more like nature intended? Today’s natural gardens look like the countryside did in the days before pesticides and weedkillers, when hay meadows were full of poppies, and hedgerows were bursting with primroses. But don’t get me wrong, natural gardens aren’t just left to run wild. That would be asking for weeds and brambles to take over. No, it’s more a case of using wild plants to make a garden look as if it grew all on its own. You could even create your own area of bluebell wood, full of birds and woodland wildlife, by planting grasses and wild flowers that will provide hiding places as well as food for them. But in order for the garden to look ‘right’ it still needs a spot of design.