Choose A Style For Your Garden – The first thing you need to do before making any purchases is to decide what style or theme is right for you, formal, informal , casual, rustic, southwestern, Japanese, there are so many possibilities. After you have made this initial decision, stay with that style and theme so the overall effect does not become confusing. For instance, you wouldn’t necessarily want to combine bronze garden sculptures of saints or cherubs with rustic wooden wagon wheels.
Decide what is going to be the main purpose of your patio, in other words what are you primarily going to use the space for? Do you plan to entertain a lot and cook outdoors regularly?
If that is the case, make sure you have ample room to accommodate a barbeque and cooking area for a large amount of guests. Perhaps you want your patio to be more of an intimate, meditative sanctuary for basking in the sun or gazing at the stars, perhaps curling up with a good book or just contemplating life and recharging your batteries.
From all of the ideas you have gathered, select the ones you believe to be the best and put them into your design and before you know it you will have a design that will satisfy all of your needs.
In your plan, create paths or walkways that wind their way from one area to the next. Paths can be very soothing and if planned carefully they can be very helpful when gardening. You can make your paths from stone, brick, flagstone, gravel, or just mown turf, although be aware that grass paths do need a bit more work. Locate benches along the pathway to create some wonderful seating areas from which to enjoy your garden or a piece of beautiful garden sculpture.
Mediterranean garden style
Many people believe that the secret to a beautiful garden and patio design is including some hard structures such as gazebos or pergolas. Garden structures help create forms and lines, which will give your patio design definition and dimension. This definition will be preserved even during the winter months when most plants are free of foliage. By including one or two structures you can create a garden design that will be attractive all year round.
Choose garden and landscaping elements that are built to withstand the weather but are very attractive. You can include wood patio furniture made from treated pine, cedar, teak, or eucalyptus; metal patio furniture made from wrought iron or aluminum; a trellis, an arbor, or some decorative fencing. Another element to consider is a water feature, which bring incredible beauty and atmosphere to any garden design. History proves that entire garden designs have been planned around fountains and ponds. Finally, add to the natural beauty of your patio decor with garden accents made from stone, glass, copper, or bronze.
There are so many choices and so many directions you can take your garden in, but first you have to make that initial choice as to the style or theme in order to be consistent. That doesn’t mean it has to be boring or monotonous, just maintain an underlying theme and remember an asymmetrical balance is still a balance.