Do you crave order and control? Are neat hedges and edges your thing? If so, the discipline and calm of a formal garden may be perfect for you. In this episode we chat about the design elements of a formal garden. We give you plenty of ideas and inspiration for choosing the layout, plants, structures and materials that are true to creating these gardens. It may sound simple, but this is one style that demands restraint and application of the principles to really nail it.

⁠Photos for this episode⁠⁠ are on Instagram at ⁠⁠OnGardenDesign⁠⁠

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(00:12) Intro (05:16) Layout (11:19) Water (13:57) Hedges (18:47) Plants (23:57) Materials & structures (28:30) Features

How about designing a garden based on a central idea? If you crave interactive experience, stimulation and response from your garden, try framing your design thinking around all things sensory. In this episode we chat about how choosing sensory as your central design idea guides your choice of layout, plants, materials and accessories. Whether you want to soothe or excite your senses, listen in for plenty of tips and ideas in creating a sensory garden that’s just right for you.

⁠Photos for this episode⁠⁠ are on Instagram at ⁠⁠OnGardenDesign⁠⁠

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(00:00) Intro (05:27) Layout (08:01) Touch (11:32) Sight (15:51) Smell (20:10) Taste (21:39) Sound

In this episode we chat about the design elements of a contemporary garden. To create this stylish, crisp and asymmetric garden style, we give you plenty of ideas and inspiration for choosing the layout, structures, materials, accessories and plants. It’s a great style to choose if you want an entertainer’s garden with low maintenance overheads. However, it’s not as simple as it sounds: it takes restraint and discipline to really pull this one off.

⁠Photos for this episode⁠⁠ are on Instagram at ⁠⁠OnGardenDesign⁠⁠

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(00:00) Intro (06:50) Layout (09:48) Materials (14:00) Plants (17:21) Water (21:48) Accessories (27:20) Structures (29:02) Maintenance

Do you mostly use your outdoor spaces at night? An entertainer, moth watcher, star gazer or sun avoider? Then why not design a space that is entirely centred on the idea of engaging your garden at night? In this episode we chat about how to make a garden particularly evocative and interesting at night. We consider how to maximise your layout, plants, lighting, materials and accessories to deliver a night garden experience that’s just right for you. And when the sun comes up, it’s still got to look good too.

⁠Photos for this episode⁠⁠ are on Instagram at ⁠⁠OnGardenDesign⁠⁠

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(00:00) Intro (05:51) Layout (07:53) Plants (14:06) Lighting (16:49) Materials (18:32) Accessories (21:53) Daytime

This informative chat steps you through the process for designing your own garden. If you’re up for the challenge, we give you plenty of tips and ideas for assessing, arranging and styling your garden. While we are keen to encourage you to have a go at design, we also highlight the tricky areas where it’s best to call in the experts.

⁠Photos for this episode⁠⁠ are on Instagram at ⁠⁠OnGardenDesign⁠⁠

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(00:00) Intro (05:32) References (06:56) Site assessment (14:02) Site plan and functions (16:54) Connections (23:43) Style (25:19) Plants (28:45) Principles (30:27) Tricky stuff

If you feel like a giant in your garden or your outdoor areas feel overwhelming or insignificant, you’re probably experiencing a problem with proportion. In this episode we chat about practical ways to identify and achieve proportion. We discuss how to take cues from your garden’s broader context and the effect of scale, shapes, colour and foliage on achieving proportion. This episode is the third in a series on garden design principles aimed at helping you assess your garden and create a beautiful space that works for you.

Photos for this episode⁠ are on Instagram at ⁠OnGardenDesign⁠

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Personal values shape the choices we make and the lifestyle we live. So why shouldn’t values play a key role in creating a garden that reflects your principles, priorities and personality? Join our conversation with Lachlan Richardson, a values-based garden designer, as we explore how an appreciation for awe, inclusivity and a social conscience can deliver affordable and sustainable garden design. On his journey of self-reflection and intentional design practices, Lachlan’s approach encourages others to design gardens that contribute to a future that is worth being excited about.

Photos for this episode⁠ are on Instagram at ⁠OnGardenDesign⁠

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(00:00) Intro (07:34) Design values (13:25) Placeholder guide (19:23) Cost-creativity tension (25:28) Mistakes (31:12) Top tips

Is there something overpowering or dominating in your garden? It’s probably upsetting your garden’s balance and compromising its harmony, comfort and stability. In this episode we chat about practical ways to achieve balance in your garden. We discuss how to achieve weighting without symmetry, applying mass and void and how to incorporate a pleasing composition of flow, shapes, texture and colour. This episode is the second in a series on garden design principles aimed at helping you assess your garden and create a beautiful space that works for you.

Photos for this episode⁠ are on Instagram at ⁠OnGardenDesign⁠

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(00:00) Intro (06:06) Indicators (08:46) Weighting (10:07) Symmetry & asymmetry (15:58) Mass & void (21:56) Balance fails (25:43) Plants (28:21) Colour & texture