Landscaping your garden can be a venture that can take a large part of your time as well as a large chunk of your money. Even if you are going to hire someone to do most of the work, there are a few ideas that will help you avoid the expense of a professional designer provided you have a flat garden that is.

Firstly, think about the end result you want given the type of land you  are working with. As an example, the garden design plans for land that slopes heavily would make it more difficult to build a pond! And in the instance of such a landscape, you may be advised to go with the professionals as things will not be straight forward and may cost you more in the long run. Think ahead about how you will use the site, do you have children, and will you entertain a lot, do you want a swimming pool, what sort of plants do you want etc.

Start with the place where you will spend the most time and then look out for landscape design software and books. It is also an idea to think about how much time you will be able to devote to looking after the garden. If you would prefer to be doing something else rather than gardening, make sure you take that into account when planning the planting and maintenance of your design. Match the design to the property as well; a rustic country cottage may look a little odd surrounded by very formal gardens.

A formal garden involves a very ordered arrangement with orderly straight lines. The very nature of such immaculate lines and close knit plants will make for a lot of work to keep them looking in mint condition. In contrast, informal gardens has rounded borders and more freely planted flowers and plants. You can merge the two styles in separate areas though; keep one side formal and have it leading into a more rounded area. You will often find this with some of the larger stately homes, sharp geometric lines and sometimes brick walls that will lead you into a less stately garden area.

An English country garden is a style that many people like as it tends to harmonise with the shape of the house and garden. An English garden design can look at bit like organised chaos! However, there will be an abundance of different, pretty flowers.

If you only have a small space, try creating the oriental look with plenty of evergreens, rocks and a nice tranquil water feature.

The above are just a selection of the possibilities of different styles for landscaping your garden. Before you commit, take a look at plenty of magazines, other people’s gardens and on the Internet, as you may find something that you can adapt to your taste. If you decide you know what you want, create the design yourself using a landscape design software.