When it comes to designing your home’s garden, the possibilities are endless and let’s face it we’ve all browsed through lifestyle magazines and gushed over the beautiful garden spreads. But like anything, there are many factors that may determine what style of garden we should have.
When thinking about the type of garden you want, you need to consider the style of your home. Whether you live in a Contemporary, Federation or Victorian home, a Californian Bungalow or a Queenslander, the style of your home will have an impact on your garden style and how it works with your home.
It’s also good to consider current styles and trends to get inspiration. Once you have an idea of what you like, think about the maintenance and how much time and effort you can put into gardening. If you love pottering around in the garden, that’s great but if you just want to be able to sit outside and enjoy the serenity most weekends then low maintenance is for you.
So, what are the options when it comes to choosing a style of garden? There are so many styles of garden to choose from, all with different characteristics, you could even consider mixing a few together! Here are some of the more popular styles.
Contemporary
A contemporary garden usually has clean, crisp lines and shapes. Incorporating symmetry, sharp edges and angles and raised garden beds, contemporary gardens are uncluttered. While a contemporary garden may include lush foliage, you’ll rarely see a lot of colour. Contemporary gardens are generally low maintenance.
Native Australian
Native Australian gardens showcase the beauty of Australia’s native flora while also providing a hardy and drought resistant garden option. Native Australian gardens have evolved from woody, dull, and messy planting, to now being full of design elements, feature flowers, and interesting textures and shapes. Natural plant groupings combined with natural materials being incorporated into the landscape, such as timber sleepers, boulder retaining walls, and crushed rock meandering paths can elevate the look of a Native Australian garden.
Mediterranean Garden
The Mediterranean garden is a popular choice and is influenced by gardens found in Spain, France and Italy.
You’ll usually find olive trees, lavender, rosemary and different varieties of shrubs and vines. While plant choice is important there are other elements that make up a Mediterranean garden such as tiled patios, alfresco areas, water features and the use of vibrant colours such as terracotta, azure blue, and orange. One of the advantages of the Mediterranean garden is that potted plants are a big feature so if you don’t have a lot of planting space, this style is perfect for you!
Prairie
Prairie gardens feature a large mass of plantings which are usually a blend of grasses and perennials and offer a great alternative to traditional lawn or landscaping. These contrast in colour, height, and form, which provide a greater visual impact due to the great swaths of plantings. When fully established, prairie gardens are considered to be low maintenance and should only require a prune twice a year.
Prairie gardens designed with Australian native landscaping is currently hugely popular as we incorporate our hardy, drought tolerant planting with a low maintenance style of garden design.
To learn what the best garden style is for your home and lifestyle, speak to our expert Landscaping team at Lateral Building Design today!
