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How to design a garden

A person holding a hand drawn plan of a garden layout

Overview

Having the right garden that suits your lifestyle can be a great addition to your home and family. We'll give you some handy tips when planning your garden, including advice about considering your lifestyle, climate and the aspect of the sun.

Steps

1Draw a garden plan

Draw a rough plan of the area of the garden you want to redesign. Include where your home is, any walls and sheds or existing structures and where there is paving. This'll allow you to work around these existing features. Also mark on the plan the aspect of the sun, where it sets, where it rises and which parts of the garden get the most sun.

A person holding a hand drawn plan of a garden layout

2Plan where your plants will go

After you've worked out which are the sunny and shady areas of your garden, you can then choose the right plants for those conditions. Your local climate and soil conditions will also help to determine what will grow well in your garden.
Various plants in pots

3Check out what grows locally

If you're not sure what to plant in your garden, a good tip is to take a walk around your local neighbourhood. This'll show you what grows well in your local soil and weather conditions.

4Choose a garden type

You also need to consider what type of garden you want. If you have kids or pets, this may affect your choice. Different garden types include a native garden, cottage garden, tropical or even vertical gardens. Whatever style you choose, it's a good idea to keep it looking simple and stick to the same style throughout your garden. 

Various plants in decorative pots and bags of compost
Health & Safety

Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer. You can also use a simple test kit from Bunnings to indicate the presence of lead-based paint.