Released On 15th Jan 2025

Start Planning Now For Your Spring Garden

The end of one year and the beginning of a new one is always a time for reflection and planning. But when it comes to gardens, we find people don't think ahead quite as much! In fact, most won't even think about redesigning their gardens until the weather picks up in the spring. The problem with that is that's exactly when you want to be enjoying your garden! Planning needs to start now, while the weather is still dreary and dark. To help you out, here's what you can be doing now to plan for your 2025 spring garden.

Review What You've Got

First, look back over the last year and think about what has worked well for you in your garden this year. What are the highlights, or things you want to do more of? What did you really enjoy about your time in the space? And more importantly, what didn't work the way you wanted it to? Were there things you tried to do that your garden made difficult?

It can be easier to do this by thinking about all the elements that make up your garden. Planting, hard landscaping, structure, paths and more. Then think of all the people and animals who interact with your garden, and how. Did the weather affect how you used the space? You can even break it down by month to give you a better picture of how it all works together.

Write Down Improvements

In doing that review, you probably thought of a long list of improvement areas- some little, some big. Make sure you write them all down, preferably as you go. Once you have your list, you can sort them into non-urgent and urgent jobs. Jobs for a professional and jobs you can do yourself. However you want to best separate out the list, it gives you a clearer indication of where to start.

It also helps you to be aware of the gaps or even potential dangers in your garden, then you can start planning ways to address them for the upcoming year. You might even be able to do some of them yourself. But for others, you may need a helping hand.

What do You Want?

This is a big question, so it's ok if you don't know the answer right away.

Just ask yourself what it is you want from the space, and is it delivering that right now? Maybe you want more opportunities for outdoor entertaining in the summer. A safer place for the kids to play. A pond with a calming water feature. Or maybe you want it to be filled with wildflowers and feel like the secret garden.

Identifying what you actually want from the space is one of the biggest parts of the planning phase. It can help to imagine that you are starting again from scratch. If you had that blank canvas in front of you, what would you create? Don’t worry too much about it being fanciful – a garden designer can help you understand what’s realistic and what isn’t – for now just imagine your ideal.

Bring in an Expert

We mentioned earlier that you might need a bit of outside help to achieve some of your goals. This is where professional garden designers (like us) really come into their own.

Usually, a client comes to us because they're struggling to see the wood for the trees, and aren't sure how to find the best way forward for their budget. A professional garden designer will be able to listen to everything you want and create a solution that suits your ideas and your budget. They might even suggest some things you hadn't thought of! That doesn't mean you have to use them for the work (though most would be happy to do it), but it does mean you benefit from a professional eye - and all of the suggestions that come with it.

At CMA Garden design, we have over 20 years of gardening and design experience. There is nothing we love more than a blank slate, except a challenge! So, if you want to give your garden a makeover in 2025, why not give us a call today.