If you are starting to think about how to create your own garden, you are in that phase of the creative process in front of a blank piece of paper and you do not know where to start, you are in the right place, at Pacheco Architects we will give you some guidelines to get you out of that mess.
When you start to devise/develop your garden project, it is essential not only to think about the plants but also about the different spaces. We recommend you start by brainstorming together with your family, answering the question “What do we want to do abroad?” or “Why do we want to have a garden?” At this time, we must write down all the ideas that occur to us, since in this way we will give the garden the necessary functionality to fully satisfy the expectations of the family nucleus.
Once we have that list made. It would be essential to vote, giving a point to each idea that the group participants like, in order to see the most representative ideas, which will make your garden have the same personality as your family nucleus, there will be relatives who consider it more important to “play sports” than “sunbathing” or “barbecuing with friends”.
Little by little we are breaking away from that creative crisis or difficulty in facing the design of your garden, and even enjoying the process, since the design of our garden will be unique and will fully satisfy our needs.
Recommendations to create your garden
Precisely define the different spaces
Once we have our ideas clear and knowing which are the most important, we can only translate our ideas into spaces, for this it is very important to have a plan of the plot at hand to be able to make an initial sketch. Little by little we will create areas with a size proportional to the activity we want to carry out, knowing that some activities can share a region, since the interesting thing about design is to create multipurpose spaces that are used for many things and that are easy to carry out. transform. For example, a clear area where you can play sports and at the same time it will also serve to receive your group of friends, an area for the smallest of the house to play or to place several tables and give a dinner…
The orography and the shape of the plot must be taken into account.
For a long time, more value has been given to completely flat plots, with little unevenness, but not further from reality, we can assure you that sloping sites are much more attractive, since they allow to differentiate spaces and a greater use of the land, in this way we can build, for example, an infinity pool or have a basement in the house completely open to the outside, with natural light. Gardens of different heights are very striking because we can use a type of vegetation on each level, differentiating spaces and giving privacy to certain areas.
Regarding the shape of the plot, if your plot has straight lines and edges, we advise you to use pruned bushes with rounded shapes to reduce abruptness, you can also use curved paths and circular ponds.
If the plot has a rectangular (long) shape, it should be divided visually with vegetation into different square spaces to create a feeling of spaciousness.
Recommendations for the vegetation of your garden
Taking into account the use of water and natural resources, both economically and for sustainability, it is important to use local vegetation, that is, plants that are found naturally in our region, vegetation adapts to the climate and usual humidity levels in its zone, so they will not need excessive irrigation and we will be able to save on the water bill.
It is also convenient to timely use some “control plants”, they are those non-endemic plant species, that is, originating from other geographical regions, which normally require higher soil moisture, these will be a good alarm to indicate that the soil moisture level is low, so you know when to increase soil watering.
Within this wide range of vegetation, we can differentiate the species by their different textures, colours, smells and shapes, which we must mix to create a rich space that stimulates all our senses.
We always advise you to use perennial plants such as “durillo” Viburnum tinus in Latin, which can provide a certain structure to your garden in the colder seasons, these will form the skeleton of your garden and you will be able to shape the spaces to your liking.
As an alternative to grass to cover and give colour to the darkest, dull and dull areas of the plot, creating a kind of vegetal carpet, we recommend using ground cover plants, they require very little maintenance, consume a minimum amount of water and the After all, they are the natural solution to weeds, since they deprive them of light, water and nutrients.
Use a small area of the garden, the one closest to the kitchen, to place aromatic plants that you can use in your gastronomic preparations, oregano, rosemary, thyme, mint, everything has been thought of!
Just as we recommend you use the vegetation of the area, we also think that the materials that you can find in your region can be a source of inspiration and originality, use them in pavements and construction details (low walls, cladding, pillars, paths, swimming pool).
Pacheco Architects team congratulates you for starting your garden project and we remain at your disposal to help you in whatever is necessary.
Summer is coming and therefore the start-up of your terrace, porch or garden, we must prepare ourselves to enjoy long days and evenings outdoor and for this we bring some interesting ideas to get the most out of your common spaces. We hope that these decoration ideas will inspire you to improve your gardens and if in any case you are late, our team is here to help you.
Manage to take advantage of the space of the outside area of your home
A chillout space
An integrated chillout: a great idea and very resilient indeed. Creating an outdoor space for enjoyment and family gatherings is a “must”. In this case, as ideas to decorate such space, we recommend using cushions in a maximum of three different shades, light colours but with covers that allow them to be washed.
A small outdoor kitchen
A small outdoor kitchen. In summer we spend most of our lives outdoors and many times we have guests who come to enjoy the pool or garden and as good hosts that you are, you always offer an appetizer, so as not to be making unnecessary trips recently out of the pool and for greater comfort what better than having a small kitchen with a bar in the garden, where you can store the kitchenware, have a small fridge and even a sink to leave everything as if no one had been there.
An outside dining room
An outdoor dining room, we must create a space for long lunches and dinners in the open air, to be able to deal with the famous after-meal conversations, we recommend using comfortable seats, that is, with backrests and armrests, we leave the stools to the picnic areas. We can manage to create a more intimate and relaxed space by separating it from the rest of the spaces through vegetation, cacti of different heights, a cypress hedge, leafy Ficus.
MORE IDEAS TO DECORATE THE EXTERIOR OF YOUR HOME
It is essential to protect ourselves from the sun and heat
Protecting ourselves from the sun and heat is essential if we want to use that space to eat outdoors, protecting ourselves from UV rays by means of large umbrellas, irregularly shaped awnings that allow drawings to be intertwined, or even cane or heather pergolas or camouflage awnings. military, creating very attractive games of light and shadow.
Good lighting
In the evenings, good lighting is essential, solar lights to illuminate trees without spending energy or having to look for light sources, they are ideal for making the garden shine when the sun goes down, they create a sophisticated atmosphere.
To enjoy an outdoor dinner, we recommend installing lamps with warm light, you can try to make a set of lamps, placing odd numbers at different heights on the table, natural fibres are the best ally to show off a rustic-chic environment, or if you prefer, you can draw different lines with lanterns or party lights, they never fail.
If you need personalized advice to design your garden, you can contact us without obligation and we will advise you step by step on all your options. If you want to see some of our projects in 3D, as we present them to our clients, you can visit our YouTube channel.
