How To Make A Beautiful Garden

In many parts of the world verandahs do much the same job and form the perfect link between inside and out. Being roofed they provide shelter from sun and rain alike, but being open to the garden on the one hand and the building on the other gives a fluid transition between the two. Very often the flooring materials are the same, reinforcing the link. A raised verandah with broad steps dropping down to the garden not only gives you an excellent view but also a comfortable feeling of well being as you are slightly divorced from the wider environment.

Coming back to the wider, or higher, issue of walls dominating a garden as they soar above you, there is a useful trick that is well worth remembering. In such a situation I often define the vertical limit of the yard with overheads, or a similar structure. Then I paint everything below the overheads in a color, usually a pale shade to maximize light in what can often be a shady spot. This has the instant effect of containing the view within the outside room: the overheads and perhaps even a small tree providing a partial ceiling. Once you have set this upper limit, the walls above are far less noticeable and everything below can become part of a more intimate garden space. Overheads are not the only thing you can use; awnings provide a link with color schemes inside the house and have the effect of filtering light into soft shade. You don't necessarily need an expensive canopy; a cotton throw tossed over a simple structure can look great and be just as effective.

Shelter
I'm forever reminding people that it is lack of shelter that can make living outside uncomfortable, whether this be from sun or a chill wind. Think of an al fresco restaurant that is so delightful in the summer with tables on the pavement. However. with the onset of autumn, blinds will be attached to the sides for protection and overhead healers fitted so that dining can continue in the open for as long as possible. In a garden, one side of your overhead beams might be filled in with a low wall, say lm (3ft 3in) high, with built-in seating and the space above fitted with vertical slats that carry a fragrant climber. In a wider garden a screen could be built out at right angles from a fence or boundary wall, again offering a place for a sheltered seat or larger sitting area.We enjoy living outside, so use these same techniques at home to prolong the pleasure — you might even save a little on restaurant bills.

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