How to Plan and Design Your Lawn

Learn how to plan and design your outdoor grass and garden spaces with these landscaping tips.

Lawns are often the central and largest feature in a garden, so think carefully about the size and shape you want when creating a garden plan. Consider its uses — this will determine the layout and also the type of grass you will need.

Shape and Design

At the initial planning stage it is always best to sketch out a rough outline of how you want the lawn to look and how it will relate to the rest of the garden. Decide whether you want the garden to look formal or informal, if play areas or dining spaces are needed, and consider the practicalities of connecting the different areas together with paths or stepping stones. Be as creative and bold as possible — do not feel that you need be restricted to a rectangular lawn surrounded by narrow flowerbeds. Only when you are completely happy with the design on paper should you begin to create the space physically.

Bordering Your Lawn

Generally, gardens look bigger and more luxurious when flower borders are wide and generous. Do not be afraid to experiment — alter the depth and shape of the borders to create a striking interaction between lawn and border; sweeping curves can provide a sense of intrigue as flowerbeds lead out of sight and around corners.

Planning Access

Making sure that you have easy access to important garden features such as trash cans, compost heaps, and sheds is really important when creating your design as lawns can be muddy in the winter. Paths and stepping stones provide a nice solution for crossing a lawn as they are an attractive feature and are cheap and easy to install.