Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
Welcome to the Garden Ninja Gardening Forum! If you have a gardening question that you can't find answers to then ask below to seek help from the Garden Ninja army! Please make your garden questions as specific and detailed as possible so the community can provide comprehensive answers in the online forum below.
Welcome to the ultimate beginner gardening and garden design forum! Where no gardening question is too silly or obvious. This online gardening forum is run by Lee Burkhill, the Garden Ninja from BBC 1’s Garden Rescue and a trusted group of experienced gardeners.
Whether you are a beginner or an expert gardener, it’s a safe place to ask garden-related questions for garden design or planting. If you have a problem in your garden or need help, this is the Garden Forum for you! (See forum rules & moderation policy here)
Posting Rules: This space is open for all garden-related questions. Please be polite, courteous and respectful. If you wouldn’t say it to your mum’s face, then don’t post it here. Please don’t promote, sell, link spam or advertise here. Please don’t ask for ‘cheeky’ full Garden redesigns here. They will be deleted.
Hi Lee, We have a rectangular garden. Do you have any ideas on your website for how we can tackle this, by removing the lawn and using a hard material to replace it and how we can use the space we have to include a patio?
Hi Lee, We have a rectangular garden. Do you have any ideas on your website for how we can tackle this, by removing the lawn and using a hard material to replace it and how we can use the space we have to include a patio?
Welcome to the forum, and what a great starting point you have. A rectangular garden is one of the most satisfying layouts to work with because the clean lines offer so much design flexibility, and the combination of removing the lawn, introducing hard materials, and creating a defined patio space is a classic transformation that can look stunning when the proportions are right.
Where to Start on the Site
I have a good range of free design guides on the site that are directly relevant to what you are describing and are well worth working through before you commit to any materials or layouts.
My garden design ideas and how to get started guide is a good first read as it walks through the process of surveying your space, understanding how you want to use it across the day, and beginning to think about zones before you pick a single material or plant.
For the patio planning specifically my patio garden design guide covers proportion, materials, and how to position a seating area in relation to the sun and the house, all of which makes a significant difference to how usable the finished space actually is.
And for the lawn removal question my no-dig grass removal guide covers the most practical and environmentally friendly methods for clearing an existing lawn before hard landscaping goes in.
A Consultation Could Really Help
If you want a more tailored steer on your specific garden, its dimensions, aspect, and how the different elements might sit together, a garden design consultation is genuinely the most efficient way to get from where you are now to a clear plan you feel confident about. A rectangular garden with the brief you've described is a very achievable project and a consultation would help you avoid the most common and costly mistakes before any materials are ordered.
Do share your dimensions and aspect if you want a general steer in the forum in the meantime, and the community will do its best to help.
Welcome to the forum, and what a great starting point you have. A rectangular garden is one of the most satisfying layouts to work with because the clean lines offer so much design flexibility, and the combination of removing the lawn, introducing hard materials, and creating a defined patio space is a classic transformation that can look stunning when the proportions are right.
Where to Start on the Site
I have a good range of free design guides on the site that are directly relevant to what you are describing and are well worth working through before you commit to any materials or layouts.
My garden design ideas and how to get started guide is a good first read as it walks through the process of surveying your space, understanding how you want to use it across the day, and beginning to think about zones before you pick a single material or plant.
For the patio planning specifically my patio garden design guide covers proportion, materials, and how to position a seating area in relation to the sun and the house, all of which makes a significant difference to how usable the finished space actually is.
And for the lawn removal question my no-dig grass removal guide covers the most practical and environmentally friendly methods for clearing an existing lawn before hard landscaping goes in.
A Consultation Could Really Help
If you want a more tailored steer on your specific garden, its dimensions, aspect, and how the different elements might sit together, a garden design consultation is genuinely the most efficient way to get from where you are now to a clear plan you feel confident about. A rectangular garden with the brief you've described is a very achievable project and a consultation would help you avoid the most common and costly mistakes before any materials are ordered.
Do share your dimensions and aspect if you want a general steer in the forum in the meantime, and the community will do its best to help.
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Lee Burkhill
Lee Burkhill, known as the Garden Ninja, is an award-winning garden designer and horticulturist with over 30 years of gardening experience and 15 years as a professional garden designer. A qualified RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) professional, Lee specialises in sustainable garden design and practical horticultural advice. He designs and presents on BBC1’s Garden Rescue and in leading gardening publications. Lee combines three decades of hands-on gardening knowledge with professional design qualifications to help gardeners create beautiful, functional outdoor spaces.
Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
