You’re ready to get stuck into creating your dream new build garden oasis. You have this brand-new green space that could become something amazing. It may look very similar to the new build example below. Then it hits you. You have no idea where to start, and every idea you have doesn’t quite work or leaves you scratching your head about what to do with this space.
This guide to new build gardens will help get you started. By planning your garden on paper first you can save yourself endless drama and mistakes. So let’s get cracking!
Before you go into meltdown at all the things you don’t know and decide to just pave over your entire garden instead, why not read this handy guide to help navigate you towards that dream garden. All you need is a pen and paper and maybe a brew or two.
You first need to sit down and plan. Yes, it sounds very boring when you’re super enthusiastic and ready to get started, but I can guarantee that a garden that starts without a plan will end up looking way off plan. This super detailed guide is going to take you through every step in order to help you plan your own garden and create something beautiful. By the end of the guide, you can also sign up to download my 30 Garden Design Templates from new build gardens I’ve designed over the years.
The dreaded blank canvas of a new build garden can be really off-putting when starting to design a garden. This is why planning can help you avoid mistakes and work out what you want in a new garden.
There are a number of considerations that any decent garden designer will take you through that need some careful thought. If you follow this guide, you can help avoid pitfalls with new garden design, such as areas that don’t work as intended or plants that fail to thrive. Before that, if you want to watch me in action with a complete blank canvas, then the video guide will give you some food for thought before starting on your own space.
Undertaking a scaled garden survey is essential and is the step that most new build garden owners totally overlook. Before you get carried away with Pinterest boards and plant wishlists, you need to become a surveyor for the week. By missing out on this vital step, you will end up guessing, overspending, and making shortcuts as you run out of materials and become increasingly stressed. This is where a garden designer becomes a money and time-saving option!
Drawing up a scaled plan for your garden helps you plan and work out the proportions or plant choices you have at your disposal. It’s far better to trial these spaces on paper than to guess on the ground.
Grab your notebook and spend at least a week observing your space at different times of day. Where does the sun hit longest? Which areas stay soggy after rain? Are there any existing features worth keeping or definite eyesores that need addressing?
Create a simple site map on squared paper (2cm to 1 metre works brilliantly).
Mark everything on this plan that you can see:
This helps you in understanding your garden’s orientation and determines everything from where you’ll want your morning coffee spot to which plants will actually thrive. An experienced garden designer can take the above and create a blueprint tailored to your specific needs. If you are doing it yourself, however, take a look below at the kind of detail you will need for your design.
Please note that all proportions, path widths, required plant groupings, aspect, and access have been carefully considered. Below is a finished outline design, following numerous consultations and discussions on the functions, features, and planting required. This should never be a 5-minute job!
The end game is to get to a design with planting plans as seen below, which will then act as the blueprint for your amazing new build garden. But there is more to consider before diving into garden design.
I’ve seen too many eager new homeowners skip this crucial step and wonder why their carefully chosen plants are looking more like horticultural disasters than the Instagram-worthy displays they’d envisioned.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth about most new-build gardens: that lovely green lawn might be hiding some seriously problematic soil beneath. Developers routinely strip away the valuable topsoil during construction (it’s worth money, after all), leaving behind compacted clay subsoil that’s about as welcoming to plant roots as concrete. Add to this the inevitable building debris, surplus aggregates, and general construction chaos that gets buried and covered over, and you have a perfect storm of growing challenges.
Before we tackle the specific problems of new-build soil, it is essential to understand what healthy soil actually looks like and how the three main soil types behave. Most gardeners think soil is just “dirt,” but it’s actually a complex living ecosystem that determines whether your garden thrives or merely survives.
| Soil Type | Main Components | Particle Size | Drainage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay | Fine clay particles, aluminium and iron oxides | Less than 0.002mm | Very poor – water sits on surface |
| Sand | Quartz particles, weathered rock fragments | 0.05-2.0mm | Excellent – water drains rapidly |
| Silt | Medium-sized particles between clay and sand | 0.002-0.05mm | Moderate |
The holy grail of garden soil is loam – a beautiful balance of roughly 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay, mixed with plenty of organic matter. This magical combination drains well but retains moisture, holds nutrients without becoming waterlogged, and remains workable throughout most of the year.
Want to know what type of soil you have? Here’s my foolproof method that requires nothing more than a jam jar and a bit of patience:
What you’ll see is pure soil science magic! The heaviest sand particles settle first at the bottom, creating the bottom layer. Silt settles in the middle, and clay particles, being the finest, form the top layer. Any organic matter will float on the surface.
Measure each layer, and you’ll know your soil composition. If the bottom sand layer is the thickest, you have sandy soil. If the clay layer dominates, you’re dealing with heavy clay. Equal layers? Lucky you – you’ve got loam!
Heavy machinery compacts the subsoil to the point where water can’t drain and roots can’t penetrate. I’ve seen supposedly “landscaped” gardens where you literally need a pickaxe to break through the surface!
Soil isn’t just particles; it’s about the spaces between them, called “pore space.”
In healthy soil, approximately 50% of the volume should consist of solid particles, and the remaining 50% should be comprised of air and water-filled spaces. Heavy construction machinery crushes these vital spaces, creating what’s essentially outdoor concrete. Plants need those air spaces for root growth and water movement, which explains why nothing thrives in compacted soil.
Buried bricks, chunks of concrete, and even entire scaffold boards aren’t uncommon finds when I’m working on new-build gardens. These create drainage nightmares and root barriers that can stunt plant growth for years.
Common Buried Treasures I’ve Found:
These obstacles not only block root growth but also create underground dams that redirect water flow, leading to soggy areas in unexpected places and drought stress in others. I’ve seen gardens where one corner permanently floods whilst plants metres away struggle with drought, all because of buried concrete redirecting water flow.
The only real solution is methodical excavation and removal. Start with areas you want to plant first, digging to at least 45cm depth (60cm for trees and large shrubs). Yes, it’s backbreaking work, but it’s the foundation of everything that follows. Consider hiring a mini-digger for large areas – the cost is often justified by the time and physical effort saved.
Did you know your soil also has its own pH, which determines how acidic or alkaline it is? More importantly, this pH level impacts which nutrients can be taken up in your garden soil. Plants are remarkably clever organisms that have developed their own preferences for soil pH, so it’s worthwhile doing a quick soil pH test (you can buy kits to determine it) and then choosing plants that thrive in that pH range.
| pH Range | Soil Type | Description | Best Plants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0-6.0 | Acidic (Ericaceous) | Ideal for acid-loving plants | Blueberries, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Heathers |
| 6.0-7.0 | Slightly Acidic to Neutral | Perfect for most garden plants | Most vegetables, Roses, Tomatoes, Carrots |
| 7.0 | Neutral | Suits the widest range of plants | Most perennials, Fruit trees, Herbs, Lawns |
| 7.0-8.5 | Alkaline (Chalky) | Lime-rich, often chalky soils | Buddleja, Clematis, Asparagus, Lilac |
If your soil is acidic, choose plants that can tolerate or thrive in acidic conditions. This soil is usually referred to as ericaceous. Camellias, Skimmias, Rhododendrons, and Trilliums all love ericaceous soil.
pH 7 is usually considered neutral and will house a much broader sweep of plants. Most alkaline plants are also suitable at this pH level and are less fussy than their acidic counterparts if the pH is slightly lower than they are accustomed to.
Using a pencil and paper or tablet, start to make a note of the following considerations, which will inform and develop your new build garden plan. It will be a cyclical process as you generate ideas, refine or even reject them. By gathering the information below into notes or a spreadsheet you will soon uncover the type of garden you already have and this will then help you define how to desiogn it and what to put where!
Don’t get disheartened; after all, gardening is meant to be fun and planning ahead makes sure you’re starting off with the best chance of success!
It’s now time to review the position and characteristics of your garden so we know what you’re dealing with. It will help identify the garden’s limitations, benefits and features.
Before you decide which gorgeous plants to use, the specimen tree, the raised beds or the lovely real stone you will use for the hard landscaping, you need to work out the function of the garden. Without this, then, any design you work on will struggle to be functional, let alone cohesive.
With new build gardens, the likelihood is you’re going to have a limited garden, given the trend for squeezing as much house onto new build plots at the expense of the garden.
My advice is to pick a preferred function, i.e., entertaining, and focus on that function rather than an entertaining horticulture, good life, eco, family garden mash-up. They never work on a small scale. It’s better to choose the function of how you will use the garden 99% of the time than a function you use once a year!
The example above is of a well-structured and functional garden design. It’s a modern adult garden with a sheltered seating area. It’s a very grown-up contemporary garden, pure and simple. Clean lines and mixed heights, with a recycled timber deck walkway throughout. These simple touches and clear function make this one a real beauty. Its simplicity, especially in the use of a consistent hardy tropical planting scheme, really ties it together.
It’s wise to remember that it’s best to do one thing well than three things badly.
The aspect of your garden will inform you of the types of planting that will best suit the plot. It shows you where the light will sit during the day. based on the four points of a compass. Understanding this, along with the soil type, which I discuss in my soil type post, are the two requirements for planting success.
| Garden Aspect | Sun Conditions | Light Hours |
|---|---|---|
| North-Facing | Shade to partial shade, coolest aspect | 2-4 hours indirect light |
| East-Facing | Morning sun, afternoon shade | 4-6 hours morning sun |
| South-Facing | Full sun all day, hottest aspect | 8+ hours direct sun |
| West-Facing | Afternoon sun, morning shade | 6-8 hours afternoon sun |
Take some notes on the sun during the day in your back garden. Ideally, taking these points at 9 am, 12 pm, and sunset will give you a general idea of where your sunny spots, shady spots, and maybe awkward spots are!
If you don’t consider the aspect that the beautiful terrace you’ve just spent thousands on may end up as a wet, shady nomad land, which never gets used. Aspect is also the driving force for plant selection.
So grab yourself a brew and a book and relax in your current garden, making notes on the sun, shade spots, warm spots and general day-to-daylight levels in different parts of the garden. This will save costly garden design mistakes down the line.
In giddy excitement, many of us eager gardeners have decided that we want a mass of summer flowers, exotic plants, a huge water feature, greenhouses and miles of wooden Scandinavian decking in our garden. This is great if you’re prepared for the maintenance and husbandry that they require!
But here’s the reality check that most new-build gardeners need: that Instagram-worthy garden with exotic specimens and high-maintenance features can easily demand 2+ hours of daily care during peak summer. Between watering systems failing during heatwaves, exotic plants sulking in our unpredictable British weather, and decking requiring annual treatments, you might find yourself spending every spare moment just keeping things alive rather than actually enjoying your outdoor space.
It may be more realistic to start off with a lower maintenance garden and then build up to a garden that may well take up to 2 hours a day to water and prune in the height of summer. Smart new-build gardeners understand that creating a beautiful, low-maintenance foundation gives you breathing room to experiment and expand as your confidence and available time allows.
The 80/20 Rule for New Build Gardens: Focus 80% of your efforts on creating a robust, low-maintenance backbone that provides year-round structure and interest, then use the remaining 20% for seasonal flourishes and experimentation. This approach ensures your garden always looks presentable, even when life gets busy.
Start Small, Build Smart: Rather than trying to plant the entire garden in one weekend, spread it out and enjoy the process of allowing the garden to evolve. This phased approach allows you to learn what works in your specific conditions whilst avoiding the overwhelm that leads to garden abandonment.
| Element | High Maintenance | Low Maintenance Alternative | Time Saved Per Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Cover | Annual bedding plants | Hardy perennials & evergreen shrubs | 3-4 hours |
| Lawn Areas | Complex shaped grass | Simple rectangular lawn or gravel | 1-2 hours |
| Pathways | High-maintenance decking | Permeable paving or gravel | 30-60 minutes |
| Boundaries | Annual climbing displays | Evergreen shrub screening | 2-3 hours |
Lower maintenance gardens include using slower-growing shrubs and planting that’s less vigorous or needs less pruning or deadheading. The secret lies in choosing plants that naturally thrive in your conditions rather than fighting against them.
Sometimes, a useful tool is to create a planting plan that shows the plants that suit your aspect and soil with their flowering and pruning months. This prevents the common mistake of choosing plants that all require attention at the same time, creating an overwhelming workload spike.
| Season | Essential Tasks | Time Required | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Light pruning, mulching, planting | 4-6 hours total | Once in March/April |
| Summer | Watering, light deadheading | 30 minutes weekly | Weekly during dry spells |
| Autumn | Leaf clearing, plant tidy-up | 2-3 hours total | Once in October/November |
| Winter | Planning, tool maintenance | 1-2 hours total | Seasonal preparation |
It’s often best with a new build garden to start small and build up. So rather than trying to plant the entire garden in one weekend, spread it out and enjoy the process of allowing the garden to evolve.
The trickiest part of any new build garden design is the grids from drainage access to service pipes these grids are dotted everywhere. It would seem that all the house developers go a bit crazy when it comes to planning the utility grids and pipelines. I have yet to see a grid that wasn’t positioned in an unavoidable place and at the most bonkers angle.
Exhibit A- The awkward grid pot is no disguise!
There is no getting away with the grids. You can’t just pave over them as you or a utility company may need access in the future. This means you have to temporarily but realistically hide/disguise them. This isn’t an easy proposition, but Garden Ninja has done this many times with raised beds, with inserts that can be removed and planting schemes that plant around the grids.
Some paving schemes can allow for grids to be inset with the same stone to help them blend in. These are really quite effective also. There are a number of options for disguising grids and building removable structures that can help remove them from the conundrum.
Simply placing a begonia in a terracotta pot on them is usually the least favourable disguise, especially when it’s in the centre of a lawn! Look how sorry and obvious the grid looks above. Grid covers help disguise grids and using a paving tray helps blend them into a garden design.
One of the drawbacks of new build gardens is that they are overlooked, sometimes from every conceivable angle. It’s as if the world’s watching you, and instantly, new gardeners head off to B&Q to buy trellis, reed screening, or bigger fence panels.
However, bigger walls and screens can actually be counter-productive, making a garden feel smaller and more awkward. It can also cause problems with neighbours and regulations on the height you can extend up to. It is also a really ugly way to gain privacy.
New-build estates present unique design challenges that established gardens simply don’t face. That feeling of being completely overlooked by neighbours, the lack of mature plants for immediate structure, and often awkward proportions, where tiny gardens are squeezed between large houses.
Nothing quite prepares you for that goldfish bowl feeling when you step into your new garden and realise every neighbour has a perfect view of your outdoor space. The temptation is to immediately install the tallest possible fencing, but this can create a prison-like atmosphere. Instead, think layered screening using a combination of structural elements and strategic planting.
Established gardens benefit from decades of plant growth, creating natural height variation and seasonal interest. New builds start from zero, which means you need to be clever about creating instant impact whilst planning for long-term development.
There are two key methods to help increase privacy in new build garden houses and neither uses taller fence panels or outdoor studios, offices or buildings to hide in! The best methods for increasing privacy are:
Screening should be subtle and utilise broken views to create a sense of privacy without feeling like a prison. When I say ‘broken views,’ take a look at the neighbouring properties to see which ones offer the most obvious viewpoints and then strategically place garden features, plants or trees there to divert the eye or block the offending view! Clever eh!
Now, a broken view would incorporate either a plant or a subtle structure that diverts this view or provides a form of protection from it. This is not the same as blocking it out completely.
Don’t underestimate the benefits of using suitable small garden trees, shrubs, or tall planting to help provide privacy and diffuse the views of your neighbours’ windows. It may be a set of tall grasses that sway and filter the view; it could be a set of pleached trees that provide some screening while allowing light and wind to pass through; it may mean having a seating area enclosed by tall, flowering borders. In the picture below, the standard trees in my design here break up neighbouring views
Using height in a garden with some carefully chosen trees or shrubs can help break these view lines, making you feel less exposed and more nested. It’s a distraction technique that, if done well, can give a sense of privacy without feeling like the fence panels are imprisoning you!
Noise can be diffused slightly by planting and some living screens, as well as using a water feature such as a blade or moving water. Again, it is the balance between Niagara Falls and a weak trickle that simply makes you need the loo. A water feature won’t eliminate the noise of a screaming toddler, but it will help mask conversation and other light noises.
After years of rescuing gardens from developer disasters, I’ve developed my tried-and-tested four-layer approach, which creates stunning displays while being absolutely bulletproof for challenging new-build conditions.
Forget the traditional approach of randomly dotting plants about, hoping for the best. My layering system mimics how plants naturally grow in the wild, creating a self-supporting ecosystem that looks spectacular whilst requiring minimal maintenance. Each layer has a specific job, and when they work together, you get that professional, established look that makes neighbours wonder how you’ve achieved such results so quickly.
Traditional planting often fails in new-build gardens because it overlooks the harsh realities of poor soil, exposure, and the absence of established microclimates. My layering approach tackles these challenges head-on by creating a supportive plant community where each layer protects and enhances the others.
This isn’t just a theoretical concept; I’ve demonstrated it on numerous new-build gardens and on BBC1’s Garden Rescue, where I’ve seen this approach transform bare patches into thriving ecosystems within just a couple of growing seasons.
Your ground cover layer is the unsung hero of new-build gardens. These tough cookies carpet the soil, prevent weeds, retain moisture, and create the perfect foundation for everything else. In challenging new-build conditions, ground cover is essential to help prevent weeds and green up those bland, barren gardens!
This brilliant ground-hugger is absolutely perfect for new-build conditions because it naturally thrives on clay soil in the wild. The glossy bronze-purple leaves create year-round structure, whilst the upright spikes of rich blue flowers in late spring provide spectacular seasonal colour. It spreads steadily to form effective carpets but isn’t aggressive enough to become problematic. The 20cm height makes it perfect for underplanting shrubs or filling tricky spots where grass won’t establish.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Extremely tolerant of compacted clay, thrives in partial shade where many plants struggle, and provides instant impact whilst establishing quickly in poor conditions.
These glossy-leaved beauties are absolute workhorses for new-build gardens. The large, glossy, heart-shaped leaves provide year-round structure and turn magnificent bronze-red in winter for seasonal interest. Pink flower clusters appear in early spring, often before anything else is showing colour. The thick, leathery leaves are virtually indestructible and create excellent weed suppression.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Tolerates virtually any soil condition, including waterlogged clay, drought, and neglect. Once established, it’s completely maintenance-free and provides four-season interest.
For shady areas where establishing anything seems impossible, this evergreen ground cover is absolutely invaluable. It creates dense, glossy green carpets that suppress weeds completely whilst tolerating deep shade and poor soil. Small white flowers appear in spring, but the real value is in the consistent, professional appearance it provides year-round.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Thrives in conditions where grass fails, tolerates both clay soil and drought once established, and creates that expensive, designed look for minimal investment.
This vigorous spreader is brilliant for covering large areas quickly whilst providing continuous blue flowers from spring through autumn. The glossy, dark green leaves are evergreen, providing year-round coverage, whilst the cheerful blue flowers brighten even the gloomiest corners. It’s particularly valuable for slopes where erosion might be a problem.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Extremely vigorous growth covers poor soil quickly, tolerates both wet and dry conditions, and provides continuous colour throughout the growing season.
Your herbaceous perennials provide the seasonal fireworks – the colour, texture, and changing interest that keep your garden exciting throughout the year. For new-build conditions, choose varieties known for their tolerance of challenging conditions whilst still providing spectacular displays.
These are absolutely bulletproof perennials that thrive in virtually any condition whilst providing months of gorgeous colour. ‘Stella de Oro’ produces golden-yellow trumpet flowers continuously from early summer through autumn, far longer than most perennials. The arching, grass-like foliage looks attractive even when not flowering, and clumps multiply reliably over time.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Tolerates clay soil, drought, waterlogging, and neglect whilst still flowering prolifically. Virtually pest and disease-free, and provides excellent value with its extended flowering period.
This prairie native is absolutely perfect for new-build conditions, producing masses of bright yellow, daisy-like flowers with distinctive black centres from midsummer through autumn. The sturdy stems rarely need staking, and the flowers are excellent for cutting. Seed heads provide winter interest and food for birds.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Thrives in clay soil, tolerates both wet and dry conditions, and provides reliable colour when many other plants are struggling. Self-seeds gently to fill gaps naturally.
For shadier areas, astilbes are absolutely invaluable, producing feathery white plumes that brighten dark corners beautifully. The ferny foliage provides attractive texture throughout the growing season, whilst the flower plumes appear in early summer and persist for weeks. They’re particularly valuable for areas that remain damp.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Thrives in clay soil that stays moist, tolerates shade where many plants fail, and provides structural interest with both foliage and flowers.
These prairie natives are incredibly tough whilst providing spectacular displays of purple-pink daisy flowers with prominent bronze centres. They flower for months, attract butterflies and bees, and the seed heads provide winter interest whilst feeding birds. The sturdy stems rarely need support.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Extremely drought-tolerant once established, thrives in clay soil, and provides excellent wildlife value alongside beautiful flowers.
This vigorous perennial is absolutely brilliant for challenging conditions, producing poker-like pink flowers from early summer through autumn. The large, dock-like leaves provide good ground coverage, whilst the plant spreads steadily to form effective colonies. It’s particularly valuable for damp areas where many plants struggle.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Thrives in clay soil, tolerates waterlogged conditions, and provides continuous colour throughout the growing season with minimal maintenance.
Your shrub layer creates the garden’s permanent backbone, providing year-round structure, screening, and the framework upon which everything else builds. Sometimes shrubs are called the ‘foil’ in the garden or ‘punctuation’. In new-build gardens, shrubs need to establish quickly, tolerate challenging conditions, and provide multiple seasons of interest.
These fast-growing shrubs are absolutely perfect for new-build conditions, establishing quickly in poor soil whilst providing spectacular displays of fragrant, deep purple flower panicles that butterflies absolutely adore. They grow rapidly to 2-3 metres, providing instant impact and privacy screening.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Thrives in virtually any soil including clay and chalk, tolerates drought and poor conditions, grows rapidly for quick results, and provides incredible wildlife value.
This brilliant evergreen shrub provides year-round structure with bright golden-yellow foliage that lights up even the gloomiest spots. Clusters of fragrant white flowers appear in spring and often again in autumn. The aromatic foliage releases a lovely citrus scent when brushed against.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Tolerates clay soil and urban pollution, provides year-round colour and structure, and the bright foliage creates instant impact in new gardens.
This reliable evergreen provides year-round structure with glossy, dark green leaves, whilst pink-budded white flower clusters appear from late winter through spring when little else is flowering. Small blue-black berries follow, providing food for birds. It tolerates coastal conditions and urban pollution.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Extremely tolerant of clay soil and challenging conditions, provides year-round interest, and flowers during the bleakest months when colour is most needed.
This compact deciduous shrub produces flat-topped clusters of deep pink flowers from summer through autumn, with young foliage often tinted red or pink. It’s naturally compact, rarely exceeding 1.2 metres, making it perfect for smaller new-build gardens.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Extremely tolerant of clay soil and urban conditions, provides long-flowering season, and maintains neat habit with minimal pruning required.
This vigorous deciduous shrub provides spectacular early spring colour with masses of bright yellow flowers covering bare stems before leaves emerge. It grows quickly to provide screening and structure, whilst the arching habit softens harsh boundary lines. However, don’t be fooled by the masses of spring flowers; they contain hardly any pollen or nectar, so consider spring bulbs as well to help out wildlife.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Incredibly tolerant of clay soil and poor conditions, provides essential early season colour, and grows rapidly to create privacy and structure.
This evergreen shrub is brilliant for year-round structure and privacy, with glossy green mature leaves and stunning bright red new growth that appears throughout the growing season. Small white flowers appear in spring, creating an attractive contrast against the coloured foliage. Just ensure it’s not in an exposed or windy position as the leaves scorch, burn and drop super easily, as many of my forum members testify!
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Tolerates clay soil and urban pollution, provides excellent screening and privacy, and the colourful new growth creates ongoing interest throughout the growing season.
Your tree layer provides the ultimate framework, creating privacy, seasonal interest, and long-term structure whilst improving soil conditions through leaf drop and root action. For new-build gardens, choose trees that establish quickly, tolerate challenging conditions, and won’t outgrow their space.
These graceful native trees are absolutely perfect for new-build conditions, with distinctive white bark that provides year-round interest and delicate foliage that creates dappled shade rather than dense cover. They establish quickly and provide excellent privacy screening whilst allowing light through to plants beneath.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Tolerates clay soil and challenging conditions, grows relatively quickly for privacy, and the distinctive white bark provides four-season interest. Native species supports local wildlife.
This small ornamental cherry is grown primarily for its absolutely stunning polished mahogany bark that glows like copper in winter light. Small white flowers appear in spring, followed by small red cherries, but the bark is the real star. It remains relatively compact, making it perfect for smaller new-build gardens.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Tolerates clay soil and urban conditions, provides spectacular winter interest when colour is most needed, and remains manageable size for smaller spaces.
This native tree is incredibly versatile, tolerating virtually any soil condition whilst providing excellent seasonal interest. The lobed leaves turn brilliant yellow in autumn, whilst the corky bark adds winter interest. It can be grown as a large shrub or small tree, depending on pruning.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Extremely tolerant of clay soil and urban pollution, provides excellent autumn colour, and being native supports local wildlife whilst adapting to challenging conditions.
This compact ornamental apple provides multi-season interest with pink-budded white flowers in spring, small orange-red fruits that persist into winter, and good autumn colour. The fruits are valuable for wildlife, whilst the spring blossom provides nectar for pollinators.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Tolerates clay soil and challenging conditions, provides year-round interest, and the compact size makes it perfect for smaller new-build gardens.
This native tree is incredibly hardy and adaptable, producing clusters of white flowers in spring followed by brilliant orange-red berries that birds absolutely love. The pinnate leaves provide elegant texture and often good autumn colour.
Why it’s perfect for new builds: Extremely tolerant of challenging conditions including clay soil, provides excellent wildlife value, and being native is perfectly adapted to local conditions.
Whilst we’ve covered the four heights that all successful planting plans and gardens use, it’s now important to dip into the main ‘Types’ of plants, which are evergreens, deciduous, perennial and annuals. All good gardens need a mix of these four plant groups. Understanding these basic plant categories isn’t just horticultural showing off to your new neighbours; it’s absolutely essential for creating a garden that provides year-round interest, fits your maintenance schedule, and delivers the results you’re dreaming of. Get this foundation knowledge right, and everything else becomes so much clearer.
Here’s a handy set of definitions to briefly explain the differences in the plant types you will need.
Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the entire year, providing consistent colour and structure regardless of season. Think of them as your garden’s reliable backbone – always there, always providing that essential framework that stops your outdoor space looking like a barren wasteland come winter.
Why they’re crucial for new builds: New-build gardens start with absolutely zero established structure, which means they can look particularly bleak during winter months when deciduous plants are bare. Evergreens solve this problem instantly, providing immediate maturity and year-round privacy screening that’s especially important on overlooked new estates.
Key benefits for new-build conditions:
Professional tip: Aim for roughly 60% evergreen plants in your new-build garden to ensure year-round structure, then fill the remaining 40% with seasonal interest from deciduous and herbaceous plants.
Deciduous plants lose their leaves in autumn and regrow fresh foliage each spring, creating constantly changing seasonal displays throughout the year. Far from being a disadvantage, this seasonal cycle provides incredible variety and marks the passing seasons beautifully.
Why they’re valuable for new builds: Whilst evergreens provide consistency, deciduous plants bring excitement and change to your garden. They often provide spectacular autumn colour, interesting winter bark or stem structure, and that fresh spring emergence that signals new growth – perfect metaphors for your developing new-build garden.
Key benefits for new-build conditions:
Professional tip: Use deciduous plants to create seasonal focal points and provide the “wow moments” that make your garden interesting throughout the year, whilst relying on evergreens for consistent structure.
Herbaceous perennials are non-woody plants that live for multiple years, growing fresh stems, leaves, and flowers each season before dying back to ground level during winter. Their underground root systems remain alive and dormant, ready to burst back into life each spring with renewed vigour.
Why they’re perfect for new builds: These plants offer the best of both worlds – the reliability of permanent plantings without the high cost of large shrubs or trees. They establish quickly, provide spectacular seasonal displays, and gradually form larger clumps over time, giving your new garden that established, mature look much faster than woody plants alone.
Key benefits for new-build conditions:
Professional tip: Plan your herbaceous perennials for succession of flowering, with early, mid, and late-season varieties ensuring continuous colour from spring through autumn.
Annual plants complete their entire life cycle – from seed germination through flowering to seed production and death – within a single growing season. Whilst this might sound limiting, annuals provide unmatched flower power and are incredibly valuable for filling gaps whilst your permanent plantings establish.
Why they’re useful for new builds: New gardens often have awkward gaps whilst shrubs and perennials are establishing, and annuals provide instant, intense colour to fill these spaces. They’re also perfect for experimenting with colour schemes and plant combinations before committing to permanent plantings.
Key benefits for new-build conditions:
The secret to professional-looking results lies in combining plants from all four layers thoughtfully. Here’s how to create stunning combinations that work:
For Sunny Clay Soil Areas:
For Partially Shaded Clay Areas:
Whilst these plant heroes will absolutely transform your new-build garden, creating professional-looking combinations requires understanding design principles, seasonal planning, and spatial relationships. That’s exactly what I cover in my comprehensive Garden Design Examples for Small Gardens: 30 Design Templates & Planting Plans course.
This isn’t just another generic gardening course – it’s specifically designed for people exactly like you who want professional results without years of trial and error. You’ll get complete plant lists for new-build conditions, detailed planting plans you can follow step-by-step, and the design logic behind why certain combinations work so brilliantly together.
Each template includes specific plant recommendations for different soil types (including those challenging clay conditions), complete shopping lists with quantities, and seasonal care guides to keep everything looking spectacular year-round. Plus, I show you exactly how to adapt the designs for your specific space and conditions.
Remember, successful new-build gardening isn’t about fighting against difficult conditions; it’s about choosing plants that naturally thrive in those conditions and combining them in ways that create stunning, low-maintenance displays. These plant heroes, combined with proper design principles, will give you the established-looking garden you’re dreaming of, often within just one growing season.
The key is starting with the right plants in the right combinations. Get that foundation right, and everything else becomes so much easier!
Always group plants in conditions that mimic their natural habitat. For example, sun-loving plants should be placed in a sunny spot, while shady plants should be grouped under trees or against walls that cast shade. Moisture-loving plants should be placed in a damp area. If you try to grow a Rudbeckia (from the Asteraceae family) in the wet shade, at best, it will grow leggy and not flower or, at worst, die. All Asteraceae (daisy family) need near full sun, so work with this, not against it, if you can.
By using various increments in the heights of planting, getting higher the further back you go, you can create depth and drama. It’s also a good idea to use ground cover or plants that spill out of borders near the front of the border to soften the hard edges. The image above shows three distinct layers: the ground layer, represented by number one, the herbaceous and shrub layer, represented by number 2 and the tree or height layer, represented by number three.
Try to limit your choices to a group of plants, say 7-10 types of plants in a small garden, rather than picking and mixing plants. This will have the greatest impact. Keeping them in groups will give your new build garden definition and cohesion. One of these will look piecemeal and weaken your design and theme. If in doubt, why not get in touch to commission a planting plan? It takes a lot of guesswork out, which means more time to relax!
What if you are on a budget and would like to design your own garden? My Garden Design for Beginners course is the ideal starting point! With online courses ranging from £29 to £199, there’s something for every aspiring garden designer.
Join me, Lee Burkhill—award-winning garden designer and BBC1’s Garden Rescue presenter—in my most comprehensive course. I’ll guide you step-by-step from a complete beginner to a confident garden designer prepared to create stunning outdoor spaces.
Design Principles: Understand the key elements that form the foundation of exceptional garden design.
Planting Techniques: Discover how to choose and arrange plants for beautiful, sustainable gardens.
Design Styles & Layouts: Explore a variety of garden styles to suit every outdoor space and personal taste.
This comprehensive course is available now for just £199. Begin your garden design journey today and gain the skills to confidently create breathtaking gardens!
Why not level up your gardening skills with my Garden Design for Beginners course is the perfect place to begin! I offer several courses from £29 to £199 to help you learn the basics of garden design.
Garden Design Examples for Small Gardens: 30 Design Templates & Planting Plans: In this online gardening course, I’ll walk you through 30 fantastic garden designs, explaining the logic behind the layout, the plant choices, and take-home tips for applying them in your own garden.
Learn how to transform and design your own garden with Lee Burkhills crash course in garden design. Over 5 hours Lee will teach you how to design your own dream garden. Featuring practical design examples, planting ideas and video guides. Learn how to design your garden in one weekend!
Garden Design for Beginners Online Course: If you want to make the career jump to becoming a garden designer or to learn how to design your own garden, this is the beginner course for you. Join me, Lee Burkhill, an award-winning garden designer, as I train you in the art of beautiful garden design.
Last but not least, don’t be put off by the numerous things you need to consider. If you start with the garden’s function, aspect and soil type and then plan around that, you can’t go far wrong in creating something that will suit your needs. If plants don’t quite work where you have placed them, lift them and move them about.
As the garden develops it will evolve, what you thought would work may not. The beauty of gardens is planning, researching and then playing around with it. Sometimes, looking around at neighbours and seeing what has worked and what hasn’t will also help steer your choices.
Even small spaces can become an oasis of calm in a built-up new build estate. Following this guide will at least set you on the right path and hopefully prevent some easy-to-avoid mistakes. If you need some guides to the basics of a new garden, why not subscribe to my YouTube channel, where you can watch demonstrations?
Happy Gardening!
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Hi, I saw your work n my friends new build garden which you designed. I’ve always struggled with being over looked at think those square trees are a great idea! What advice would you give with fences? My neighbour has a tiny fence and I was wondering if I spoke to them about increasing the height of it as they do tend to look over when I’m in the garden! Thanks. Anna
Hi Anna, Thanks for getting in touch. Fencing is a tricky one. You need a certain amount of fencing for boundary protection and privacy, but sometimes building up can then lead to a reduction in light and a feeling that the garden is becoming more enclosed. What maybe a good idea is to consider adding trellis to the top of the fence. It doesn’t block as much light and baffles wind better whilst also giving some privacy. It also means you can grow some lovely climbers up there over time too! All the best. Garden Ninja
Hi Lee, I’m currently in the process of pleaching my own photinia marble standards for this very reason. I’ve put up a trellis behind them to protect from harsher winds and as it’s a north facing wall, they reach the sun nicely, leaving room for some clever underplanting. Although I appreciate these are going to take a long time to establish, they are a much more cost effective way of screening. Iw ondered if you had any tips on training them and tying them in to get a nice shape.
I loved the insights in this guide! The tips on incorporating native plants really resonated with me, and I can’t wait to apply them to my own garden. Thanks for the inspiration, Garden Ninja!