LANDSCAPING YOUR GARDEN

Extend your living and social spaces outdoors by giving your garden a makeover. Follow our tips on how to do it

- ALISON JONES

1. MAKE A PLAN

Before you start digging things up or chopping things down, start indoors, with a computer screen or an old-school pencil and paper in front of you. Make a plan of what you'd like to keep and the zones you'd like to create. There are free online planners available where you can input the measurements of your garden and then map out your wants and needs for it. Some of the planners even come with examples of standard gardens to act as a guide and inspiration for yours.

2. Clear your space

Just like you prepare a room by stripping walls, clearing the garden will help you appreciate the space you have to work with and the issues you may have to tackle. Toys that the kids have outgrown could be Freecycled or even sold if they're in good condition. Collapsing sheds should be repaired or the wood repurposed, and out-of-control bushes and light-blocking trees cut back, pollarded, or even cut down (if they're not protected). Then weed the ground thoroughly and pick out any rocks or rubble.

3. Know the rules

If you're building in the garden, know the rules for what you can and can't do. If fencing needs replacing, learn which side you're responsible for. A Tmark on the title plan or land registry can be helpful in showing what's yours. If you're building a summerhouse, bar, or studio, and it's less than 2m from the boundary of your property, it can't be more than 2.5m high, or you'll need to apply for planning permission. If it's more than 2m from the boundary, you can have a 2.5m eave height and 4m maximum overall size for an apex roof or 3m for a pent roof. And no matter how cosy your garden room is, it can't be used as self-contained accommodation without planning permission.

4. Lawn and order