A garden is never finished. The best ones are planned with that in mind: a clear structure that holds from year one, and enough room for plants, people and ideas to change around it.

Start with the bones

Paths, levels, hedges and trees are the parts that are hard to move later. Get these right first and keep them simple. Everything else can be adjusted season by season.

Plant for five years ahead

Give shrubs and trees the space they will need when mature, and fill the gaps with perennials and annuals that can be lifted as the garden grows in.

Leave something undecided

Keep one bed or corner loose. It becomes the place for a cutting patch, a play area or a new idea, and it keeps the garden feeling alive.