Planning a garden doesn’t just involved thinking about what happens at ground level. While the first step may be planning how borders, patios and lawns fit together in 2D, very quickly it’s time to consider structural 3D elements.

Structural elements can be used to:

Frame attractive views or focal points.
Obscure sightlines through the garden to create interest and encourage people to explore.
Screen less desirable views or prevent the garden feeling overlooked.
Create hidden areas where you can feel sheltered and have privacy.
Create a more varied space for wildlife – layered planting is important for animals to shelter and feed.

You can introduce structure and height in your with various different features, including:

Planting

As soon as I’ve finalised the 2D shape of a garden I start to think about the location of key structural plants – this includes trees and larger shrubs. These can affect the views of your garden and the wider landscape from your house, and the views you have when you’re in the garden. Trees are likely to be the tallest thing you have in your garden and large trees can eventually reach over 20m so it’s important to plan their location with their final size in mind, not just the 2m tall sapling you’ve brought home from the nursery. Consider the shape of the tree or shrub – will there be a clear view under the canopy or is a dense shrub that will screen all the way down to the ground. If you have a small garden don’t be afraid of larger plants – these can actually help the space feel bigger as they can help hide the limits of the garden, plus they can help screen the view if your garden is overlooked.

Sketch of a garden design with seating areas, trees and a church tower in the distance — The location of the trees in this design frame the church tower when viewed from the seating area

Pergolas and arches

Pergolas over seating areas can create a welcoming enclosed space, while arches over paths can form an enticing tunnel guiding you to a new area of the garden. If pergolas or arches are very tall or made of a very chunky material they can be a bit of a stark height in the garden. Planting trees or shrubs nearby, or growing climbers up them can help to soften their appearance. Make sure you make them tall enough to comfortably walk under, particularly if you will have climbers growing on them in which case it’s worth giving a bit of extra room.

Arches over a path to a gravel seating area — The arches in this newly built garden will soon be covered in roses and the amelanchier and shrubs in the border will fill out, softening the appearance of the arches and creating an enticing walkway.

Boundaries

Boundaries generally involved some level of height, whether you use a hedge, wall or fence. The height you choose will depend on what is beyond the boundary and whether you want to be able to see out or stop people seeing in. If the boundary is too small it may not serve its function to prevent access or create a true separation of space, but if it is too high in a small space it might block a lot of light or create an oppressive feeling. Remember there are planning restrictions on maximum heights of boundary structures – you can find out more about these on the Planning Portal.

A wooden fence and hazel hurdles — A taller fence is used round the garden boundary to provide privacy, while a shorter hazel hurdle fence acts a a boundary between different areas within the garden. Their lower heigh creates separation and interest while still allowing some a view over the hurdles.

For more images of the garden project shown in this blog take at look at our portfolio.

Why height is important in your garden

A dog friendly garden (with Dig and Doug)

Behind the scenes of our first RHS show