Transforming a bare plot to a mature garden needn't take years and years, especially if you plan a low maintenance design with plenty of paving and permanent structures. It helps if you can begin in early spring too.

If you're not sure what sort of garden you want, then have a look at garden styles from crocus.com. These guides cover: cottage, jungle, Mediterranean, town, seaside, Japanese, water, prairie and woodland gardens. The most useful aspect of these crocus.com garden style guides is the plant suggestions.

You can also buy pre-designed borders from crocus.com, so you don't have to re-invent the wheel when working out which groups of plants go where. The borders include: Azure and Gold, Red Summer, Keep it Cool, Brilliant Orange, Shady Pink, Sunny Pink, Steamy Jungle, Autumn Hues, Cottage Garden Scheme, Dry Mediterranean, Chalk, Clay, Sandy, Spring, Fiery Summer, Money's Tight, Mid-Range and Blow the Budget.

Plan

The first job is to map out your ideas, pencilling in the patio, paths, any plant beds and borders, plus possible positions for specimen trees or other focal points. Then you're ready to tackle the hard landscaping. This term refers to anything requiring building materials such as fencing, walling, paths, patio and barbecue, plus structures that involve excavations or foundations, such as a shed, greenhouse, summerhouse, pergola or pond. See How to create a garden design master plan or use a garden design service such as our own (Garden Makeover).

Prioritise

That's quite a list, but you can approach it in stages, once you've dealt with the boundaries (see our article on Quick, cheap boundaries). You just have to prioritise, depending on the season and the weather conditions. For example, you may decide that an area for relaxation is the next essential to complete. In which case, construct the patio and barbecue, erect any screening material and add a small water feature. With some pots of foliage plants, plus flowers for seasonal colour, you'll soon have a pleasant area for sitting, from where you can plan the rest of your campaign.