Good design 'crucial for successful garden'

15:35 28th March 2011

Good design is the key to fully realising the crop-growing potential of a garden, an expert has suggested.

In an article for the Daily Telegraph, Bunny Guinness said the trend towards cultivating crops at home continues apace amid high food prices, but this is leaving many outside spaces overflowing.

"As most of us don't have acres at our disposal, the vegetables are creeping nearer to the house, in eye-catching raised beds and patio planters," she added.

To combat this issue, Ms Guinness continued, it is crucial to think very carefully about how everything in a garden fits together.

Most important, she added, is for homeowners to pick plants and styles to include in their outside space that fit with their "house, landscape and way of life".

In a recent article for the Daily Mail, TV gardener Monty Don put forward his view that installing a pond is a great way to attract wildlife.