Plants and colours go in and out of vogue, therefore you should grow what you like, in the colours you prefer and be bold enough to do your 'own thing'. Please yourself and your garden will never be a disappointment to you. Unless you are an expert, keep your design simple. If you overdo things it will look cluttered and fussy. If you are on a tight budget, work with what you've got. By simply reshaping a lawn and adding new plants can transform a garden.

Bright or hot colours (e.g., red, yellow, orange) make objects look closer. They also tend to create a vibrant and exhilarating atmosphere.

Subdued colours (e.g., blue, purple, green) make objects look farther away. They also create a visually cool and calming atmosphere.

Colours from opposite sides of the spectrum (e.g., blue and yellow, red and green) are complementary. White and silver reflect light and are often used in dark corners to lift and brighten up the area; this effect can also be achieved with plants that have shiny foliage.

Yellow is best used as a focal point, as when used with other colours, is more readily noticed. Yellow exudes warmth, sunshine, cheer and happiness.

White goes with almost any colour. It brings out colour from the adjacent plants. If you have a shady area, use either white flowers or light variegated foliage to brighten the area. It also can look spectacular on its own, choose different varieties of plants, all having white flowers or foliage.

An area without a structural focal point can still have a focal point; it can be achieved instead with colour. A vibrant coloured plant or group of plants with rich and dynamic colour such as red can take centre stage giving balance and injecting interest especially in a garden where most of the colours are far more muted.

Try to make your garden a journey of discovery with hidden treasures and secluded places to sit.

Think about views, framing them, hiding them and creating some from the house into the garden.

Don't just think flat! It is more interesting to introduce varying levels in a garden, in terms of both planting and structures.

Altering the shape of your garden by creating false perspectives is a clever and easy way of working in a better design. Horizontal lines will make the site seem wider while vertical lines will decrease its length. Attention may be drawn to a particular spot, within or beyond the garden, by creating a dynamic or moving line such as a curving path that leads to a focal point.

A simple tip is to imagine that you are an artist preparing to pain a picture. Get the background in before you start to introduce the foreground elements, build up your picture one step at a time.

In the garden before you begin to even think about plants, clear the site, prepare the soil, add the structures and when at last you feel satisfied, the real joy and excitement of planting can begin.

To make a border appear longer, plant brightly coloured flowers and plants in the foreground. Hot, fiery-colours shorten the distance they also help to make a dramatic and exciting atmosphere. Plant pale colours at the back of the border it will give the impression that the garden is longer/ wider.

Plant textures, particularly that of foliage, plays an essential role, not only for visual impact but also because its mass and duration far outlive the more transient attractions of flowers, seed heads or fruit, though these too provide texture. The overall effect of growing together groups of plants with markedly different textures is far greater since the distinctive texture of each plant is emphasized and enhanced by that very contrast. Leaf size, forms and surfaces, branch shape and the variety of shades of colour introduces yet another dimension to the over-all effect. Varying foliage surfaces influence the way that light is reflected, absorbed or diffused so that the massed effect of matt leaves, for example, will be notably different from that of glossy leaves, which give rise to glittering reflections in bright light. Glossy leaf plants are especially useful to reflect light into dull, dark corners. Texture plays a notable part in planting success. The principles of texture apply equally to flowers, seed heads as well as inanimate objects such as stones, rocks, pebbles, and wooden structures.

If your garden slopes away from the house, put progressively taller shrubs down the slope - an effective way of seeing more of the garden.

Divide a long narrow garden into a series of 'rooms' using screens, hedging and trellis; this adds intrigue to the design.

Direct garden the beams from night-lights into trees for a magical backdrop to the garden.