American Academy of Garden Design Blog

Helping Your Raised Bed Garden Grow and Thrive

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

If you are looking for a new hobby, gardening may be the ticket! This great pastime allows you to grow plants from scratch while you breathe in fresh outdoor air and even get some exercise in the process.

Garden Path Ideas

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Garden Design principles: balance and proportion

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0100

The garden design principles are the fundamental laws that garden designers keep in mind during any design project undertaken. With garden design being both an art and a science, there is room for flexibility in these rules to make a strong statement. However, being guided by these basic principles of garden design will aid the design process.

Preparing your garden for Summer

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Summer is a beautiful time in the garden. Flowers are in full bloom, busy insects are everywhere, and gentle drifts of fragrance are in the breeze. Yet, there is still work to be done.

Garden Design: Movement & Flow

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Flow in the garden is the sense and feel that the garden gives to you as you enter the outdoor space. Gardens can appeal to us on many levels. One important but often neglected aspect is flow - the way our eyes and bodies move through the space. Without a sense of movement, gardens can seem flat and uninteresting, even if populated with the richest of plantings.

Organic pest control techniques: does it work?

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

What materials do I need when starting my course?

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

The aim of this blog post is to help you understand what materials you need to start your course. When looking at the list, keep in mind that most of these items are one-off investments.

The Top Garden Design Trends for 2021

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

How to build an urban vegetable garden at home

Sat, 31 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Garden Design inspiration: outdoor space and patio design ideas

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0100

When determining, planning, and designing your perfect patio design, lots of ideas can flood into your mind. Although it is good to look at other people's designs, probably seen on TV or in magazines, it is only natural if you want something more personal. We have some ideas to inspire you when designing your outdoor space, which you can customize and add your own touch to it.

Essential elements of a Japanese Garden

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Bridges

How to choose a color scheme for your garden

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Lighting Tips for your Garden

Tue, 19 May 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Creating a Focal Point

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0100

The Benefits of Online Learning

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000

When we make the decision to find and study an online course, the workload can be troubling. People who haven’t studied online courses before may be baffled by how to complete their tasks and stay on-target. Though it may seem unusual to you, many students thrive when they can study in their own time and complete work from anywhere.

4 Tips to Improve Your Drawings

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Visual communication is a key aspect of garden design - it helps you convey your design concepts and ideas. But you don’t have to be proficient at drawing, or have any experience of drawing at all when you are starting out in garden design. What you do need is the desire to learn and develop your drawing skills, and to consistently push yourself to get better.

Mark Soanes: Designing an Urban Paradise

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0100

We caught up with one of our garden design graduates, Mark Soanes, to find out about his passion for garden design, what it's like to work on real-life garden design projects and what it means to graduate.

Using steel in your garden designs

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Since the birth of the steel industry during the Industrial Revolution, steel has become a common feature in landscape and garden design. Durable and versatile, its unique appearance is appreciated by designers all over the world. Two of the most widely used types of steel in landscape design are stainless steel and weathering steel. In this blog, I will highlight some of the applications of steel in contemporary design and show you how you can use steel to add character to your garden.

How to create sustainable gardens using water management

Thu, 16 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

With the world climate changing and more extreme weather patterns on the increase, the need for environmentally sensitive design has become greater. In garden design, one area that we can focus on is water management. In this blog we will explore ways to conserve water, prevent flooding and use water as an attractive feature in your designs.

Design a garden with rhythm and interest

Thu, 05 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0100

In my experience, the most interesting gardens have elements of movement, exploration and unity woven throughout their design. In this blog, I will give you some tips on how to incorporate these elements to make your garden more dynamic and attractive.

Getting started in your garden design career

Thu, 24 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Some of you will be studying with the Academy simply to use the skills and knowledge you will learn to improve your own gardens. However, many of you are dreaming of a blossoming career in garden design. Our courses will certainly help you to make the very best of your own space but if your dream is to get started in the industry, we will also show you how to achieve this.

Building a food forest at home

Thu, 03 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0100

How to maximise space when designing small gardens

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0100

The most basic element of garden design consists of planning the garden layout. In this blog, I’ll discuss two principles of planning – proportion and scale – so that you can maximise the space in your garden, no matter how small it may be.

Finding Design Inspiration in the Moorish Nasrid Garden, Andalucia, Spain

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

On a recent holiday to Andalucia, Spain, I was hoping to visit the famous gardens of the Alhambra palace and fortress. Sadly, due to circumstances beyond my control it was not to happen. I was feeling a little disappointed when a friend mentioned that the village I was staying in, Velez de Benaudalla, had a rather lovely Moorish garden called Nasrid Garden which was well worth visiting.

Essential Garden Tools (Part 3)

Sat, 10 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Read part three of our guide to the essential garden tools you will need to implement a garden design project. This article introduces the garden rake and the garden trowel.

Essential Garden Tools (Part 2)

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Read part two of our guide to the essential garden tools you will need to implement a garden design project. This article introduces the garden hoe and the wheelbarrow.

Essential Garden Tools (Part 1)

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Read part one of our guide to the essential garden tools you will need to implement a garden design project. This article introduces the garden fork and the spade.