Once you have decided where you are going to sit and relax in your garden, you need to think about structure. Pictured: a country garden by Angel Collins A formal pool (see above) should be very simple and the shape of this pool will be replicated throughout the garden.Clip your trees into formal shapes, such as hawthorn, hornbeam or lime and if your garden is big enough, plant some of these trees further out and let them grow naturally.These will all relax the eye and nothing will compete.

Keep your planting palette fairly restrained, for example, stick to a pale palette of yellow, creams, whites and lime greens or a range of blues, greys and deep reds.Fill your garden with topiary and some well placed container planting and you will have a wonderful clean look which is hopefully easy to maintain.Decide on your shape and keep repeating this shape throughout the garden, whether it is flower beds, paths, water, or the space between these elements.Symmetry and balance are two of the most important dimensions in a formal garden, along with geometric shapes within a simple planting design.Work out where the sun sets and plant accordingly so that the light of the evening sun catches on plants. Try to be bold and think about playing with scale. If your garden is large then take some more time to envisage your space, working out what goes where and how you can divide up the space. Keep the planting simple, using grasses or roses with evergreen shrubs and plant pots overflowing with all your favourite seasonal planting. If your garden is small, then try and work out your basic needs and stick to a simple design with one or two wow factors. In a city garden, you will want to work out where you want to sit when you come home from work and whether you are going to have a garden full of plants or a simpler garden with elements such as beautiful paving and water, with either a wall or beautiful fence or planted boundaries. Do you want a vegetable garden? What about space for your children? Any kind of garden will require compost, and serious gardeners might want a shed.

You may need space for some everyday practicalities like storage for toys or a washing line. The first thing to think about is a seating area with some pretty garden chairs - preferably this should be near the house and if possible facing south west. Before you start, think about how you are going to use your garden and what you need to make that happen.

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