The key here, is less is more. Great quality plants and materials can create a fantastic instant and sophisticated look.

Could you create a show home garden with a simple contemporary garden showing potential clients how the space can be used? Then invest in several 3D visualisations of garden designs to show clients different ideas that are possible in the same space.

Instant impact

Install good quality pots or planters, big enough for the scale and proportion of the property, with a simple irrigation system and seasonal planting or specimen plants. For example, a rounded pot (70-80cm in diameter) planted with a Pittosporum tobira ‘Nana’ or a pot planted with white impatiens.

Larger pots with trees can be used to soften the front of house, fence or distract from telegraph poles or neighbouring houses.

Pushing the Boundaries

Break up the boundary and create definition by planting a simple clipped hedge. Mature hedging is instant, can be clipped to look neat and is easy to look after.

A hedge is also football-proof, something I find many of my clients are interested in! I would advise against doing a climber on a fence. They take time to establish and can look messy.

Contemporary lines

Low hedging, clipped level and square, to the front of a property creates a very simple geometric shape that suits the more contemporary lines of the modern home. Fagus sylvatica (common beech) grows well in full sun or partial shade and Taxus baccata (common yew) is a lovely evergreen which grows in full sun, full or partial shade.

Borrowing a trick from developers

The smell of fresh coffee and baking bread have become well known for helping to sell homes. In the garden, climbers are great for softening a building or to scent a seated area. Our number one stand out climber is Trachelospermum jasminoides (star jasmine). This is a vigorous, evergreen, self-twining climber with highly fragrant jasmine scented flowers. It can be grown either in the ground or a container but needs to be trained onto wires.

Talk to us about how we can help your property development, from garden designs to installation or simply advice, we have it covered. Call us on 0207 305 7183 or email at enquire@alasteranderson.com.