Building sitting areas into your small garden project design

A sunken sitting area:

Apart from a patio as a area to sit you can also have a corner for a garden seat in the front garden or even behind the house. Utilize the sunniest spot in spring or autumn and in summer you might want a shadier nook. Sitting areas around the house together with shade-giving woody plants and pergolas will give their own daily or annual schedule of sunlight. A leafy roof formed by trees will integrate your nook with the rest of the garden.
Sitting areas that are 20-50cm lower than the surrounding area creates a very restful atmosphere. This effort though seems very worrying at first, for a lot of soil will have to be dug out for this purpose. It will be best to plan such a feature whilst the house are built. Drainage or some form of run-off to carry water away from this spot, will be very important. This will also make your garden look very big from this position. Border the edges of the sunken area with a grass verge, a drystone wall or a wall low enough to sit on. Equip the latter with cover slabs to make it comfortable for sitting on.

This area must be big enough to accommodate the whole family and also a few large containers of plants. Don't make the sitting area too big for incase you need to arrange a garden party for all your friends. A garden party can be held all over the garden. When planning you need to keep in mind that a small table with two chairs needs a area of 4sqm, with six chairs 12sqm, and a garden seat with an approach to it 3sqm.

A pergola offers shade and divides your garden. It also provide a visual screen and a shelter from wind. A pergola right beside a building looks very attractive and forms a good transition to the garden. Pergolas that are not positioned close to a wall or tree often looks a bit lost.

Pergolas are made of vertical support posts and horizontal weight-bearing elements that support cross pieces. The structure gives more shade if the latter is closely installed. Pergolas have different sizes. Rounded posts give them a rustic look and square posts look more utilitarian. Keep the thickness of the posts within the total size of the structure and the same for the distance between the cross pieces which varies between 50-80cm. Ensure a sheltered position with additional trellis and climbing plants between the support posts that will provide a visual screen, protection from wind or use as space dividers or fences. Natural wood looks more attractive and is the best material to use for this purpose. Do yourself a favour by buying ready made, pressure-treated timber. Keep in mind the fact that you will have to repaint every few years if you decide to paint the wood.

A fence creates a boundary but should not appear unwelcoming. The type of fence to choose is always stipulated on the building plans. Wooden fences always looks good in all gardens. Don't take up too much space with thick walls and massive fence posts. Give your boundary a better look with some greenery for example, roses or other climbing plants. Flowers and plants in front of a fence always looks very inviting and generous.