If your bank holiday weekend didn’t involve sitting outside in the sun, eating, relaxing, and simply enjoying the British heatwave weather, it might be a sign that your garden is in need of a makeover.

That might be because the layout needs rethinking, it needs tidying and cleaning up to make it safe for children and pets, it lacks functional storage, comfortable seating, privacy, or it just does not feel very inviting.

There are lots of reasons why homeowners end up avoiding their own gardens, but often it comes down to the same thing. The space just does not quite work for how life actually happens day to day.

This is where good garden design really makes a difference.

One of the first garden transformations we ever worked on was back in Colchester, around seven years ago. At the time it was a typical overgrown back garden, a space with potential but not really being used properly. We were also in a very different stage of life ourselves, with a very young child and a growing understanding of how outdoor spaces actually get used in real family life.

I (Alexandra) handled the design of the garden and Richard carried out the construction, bringing my ideas to life on site and turning the plans into a finished space.

The aim with this garden design was not to overcomplicate things. As a busy new family with a small baby we needed to create a space that worked hard and felt easy to live in, and maintain.

We introduced a simple patio area using Indian stone, built-in seating areas so there was always somewhere to sit without needing to move furniture around, and raised planters made from railway sleepers to bring structure and planting into the space.

Solar-powered lighting, an automatic watering system, and low maintenance planting helped keep it practical and easy to maintain.

As a family garden with lots of playdates happening, shade was also really important, so we added flexible options using both a parasol and a sail system fixed between the house and the new workshop at the bottom of the garden – perfect for paddling pool plays and picnics on the grass.

What came out of it was a space that just worked. It became somewhere for playdates, family time, and relaxed alfresco evenings outside. It wasn’t about adding lots of features for the sake of it, but about making sure everything had a purpose.

Looking back, it was also one of the first projects where the design and build process really came together properly for us. That combination of thinking through how a space should feel and function, then actually delivering it on site, is still the approach we use today.

The biggest takeaway from that project, and many since, is that gardens do not need to be complicated to be effective. A clear layout, a bit of structure, the right planting, and thoughtful use of materials can completely change how a space feels and how often it gets used.

And often, that is all people are really looking for. A garden that feels easy, works with their lifestyle, and gives them a reason to actually spend time outside.

It is still a project we look back on often, not just because of how it turned out, but because it helped shape how we approach every garden we work on now.

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