One of the most difficult aspects of any new gardening project is being able to visualise the end result, particularly if you are designing a new garden from scratch. Many of us cannot afford the cost of hiring a professional landscape gardener to design our ideal plot. Alternatively, sketching the options ourselves may not give a clear overall indication of how the garden will look at the end of the day. But if you can't afford a professional, aren't very good at drawing and don't have the facilities to do a computer image of any new design you may be considering, I have found a solution. It's a kit which comes with all sorts of bits and pieces with which you can design your model garden in miniature, including imitation grass, a variety of fake flowers, trees and other plants in assorted colours, gravel and earth. For a little more, you can also feature garden furniture, ivy, holly and trellis. And it all comes with a base, glue, thick card and brushes, in fact everything you need to be able to design your own garden and actually see the result in miniature. Graph paper is supplied on which to draw your design and then you can lay the paper on top of the grass matting and cut through them both to acquire any desired lawn shape. Small bushes or topiary can be made using black foam, while small sticks can be glued into place as trunks or supports for larger shrubs. Other trees can be created from wire twisted brushes, cut into shape with sharp scissors to form conifers. They can then be painted with glue and sprinkled with any of the loose colours supplied, subject to colour and species. Paving, brickwork or decking can be made by drawing the pattern on to thick card and cutting it to the required shape. Card can also be used for borders, with separate strips to define planting areas. The kits also come with air-drying clay, which can be rolled and shaped for water features, pots, rocks and even gnomes. Water features are represented by clear blue film. Again draw the desired shape on to white paper, lay the film on top and cut out both together. The kit has helped garden designer Sven Wombwell create a wide range of gardens for people all over the country, as featured in Model Gardens on UK Style, which starts every weekday from Thursday, February 5. He says: "Before I started working on this series I had always used conventional 2D drawings and it's been a brilliant experience for me to use models as a means of transforming a whole host of different gardens. "They not only help home owners communicate how they want their dream garden to look, but also allow them to get involved in the design process from the initial concept through to the finished article." So, how best should you go about designing your dream garden from scratch? Firstly, make plenty of copies of the outline plan and keep the model flexible so you can move things around. You need to view the garden from different windows, noting down pleasant aspects you want to keep and the eyesores you want to hide. Find what sort of soil you have by buying an inexpensive soil testing kit at your local garden centre. Then you will be able to choose plants that will thrive. When planning, it's wise to site ponds away from trees as dead leaves will foul the water. Also, be realistic about what you can manage. If you have work or family commitments, choose low-maintenance plants and features. If you have limited time and are growing vegetables, for instance, choose easy ones like potatoes, carrots, onions and radishes. If you are stuck on design, remember that varying height is an effective way to make your design more dynamic and increase the sense of space. Using hotter colours nearer the house and cooler colours further away will make your garden feel more spacious. Aim for a mixture of evergreens and deciduous shrubs. That way, your garden won't be completely bare during winter. Variegated foliage is particularly useful for providing winter colour, so make sure you include a good selection in your design. :: UK Style model gardens kits and booklet, price £23.95 (plus £3 postage and packing), are available either by mail order phone 08000 350 037 - or via the website . For advice about professional garden design, contact the Society of Garden Designers, Katepwa House, Ashfield Park Avenue, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire HR9 5AX (01989 566695) or visit their website www.society-of-garden-designers.co.uk | 
