There are various styles of garden to choose from, although there are no definitive rules and there is no reason why gardeners should not choose a mixture of designs. Having said that, there are a number of styles that have a proven track record, and it is perhaps worthwhile considering the pursuit of just one of them until you are confident enough to mix different styles.

The basic advice is simple, choose a style of garden that you like. There are however, various other factors that may be worth taking into considerations. Your lifestyle is one of the most important of these.

However much you may like formal gardens, there is no point in designing a neat garden that needs to be kept in pristine condition in order to look its best if you are not naturally a tidy person or never have the time to keep it neat.

Likewise, a precise garden will be an uphill struggle if you have young children playing football or riding bicycles around and over the borders. The family dog is also likely to have say in this matter. A more informal style, which would be in keeping with your life, would be a more sensible and realistic choice.

At a later stage in your life, a family garden may no longer be required, at which point, with possibly considerably more time on your hands, you could perhaps reconsider and think of other options.

Some gardeners are able to keep detailed notes of what they see and ideas that they may adopt. Others are hopeless at this, and while they start out with good intentions, they soon run out of steam.

One way around this is to take photographs as reminders. Another effective and low effort method is to tear out pages from magazines that inspire you or leave markers tucked into books.

Books and magazines can provide a really broad wealth of information, especially during winter months when there is relatively little to look at in the garden themselves.