This expert-approved design feature is a favorite of Buckingham Palace’s garden

Landscaper Manoj Malde’s go-to design secret is loved in gardens around the world – this is why you should follow suit

latest garden trends on show at the Chelsea Flower Show
(Image credit: Jacky Hobbs/Future)

Garden landscaper Manoj Malde is a royal garden expert; however, you can bring his favorite design feature into gardens of all shapes and sizes. 

The award-winning garden designer has a wealth of knowledge about the most prestigious gardens in the world, from Buckingham Palace to Balmoral. His new series, Secrets of the Royal Gardens, explores these landscape ideas in detail; however, you don’t need a royal-sized garden to incorporate his favorite design feature. 

In an interview with Gardeningetc, Manoj Malde revealed his go-to design tip involves creating a journey through the garden. 

This garden design idea brings a sense of wonder to your exteriors – and you can recreate it in gardens of any size. Here’s how you can bring a sense of Buckingham Palace into your own garden. 

Creating a journey through the garden – according to Manoj Malde

gravel path lined with hydrangeas

(Image credit: Peter Chatterton/Future)

The designer explains that you can create a journey through your space through a combination of various design solitons. ‘Level change – even if it is one step up or down – helps to give that sense of journey,’ Manoj says. Alternatively, you can go on a journey by creating a seating area (other than the patio near the house), which will give you a destination at the end of your path. 

‘Pushing social spaces out further into the garden gives you a reason to use the whole garden,’ Manoj adds. 

You can also create a sense of travel by experimenting with your garden path ideas – as seen at Buckingham Palace. The Gardeningetc news team recently visited the famous gardens to find they are a maze of gently curving paths. These twisting paths allow you to wander through the garden without knowing what is around the corner. The paths also conceal where you have already walked, so you can’t see what is behind you. 

path lined with glass bottle edging

(Image credit: Gary K Smith/Alamy Stock Photo)

This feature creates a distinct sense that you are going on a journey through the garden, as it slowly reveals itself as you explore. And, while not every garden offers a journey as long as Buckingham Palace’s, the sense of wonder remains the same. 

UK-based readers can discover more about how to plan your garden design (to mirror these iconic gardens) via Secrets of the Royal Gardens on More4, on Wednesdays at 9pm (GMT). 

Megan Slack

Megan is the News and Trends Editor at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Gardeningetc, Livingetc, and Real Homes. As the News Editor, she often focuses on emerging microtrends, sleep and wellbeing stories, and celebrity-focused pieces. Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US while studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site. She currently lives in London with her antique typewriter and an expansive collection of houseplants.