This is the biggest landscaping mistake you can make, according to a garden designer

Overlooking this important step may cause a lack of cohesion – this is what to do instead

Landscaped garden
(Image credit: GettyImages)

When considering a new garden landscape, it can be hard to know where to begin. However, with advice from Manoj Malde, it’s hard to go wrong. 

The designer may be best-known as a royal garden expert (following his recent series Secrets of the Royal Gardens); however, his expertise doesn’t end there. Manoj has made a name for himself in landscapes beyond the palace walls, and now he’s here to elevate your garden too. 

But what do you need to know before you get started? Sharing his landscaping ideas with Gardeningetc, Manoj Malde revealed the biggest mistake you can make – and how to avoid it in your design. Here’s what you need to know. 

The one thing you should never overlook when landscaping  

Landscaped garden

(Image credit: GettyImages)

Manoj Malde revealed that the biggest mistake you can make when landscaping is failing to plan properly. He says that you should never overlook this early stage as it will ultimately lead to a broken space that doesn’t flow as you might have intended. 

So what should you do instead? Manoj Malde recommends planning the garden as a ‘whole space.’ 

‘Working on different areas of the garden in isolation creates a disjointed feel in the garden lacking cohesion,’ he says. ‘It’s far better to have designed the whole space as one and then work on the garden in phases. This way, you have something to aim for, and the result will be harmonious.’

Landscaped garden

(Image credit: GettyImages)

The expert adds that if you pre-plan your garden design ideas, you can create the sense of a ‘journey’ throughout your exterior space. ‘This is done through a combination of design solutions,’ Manoj explains. 

When wondering how to plan your garden design to promote the sense of a ‘journey,’ Manoj recommends moving your outdoor seating area to a separate part of the space. 

This encourages you to use the whole garden and elevates your outdoor seating ideas in the process. ‘Creating a seating area other than the patio near the house gives you a destination to go to,’ he says. 

Landscaped garden

(Image credit: GettyImages)

UK-based readers can pick up more design tips with Manoj Malde via Secrets of the Royal Gardens (More4, 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.