February is the month to sit back and take stock of the garden, and consider what changes, if any, are needed to improve the aesthetics and the success or otherwise of the maintenance "programme".

Two key factors which impact most on the garden are visual impact and how well is it being maintained, the latter being the root cause of the former in many cases.

Design dictates maintenance and therefore the time and labour and ultimately the cost. Many gardens have potential to make a statement, but lack the boldness of "features" and the impact they make within the totality of the landscape. Hard landscaping creates interest and to an extent reduces maintenance when used correctly.

Wear and tear on a lawn highlights several facts; either the wrong grass type was installed, the area is basically a footpath and should be treated as such, or vehicles have difficulty in turning and trespass onto grass, or even the parking area is too small. Footpaths should be wide enough to accommodate the need of the area, e.g. the main entrance should be serviced by a footpath that accommodates two persons comfortably when walking aside each other, usually a minimum of five feet. Secondary and tertiary paths should be narrower not only to indicate they are not primary paths, but simply the need is often to accommodate one person.

In small gardens, poor selection of plant material can impact usable space if the said plants have potential to get out of hand; this also means more labour to keep them under control. Hedges are often over-used; when the need of the owner is merely to screen, a fence could be used, thus increasing the space that a hedge would otherwise have garnered. Fences can be any height to create screening and can be planted with vines to add interest to the area.

As the garden is essentially an extension to the house, using it for various functions makes sense, especially in larger properties. One often admires the features of a house from the garden, why then not admire the features in the garden from the house?

Use plants to create vistas by 'framing' the desired view; create woodland areas with meandering paths, create small patio areas within the garden setting and integrate with tables and seating, if space allows, include water features, or use existing outcrops of rock as a feature with stand alone plantings or statuary. Certain plants can and do if used correctly make bold statements in a landscape simply by their outline or character, for example, the common sago and queen sago, Cycas revoluta and C. circinalis both evergreens relatively slow growing and develop a majestic ¿ as they mature - outline, especially so when they start to produce off-shoots at their base.

A major crime is when one sees mature plants having their off-shoots removed for no apparent reason, resulting in poorly shaped plants. Euphorbia lactea or candelabra cacti has a quite unique symmetry; when planted with low growing succulents or cacti its natural outline becomes more interesting with time.

Bamboo is often planted in 'open' ground and thereafter multiplies quickly taking over large areas of ground; to avoid this problem plant bamboo in a contained area so as to contain the root system, thus resulting in a fine stand which when highlighted by up lighting catches any person's attention.

A property comes to life when it is designed in its totality. Use the length and breadth to create visual, tactile and olfactory pleasures, which thereafter encourages the landscape to be walked and observed. Using the total ground area allows one to use numerous elements, including stone, wood, lighting, berms, brick, water features etc. Allspice (Pimenta dioica) saplings can be made into fencing or small gates, offering a rustic appearance as required; rocks can be crafted into dry stone walls - without please the ubiquitous concrete capping!

Paving stones are not as popular as they once were, with brick and setts taking their place in patio and path construction, however to recycle old pavers whether they be round, square or rectangular, consider making a patio mixing the various sizes and installing them edge to edge. Leaving irregular gaps between the stone for planting with lily grass, the result can be quite spectacular and 'cheap' with only the labour and perhaps sand being a cost factor.

Gardens should be designed for tomorrow as they are not a static entity, and with time mature and develop; forward planning with some visualisation will create a garden with interest throughout the years. An adage which perhaps sums up a 'design that lasts' is simply that plants themselves do not make a landscape, it is how they are used within the landscape that creates the finished product.

Which leads me back to my comment on maintenance; it takes much thought and effort to create a landscape, but only one moment of madness to undo potential, especially when one considers the initial cost. Remember, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, so its worth keeping the bushes!