Gardens: Take lawn into your own hands

AS we stare out of the window into our gardens this weekend, many of us may find ourselves daydreaming.

Bare trees, waterlogged grass, crumpled or dead plants and little colour - not only a typically uninspiring winter scene, but the result of recent heavy snowfall which put a strain on even the most hardy of gardens.

It certainly feels like spring and summer are a long way off, and for some of us looking out at the drab outdoors every day, dreams of having the perfect garden could not be stronger.

"A good garden design should give interest 12 months a year," says expert garden designer Gillian Polley, owner of the city's Polley Garden Design. "After all, in Scotland, we do have long winters so our gardens need to have that."

But even with the odd brightly coloured berry bush during the winter months, or a striking tree that will be sure to draw exciting birds to our properties, a lot of city householders yearn for something more - the perfect ideal space in which to relax, socialise and let the children play, when the weather permits, and a garden with the "wow" factor, making best use of the space we have and the money we are able to plough into it.

On Tuesday, green-fingered enthusiasts at the city's Royal Botanic Garden may have the answer as they launch an 11-week Design Your Own Garden course, aimed at giving garden holders everything they need to know to create the outdoor space they have always wanted.

"It is a lot like decorating the inside of your home," explains course leader Diane Pyper. "Yet a lot of people do not know where to start when redesigning their gardens, so in the course I talk about how I would approach something.

"Often it is simple changes that can make a big difference to a garden, such as changing the alignment of a path, or moving a plant to frame a view from a window.

"I remember working in a woman's garden a while ago and I cut back and reshaped some of her existing plants. She said she would never have had the courage to do something like that. There is no harm in hacking, though."

Of course, for expert garden designer Diane, owner of the Livingston-based company New Dimensions Landscape and Garden Design, with years of experience in the industry, much of this comes as second nature.

But she is aware of the anxieties many garden holders have, the stumbling blocks they can face when not knowing where to start, or often the lack of imagination many of us may feel.

Her course includes techniques on how to survey a garden, how to draw plans and how to explore different design ideas to find what best suits someone's needs.

"Having a garden designed does not mean you have to spend lots of money, though," she says.

In fact, in the long run, drafting in the advice of a professional could save money, explains Gillian Polley.

"By having a plan drawn up, you can do each section of your garden as you wish," she explains. "And at least you know it will all come together in the end and you won't be left wishing you had done something else instead."

• Design Your Own Garden runs at the Royal Botanic Garden from Tuesday to March 29. Course costs 110. Call 0131-248 2937 to book. For more information on Diane Pyper, see www.newdimensionsgd.com and for Gillian Polley, visit www.polleygardendesign.com