How To Create Your Very Own Secret Garden

When we enter our gardens we want to be taken to another world. We look for a place to relax in, one to escape from reality, enjoy time with loved ones and have some fun! We all have our own tastes and quirks when it comes to design but I think the child inside every single one of us has always dreamt of having their own secret garden. A garden full of wonder, holding something new with each turn, a garden to explore and watch change over the seasons. If this sounds like your dream, here are our top tips on how to create your very own secret garden…

Entrance

No secret garden can begin without some sort of intriguing entrance. Think gateways, think archways or topiary hedges, it’s gotta be an entrance that will make you want to wander through it.

Garden Path

A garden path is a perfect way to lead you through your secret garden but why just stick to one style? Your entrance could begin with a normal paved walkway and as it winds around and comes to a new section this could gradually alter. Breaking up the first set into stepping stones, moving onto bark instead and then to grass, perhaps even using wooden planks will make the walk so much more exciting.

Create Divisions

Before beginning your secret garden it would be beneficial to create a birds-eye view plan of your current space in order to work out how the garden could wind and curve around which will give you a better idea of which sections you could make. Dividing up the garden using walls, hedges, trellis, archways and so on will allow yourself and visitors be drawn into the magic of this outdoor space and make every step more and more interesting.

Use Climbers

No secret garden is complete without climbers such as Ivy, is it? Walls are a great place to allow these to grow and by just letting them take their own direction you will have a wild and natural garden. Other climbers to think about would be Roses over archways, Honeysuckle on a trellis or Passion Flowers over a pergola. These fascinating plants and flowers will bring shadow and depth, they will hide undiscovered areas and will add to the atmosphere of your secretiveness. 

Secret Areas 

Now it’s time to think about each of those secret areas and how you can utilise the space to make it enjoyable. I’d probably consider what you and your family likes and enjoys and take those ideas to create a space for each person. A children’s sensory garden with mud kitchen, a reading nook, a place to dine, an area for play, a section for bright flowers, an area for vegetable growing and a fairy garden are all things that immediately spring to mind. You can have enormous fun adapting yours for your own space and the people who will be using it.

Lighting

If you want to be able to enjoy your secret garden at any time of day then lighting will be very important here. Solar lights are very easy to find and there is such a wide variety of styles and sizes that you will be bound to find something that will work for your project. Again, you don’t have to keep all of your lights the same. Think about what would suit each area and how you could create something special with something as simple as a change of light. 

Romance

All secret gardens need to hold an element of romance but how exactly can you achieve that without flooding it with red roses?! Delicate wrought iron archways, with a climber draping down, a stony brick wall with pretty pink flowers growing out of it, a 2-seater dining area secluded in a corner and decorated with fairy lights. There are many simple ways of adding a romantic touch without being over the top with it all. Think soft shades, pastels, cute touches and exciting twists and turns!

A Destination

The final idea to create a secret garden is to provide a final resting point. A destination that you and your guests can retreat to and enjoy a glass of wine and/or a meal. Something like a small garden room or summerhouse would be the perfect choice here. This will provide comfort and shelter, a place to gather and will look pretty as a picture at the end of your intriguing garden walk. 

With these ideas, you’ll be creating a secret garden that you’ll love in no time!

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