New Year, New Garden: Planning Your Dream Landscape in 2026

Steps to Planning your New Garden Design

Every spring I have the same conversation with potential clients “I wish I had started planning the garden sooner”. January is certainly cold and a far cry from the summer months, but we must cast our minds forward to the longer sunny days just around the corner, sipping on a cold drink, cooking outside with friends and family, watching the kids playing and enjoying themselves. 

To make this a reality, January is the perfect time to start planning your new outdoor space, because it’s when people slow down enough to actually think about what they want. How they want the space to feel. How they want to use it. Whether that’s for entertaining, relaxing, family time, or simply having somewhere that looks great every time they look out of the window.

That thinking stage is what makes the difference between a garden that looks fine and a garden that really works.

A great garden doesn’t start with a digger. It starts with a plan.

That’s what I help clients do at DNA Landscapes.

If you take the time to think things through properly at the start, everything else becomes easier. Decisions feel clearer. The end result feels more intentional. And you don’t end up with a space that looks nice but doesn’t quite suit the way you live.

That’s why January is such a good time to start. You’re not rushed. There’s no pressure to make fast decisions. There’s space to explore ideas, look at options, and shape something that actually fits your home and lifestyle.

By the time spring arrives, the people who started early feel calm and confident. They have a plan, they know what’s happening, and they’re looking forward to seeing it come together.

The people who leave it later usually feel rushed, uncertain, and like they’re constantly reacting rather than choosing.

That difference shows in the final result.

Our Five-Step Design & Build Process

Everything we do follows a clear structure so clients always know what’s happening and what comes next.

• Initial Consultation – We start with a proper conversation about how you want to use your garden, how you live, and what you want the space to do for you.
• Design & Concept – A bespoke design is created around your home, your taste and your practical needs, balancing appearance, flow and function.
• Material Selection – We carefully choose materials, finishes and planting that suit the design and your property, focusing on quality, durability and visual harmony.
• Build & Installation – Our team delivers the project with care and attention, managing everything from groundwork and drainage through to paving and planting.
• Final Reveal & Care Advice – Once complete, we walk you through your new garden and explain how to look after it so it continues to look its best.

It’s a simple process, but it works because it keeps everything clear, considered and calm from start to finish.

A well-designed garden isn’t just a project you tick off a list.

It changes how you use your home. It gives you somewhere to relax, somewhere to entertain and create memories, somewhere that feels like an extension of your living space rather than an afterthought.

It also adds real value, not just financially, but in how much you enjoy being at home.

That’s why I care about getting it right.

• Not rushed.
• Not trend-led.
• Not copied from somewhere else.

Designed around you, your home, and how you actually want to live.

If 2026 is the year you want to finally transform your outdoor space, now is the right time to start the conversation.

I offer a complimentary Zoom design consultation where we can talk through your ideas, your space and what’s realistically possible before anything is built or committed to.

That way you move forward with clarity, confidence and a plan that works.

Book your complimentary design consultation and let’s start shaping your garden properly.