Landscaping Large Gardens in North West England

A large garden requires more than a collection of attractive features. Its scale means that access, groundworks, levels, drainage, routes, terraces, structures, trees and planting must all be planned as parts of one complete landscape.

Kirman Design provides professional landscaping for large gardens across Lancashire, the Ribble Valley, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cumbria and the wider North West. We undertake substantial residential projects ranging from the transformation of established gardens to the complete landscaping of newly built or extensively renovated properties.

Our coordinated garden design and landscaping service brings design, construction and planting together. Practical considerations such as access, levels, drainage and construction methodology can therefore be resolved alongside proportion, materials, views and planting.

The objective is not merely to fill a large space. It is to create a coherent landscape that belongs to the property, supports the way its owners want to live and becomes increasingly established over time.

Professional Landscaping for Large Gardens

The greater the size of a garden, the more important careful planning becomes.

In a smaller space, altering a path or patio may involve a relatively limited area. Across a large landscape, apparently modest design decisions can affect considerable quantities of paving, soil, drainage, planting and construction materials.

Before landscaping begins, we consider the garden as a complete site. Depending on the property, this can include:

• Site access and construction logistics

• Existing and proposed ground levels

• Excavation and redistribution of soil

• Drainage and surface-water management

• Ground and soil conditions

• Retaining structures

• Terraces and patios

• Paths and garden steps

• Walls and raised planting

• Lighting infrastructure

• Outdoor kitchens and entertaining spaces

• Water features

• Garden structures

• Specimen trees and hedging

• Lawns and meadow areas

• Planting design

• Long-term maintenance requirements

Understanding how these elements interact is fundamental to creating a successful large garden.

Large Garden Transformations

Many large gardens have developed gradually over several decades and no longer have a clear relationship with the house.

There may be old paving, redundant structures, overgrown borders, poorly positioned lawns, awkward changes in level or substantial areas that are rarely used. In other cases, the garden may have been damaged or fragmented during an extension, renovation or new house build.

A complete garden transformation provides an opportunity to reconsider the landscape as a whole.

Instead of replacing individual elements without an overall plan, we establish how the garden should function before deciding what should be retained, adapted or removed. This creates a more coherent result and reduces the risk of completed work having to be altered later.

Existing trees, hedges, walls and established planting can often be retained and incorporated into the new landscape. A comprehensive transformation does not automatically mean removing everything already present.

Landscaping Around a Large or Substantial Property

A large garden should feel proportionate to the house it surrounds.

Terraces, steps, paths, lawns, borders and garden structures that would appear generous in a smaller garden can look undersized beside a substantial property. Their dimensions must relate to the scale of the architecture as well as the intended use of the garden.

Long views from important rooms should also influence the landscape. A specimen tree, sculpture, water feature or carefully framed piece of planting can terminate a view and draw the garden visually towards the house.

For properties with particularly substantial grounds, our approach to garden design for large country properties explains how gardens, buildings and the surrounding landscape can be considered together.

You may also find our dedicated guide to garden design for large gardens helpful if the project is still at the planning or masterplan stage.

Landscaping After Building or Renovation Work

Major building work can leave the surrounding garden badly disrupted.

Heavy machinery, scaffolding, temporary access routes and stored construction materials can compact the soil and damage existing lawns and planting. New extensions may also introduce different finished floor levels, thresholds, drainage requirements and routes between the house and garden.

Rather than simply repairing the affected areas, this can be an ideal opportunity to reconsider the relationship between the renovated property and its landscape.

New terraces, paths, steps, planting, drainage and outdoor living spaces can be designed around the altered architecture. The result is a garden that feels like part of the completed property rather than an area addressed after the building work has finished.

For recently completed properties, see our service for garden design for new-build homes.

Working With Architects and Building Contractors

For new houses and major property renovations, the landscape is best considered before the building work is complete.

Finished floor levels, external thresholds, retaining structures, drainage, utility routes and construction access can all affect the eventual garden. Decisions made during the building work may unintentionally restrict what can be achieved outside if the landscape has not yet been considered.

Kirman Design can work alongside homeowners, architects and building contractors to coordinate the external landscape with the house.

Early involvement can help ensure that:

• Internal and external floor levels relate properly

• Terraces are correctly proportioned and positioned

• Threshold drainage is considered

• Rainwater and surface water are properly managed

• Retaining structures form part of the overall design

• Access for landscaping machinery and materials is retained

• Electrical supplies for garden lighting are installed

• Services for outdoor kitchens and water features are planned

• Irrigation infrastructure can be incorporated

• Important views from inside the house are protected

• Garden construction is coordinated with the wider programme

Our service for architects, housebuilders and property professionals provides further information about this collaborative approach.

Groundworks for Large Gardens

Much of the work required to produce a successful garden eventually becomes invisible.

Ground preparation is one of the most important examples.

Large landscaping projects may require substantial excavation, redistribution or removal of soil, preparation of foundations, installation of drainage and adjustment of existing levels.

Correct groundwork provides the foundation for everything that follows. Poor preparation can cause problems with paving, walls, drainage, planting and lawns long after the garden has been completed.

Landscaping a large garden must therefore be approached as a serious construction project as well as a design exercise.

Our landscape construction service covers the technical and practical work needed to turn an agreed garden design into a properly constructed landscape.

Garden Levels and Excavation

Changes in level can dramatically improve the way a large garden works.

They can create terraces, define different areas and establish a stronger relationship between the house and landscape. However, changing ground levels can involve significant quantities of material.

Excavated soil must be moved, reused or removed from site. Retaining structures may be required, and altering the topography can change the way surface water moves through the garden.

The objective is not necessarily to make the entire garden level. Working intelligently with the existing land can produce a more natural result while avoiding unnecessary excavation.

For gardens where changes in level are a defining feature, our sloping garden design and landscaping service explains the available approaches in greater detail.

Landscaping Large Sloping Gardens

A large sloping garden can initially appear difficult to use, but its changes in level can become one of its strongest characteristics.

Terracing can create practical areas for seating, lawns and planting. Retaining walls and garden steps can provide structure and establish clear connections between different parts of the landscape.

In other situations, maintaining more of the natural gradient may be preferable. Natural slopes can be planted, incorporated into meadow areas or used to create a gradual transition into the wider landscape.

The appropriate solution depends on:

• How the garden will be used

• The severity of the slope

• Existing ground and soil conditions

• Drainage

• Access

• Important views

• The relationship with the house

• The available construction budget

Significant changes in level require careful design because they can have a major effect on engineering, construction and cost.

Where defined terraces are required, our garden terracing service explains how usable areas can be created across changing levels.

Drainage in Large Gardens

Drainage is particularly important when landscaping gardens in North West England.

High rainfall, heavy soils and local ground conditions can result in standing water, saturated lawns and poorly drained planting areas. New paving, walls and altered ground levels can also change how water moves through the site.

Drainage should therefore form part of the overall landscape strategy rather than being introduced only after a problem becomes apparent.

Depending on the garden, solutions may include:

• Carefully calculated surface falls

• Channel and threshold drainage

• Land drainage

• Permeable surfaces

• Improved soil structure

• Rain gardens

• Planted drainage areas

• Suitable tree and plant selection

Drainage must be considered alongside levels, construction and planting rather than treated as an isolated service.

Terraces and Patios for Large Gardens

The principal terrace is often one of the most frequently used areas of a large garden.

Its proportions become particularly important beside a substantial house. A terrace that would feel generous at a smaller property may look narrow or insignificant against a large elevation.

The space must be capable of accommodating furniture comfortably while providing sufficient circulation around dining tables, seating, outdoor kitchens and other features.

The position of the terrace should respond to:

• Access from the house

• Sun and shade

• Views into the garden

• Privacy

• Changes in level

• Drainage

• The intended furniture

• How the space will be used

Paving materials should complement the architecture while remaining suitable for the intended use and wider landscape. The best terrace feels like a considered transition between the house and garden rather than a paved rectangle placed outside the doors.

Our wider hard landscaping service brings together paving, walls, steps, levels, drainage and other built elements of the garden.

Paths Through Large Gardens

Paths are both practical and visual elements.

They determine how people travel through the landscape and influence how the garden is experienced. Routes may connect the house to seating areas, outbuildings, entrances, lawns, kitchen gardens or other destinations.

Not every path needs to take the shortest possible route.

A more indirect route can sometimes create a better experience by allowing planting, features and views to unfold gradually. Materials can also become less formal as paths move away from the house, transitioning from paving to gravel, stepping stones, mown grass or woodland routes.

The width, direction and material of each path should reflect its purpose and position within the garden.

Retaining Walls and Garden Walls

Walls can perform several roles within a large landscape.

They can:

• Retain changes in level

• Define individual garden spaces

• Create raised planting areas

• Form built-in seating

• Frame views

• Provide architectural structure

• Support steps and terraces

Their proportions and materials need to relate to both the house and the wider garden.

Where walls retain significant quantities of ground, their construction is especially important. Foundations, structural requirements and drainage behind the wall must be considered alongside appearance.

Garden Steps

Steps are often necessary where ground levels change, but they can also become an important design feature.

Their width, rise, materials and relationship with surrounding walls or planting can significantly influence how they feel within the landscape.

Generous steps can create a strong connection between a terrace and lawn. More discreet routes may be appropriate elsewhere in the garden.

Lighting can also be incorporated where necessary to make changes in level easier to understand and use after dark.

Outdoor Living Areas

Large gardens provide opportunities to create substantial outdoor living and entertaining areas.

These might incorporate:

• Dining terraces

• Lounge seating

• Outdoor kitchens

• Fire pits

• Pergolas

• Built-in seating

• Water features

• Garden lighting

• Sheltered areas

• Secondary seating destinations

The important consideration is how these elements relate to one another.

Rather than positioning a collection of unrelated products around the garden, we create a complete environment in which every feature has a clear purpose and an appropriate position within the landscape.

Landscaping Around Outdoor Kitchens

Outdoor kitchens increasingly form part of larger residential landscapes.

Their location must be considered carefully. The kitchen should be convenient to reach from the house while also forming part of the wider entertaining space.

Paving, lighting, dining, informal seating, planting and circulation all need to work around it. Utilities and services should be planned during the main landscaping work rather than introduced after the surrounding surfaces have been constructed.

Consideration should also be given to:

• Shelter and exposure

• Smoke direction

• Views from the house

• Storage

• Food preparation

• Position of dining furniture

• Evening lighting

• Access for installation and maintenance

Water Features in Large Landscapes

The scale of a large garden allows water to be used in ways that may not be possible in a smaller space.

Depending on the design, this might include:

• Reflecting pools

• Wildlife ponds

• Rills

• Cascades

• Formal pools

• Contemporary water features

• Naturalistic water gardens

Water can create a focal point, reflect the sky and surrounding planting, introduce movement or help connect different parts of the landscape.

Its position should relate to important views and routes rather than simply occupying an unused area of the garden.

Garden Lighting

A large garden can disappear almost completely after sunset unless lighting is considered as part of the landscape.

Good garden lighting does not mean illuminating the whole site. Selected trees, planting, walls, steps, paths and water can be highlighted to create atmosphere, depth and a continued connection between the house and garden.

Lighting infrastructure is best installed during the main landscaping works, before paving and planting are completed.

Our garden lighting design and installation service considers the night-time landscape alongside the appearance and function of the garden during the day.

Planting Large Gardens

Planting needs to respond to the scale of the landscape.

Very narrow borders and isolated plants can become visually lost within a substantial garden. Larger beds allow plants to be used in generous groups, creating rhythm, repetition and greater visual impact.

A large-garden planting scheme may combine:

• Structural shrubs

• Herbaceous perennials

• Ornamental grasses

• Evergreen planting

• Native planting

• Hedging

• Ground-cover plants

• Climbers

• Specimen trees

• Multi-stem trees

• Orchard planting

• Naturalistic planting

• Woodland planting

• Meadow areas

Different planting characters can be introduced throughout the garden, but repeating selected plants helps maintain continuity between them.

Our professional planting design service considers soil, aspect, scale, seasonality, wildlife value and maintenance as parts of the wider landscape design.

Specimen Trees and Mature Planting

Trees can make an enormous difference to a newly landscaped large garden.

They provide immediate height and structure, helping the landscape feel established and connecting new work with its surroundings.

Depending on the site, a scheme might include:

• Specimen ornamental trees

• Multi-stem trees

• Screening trees

• Native trees

• Avenue planting

• Orchard trees

• Evergreen trees

• Woodland planting

Tree selection must consider eventual height, spread, root development and proximity to buildings as well as immediate appearance.

Access is also important. Larger specimens may require specialist lifting equipment and a clear delivery route into the garden.

Screening and Privacy

Large gardens can still experience overlooking from neighbouring houses, elevated land or nearby developments.

The distance between the house and boundary can mean that fencing or boundary hedging alone will not provide effective privacy.

Layered planting can often produce a better solution. Trees, hedging and substantial shrubs can be positioned within the garden to interrupt sightlines before they reach important terraces, windows and seating areas.

This creates privacy while also adding depth, structure and seasonal interest to the landscape.

Lawns, Meadows and Open Space

A large lawn can provide valuable open space and visual simplicity. However, an enormous area of closely mown grass is not always necessary or desirable.

Reducing some lawn areas can provide space for deeper planting, specimen trees, meadow, orchard or more naturalistic parts of the garden.

Where lawns are retained, their shape should form part of the overall composition rather than simply filling the space left between borders.

The balance between formal lawn, meadow and planting should reflect the character of the property, the way the garden will be used and the amount of maintenance its owners want to undertake.

Landscaping Large Gardens for Lower Maintenance

A large garden does not automatically need to be intensively maintained throughout.

A successful landscaping strategy can concentrate more detailed areas near the house and simplify the treatment further into the landscape.

This might include:

• Larger groups of shrubs

• Ground-cover planting

• Meadow

• Longer grass

• Woodland

• Native planting

• Orchards

• Structural tree planting

• Reduced areas of frequently cut lawn

The objective is not to create a maintenance-free garden, which is unrealistic. It is to ensure that the work required remains appropriate for the property and its owners.

Does the Entire Garden Need to Be Landscaped?

Not necessarily.

In very large gardens, it can be more effective to concentrate construction and detailed landscaping where it will have the greatest effect.

The areas immediately surrounding the house may receive substantial investment in terraces, planting, lighting and outdoor living. Further into the garden, the treatment can become progressively simpler.

Meadow, woodland, orchard, lawn and naturalistic planting can all become deliberate and attractive parts of the design.

This approach can make a large garden more practical to construct and maintain without leaving distant areas feeling forgotten.

Phased Landscaping for Large Gardens

Large garden projects can be undertaken in stages where this is appropriate for the site, budget or wider building programme.

The complete landscape should ideally be designed before the first phase begins. This ensures that early construction work takes account of later stages.

Drainage, services, levels, access routes and planting can then be coordinated rather than each phase being planned independently.

A clear masterplan allows the garden to develop logically while preventing completed work from obstructing future construction.

How Much Does Landscaping a Large Garden Cost?

There is no standard price for landscaping a large garden because size alone does not determine the cost.

A relatively simple large garden may require less construction than a smaller but technically complex site.

Important cost factors include:

• Site access

• Excavation and waste removal

• Existing ground conditions

• Changes in level

• Drainage

• Retaining walls

• Quantity and specification of paving

• Garden structures

• Outdoor kitchens

• Water features

• Lighting

• Irrigation

• Planting

• Specimen trees

• Construction complexity

• Project duration

• Whether the work will be completed in phases

The most useful starting point is to establish what the garden needs to achieve and where investment will make the greatest difference.

Developing the overall design before pricing the construction also produces a clearer and more realistic understanding of the project cost.

Garden Design and Landscaping Under One Roof

One of the principal advantages of working with Kirman Design is the close relationship between garden design, landscape construction and planting.

A beautiful concept is only successful if it can be properly built. Equally, technically competent construction does not automatically produce a beautiful garden.

Bringing design and construction together means that access, levels, drainage, materials and construction methodology can be considered alongside proportion, planting, views and appearance.

This continuity is particularly valuable on large and technically complex garden projects.

For a broader explanation of how we combine the different parts of a project, visit our complete garden landscaping service.

Large Garden Landscaping Across North West England

Kirman Design undertakes large garden landscaping projects throughout:

• Lancashire

• The Ribble Valley

• Greater Manchester

• Cheshire

• Merseyside

• Cumbria

• Preston

• Clitheroe

• Whalley

• Blackburn

• Chorley

• Bolton

• Lytham

• Southport

• Formby

• Knutsford

• Wilmslow

• Altrincham

• Warrington

• Macclesfield

Our regional experience is particularly valuable when considering rainfall, drainage, heavy soil, exposure and suitable planting.

Every site is different, but understanding the conditions commonly encountered across North West England helps us create landscapes that respond properly to their environment.

Why Choose Kirman Design?

Kirman Design has been designing and building gardens for more than 20 years.

Our work brings together:

• Professional garden design

• Detailed landscape planning

• Groundworks and drainage

• Hard landscape construction

• Planting design

• Specimen-tree planting

• Garden lighting

• Outdoor living

• Project coordination

Andy Kirman is a Registered Member of the Society of Garden + Landscape Designers. Kirman Design is also associated with respected professional landscaping organisations, including BALI and the Association of Professional Landscapers.

Our gardens have received recognition through industry awards, including the Pro Landscaper Awards and Global 100 recognition as a leading garden and landscape designer in North West England.

Most importantly, we understand that a large garden is a substantial part of the property. It deserves the same level of design thought, technical planning and attention to detail as the house it surrounds.

View our garden design and landscaping portfolio to see examples of completed projects.

Frequently Asked Questions About Landscaping Large Gardens

How long does it take to landscape a large garden?

Timescales depend on the size and complexity of the project. Excavation, retaining walls, drainage, paving, specialist features, structures and planting can all affect the construction programme.

A detailed design and specification allow the work to be properly planned before construction begins.

Should a large garden be designed before it is landscaped?

Yes. We strongly recommend developing an overall design or masterplan before substantial landscaping begins.

Without an overall plan, individual features can be constructed without considering how they relate to future parts of the garden.

Can you landscape an existing mature garden?

Yes. Existing trees, hedges, walls and valuable planting can often be retained and incorporated into the new design.

A complete transformation does not automatically mean removing everything that already exists.

Can you landscape a large sloping garden?

Yes. Sloping gardens can be transformed using terraces, retaining structures, steps, drainage and planting. Alternatively, the design can work more naturally with the existing contours.

The correct approach depends on the gradient, ground conditions, access, budget and intended use of the garden.

Can a large garden be landscaped in phases?

Yes. Phased construction can work very successfully, provided the complete garden has been designed before the first phase begins.

This allows drainage, levels, services, access and future construction to be coordinated.

Do you work with architects and building contractors?

Yes. Kirman Design can work alongside architects, builders, interior designers and other property professionals.

Early collaboration can be particularly helpful when coordinating floor levels, terraces, thresholds, drainage, utilities and external construction.

Can you provide planting and specimen trees?

Yes. We provide planting design and can source and plant suitable trees, shrubs, hedging, perennials and grasses as part of the completed landscape.

Can a large garden be designed to require less maintenance?

Yes. Detailed landscaping can be concentrated around the house and principal outdoor living areas, with simpler treatments further into the garden.

Meadow, woodland, orchard, ground-cover planting and larger shrub groups can all help create a more manageable landscape.

Do you provide both garden design and landscaping?

Yes. Kirman Design provides garden design, planting design and landscape construction, allowing the complete project to be planned and delivered as one coordinated landscape.

Which areas do you cover?

We undertake suitable large-garden landscaping projects throughout Lancashire, the Ribble Valley, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cumbria and the wider North West of England.

Transform Your Large Garden

A substantial garden deserves a landscape that has been designed and constructed with the same level of consideration as the property it surrounds.

Whether your garden requires a complete transformation, has been disrupted by building work or simply no longer suits the way you want to live, Kirman Design can help you understand its potential.

We bring together garden design, construction, drainage, paving, planting, trees, lighting and outdoor living to create distinctive gardens that work as complete landscapes.

Contact Kirman Design to discuss landscaping your large garden.