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The first warm days of spring have us all dreaming of lazy summer days in the garden. Its also the time when we start to think about the big, exciting projects.

This year here are a few ideas and a few practical considerations to accompany them.

After the last few years of total wash out raised beds are starting to look like a good idea. At least that way your plants have some chance of staying where you put them and of not drowning in several inches of water.

Raised beds are particularly appropriate for plants which like dry conditions; herbs and almost any crop other than rice come to mind. For taller raised beds sleepers or timbers at least 2″ thick are a good idea if you plan on doing much cultivation, anything lighter won’t stand up to too much digging. Raised beds also allow you the almost unknown luxury on the West Coast of working with more than 4″ depth of soil.

The great thing about timber is how easy it is to add height to your garden, which gives the space a totally different feel. The important thing to remember in Argyll is quite how much wind we get, and how much wind resistance both the structure and any climbing plants on it create. The forces are massive and sooner or later the timber will fail. If you want it to be later rather than sooner then follow these guidelines. Firstly; go oversize - make it sturdy, then sturdier. Secondly; don’t cut into treated timber without retreating the cuts ( modern treatments are an “envelope” treatment and they don’t work if there are holes in them). Thirdly; don’t use postcrete or cement unless you have to - they shorten the life of your timber and make it harder to replace. Packing timber posts using stone is a skill that needs to be more widely applied.

Untreated timber has a very short lifespan in a climate as wet as ours, it can look stunning all the same:-)

The most exciting bit comes when you have the framework in place. Plannning and planting and seeing what you’ve created become vibrant with colour and scent.

There is no need to restrict yourself to conventional garden structures either, planning laws aside you’re free to choose to do what you want. Of course all that rain can be a nuisance as can the midges but if you want something enough there are ways round all these problems.

The most important thing is to try and enjoy the process of creating your garden or outdoor space. A mature garden is an achievement and a source of satisfaction but the element of excitement and anticipation is not there the way it is when you’re building something new.

Big or small, quirky or conventional, it’s time to start dreaming. Enjoy