The garden is basically a plot of land adjacent to the house, its purpose is open to its use, be it a storage area for the boat, car, bike, a shed, dog run, completely ‘hard’ surfaced area or a garden.

With the latter the use can create several options, including, a garden of flower beds and a lawn, just a lawn, a swimming pool, barbecue grill and a deck, patio and garden.

A good compromise to fully appreciate the outside area especially if for whatever reason, a ‘full’ garden is impractical or too much work, consider a total revamp of the area by creating a mix of hard and soft landscapes, to include several smaller flower beds dotted throughout a hard landscaped area.

Flowering plants without doubt bring visual impact to a garden, when combined with other elements the impact can be a lot more powerful, with less labour involved in the upkeep/maintenance.

Mature palms and small trees as stand-alone specimens or in small groups can set off an area making a bold statement; underplanting with Ophiopogon or Liriope species, both being a dark green in colour resembling a carpet, that will assist in weed control and keep soil surface cool.

Palms having a wide leaf spread should be positioned as the foliage does not touch. Small trees to consider, Lagunaria pattersonia – Norfolk Island Hibiscus; Parkinsonia aculeata – Jerusalem Thorn; Eriobotrya Japonica – Loquat; Citrus x sinensis – Orange; Citrus limon – Lemon; Citrus xaurantiifolia – Lime; Crescentia cujete – Calabash; Plumeria alba – Franjipani; as a single specimen or in a threesome planting underplant with the ophiopogon, Liriope, Rosmarinus o. prostratus – Creeping rosemary; Senecio confusus – Mexican Flame vine; Trachelospermum asiaticum- Asiatic Jasmine.

In smaller gardens create plant beds large swathes of patio of coloured and textured stone to highlight the area; Indian sandstone is a very attractive stone and wears well; numerous types of setts are also available as are bricks.

Create small planting areas within the beds; plant selection being dictated by the bed size; it is advisable to select slower growing species, and ground covers, such as Lantana vars; Pentas vars; Agapanthus africanus – Lily of the Nile; Plumbago auriculata. Shrubs, Rondeletia odorata – Panama Rose; Nandina domestica – Heavenly Bamboo; Leucophyllum frutescens – Texas Sage; Malpighia coccigera- Singapore Holly.

In larger gardens where space allows and to add visual interest, separate the lower areas of the garden with a six-foot trellis made of wood in either a square or criss-cross design; another attractive method is to use two by four-inch posts drilled with holes to accommodate dowelling inserted between posts.

Plant with a mix of vines that will give flower for an extended period; Allamanda cathartica hendersonii – Allamanda; Clerodendrum thomsoniae; Pandorea jasminoides – Bower plant; Senecio confuses – Mexican flame Vine; Solanum wenlandii – Potato vine.

The addition of an arbour will offer protection from the sun and if planted with vines creates its own statement from the house and garden.

If the garden has views, building a gazebo will allow a scenic vista whist being protected from the sun, and with views of the garden.

Barbecues are a must for outdoor entertaining, and best located near the house for ease of access for food, drink and general perambulation.

In older properties were the cesspit is easily viewed – because of lack of soil depth – creating a patio over the pit top will hide the problem.

When barbecues are in regular use a path should join it to the patio area to save on wear and tear on the lawn.

The ‘garden’ is an extension of the house therefore using it as such makes sense, especially from April through to October, whether sitting on the patio or under the arbor the sense of relaxing is real.

• Malcolm Griffiths is a trained horticulturalist and fellow of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture in Britain. He is also past president of the Bermuda Horticultural Society, the Bermuda Orchid Society and the Bermuda Botanical Society