Another factor to take into consideration when designing private gardens concerns the topography, i.e. the type of land on which you will be working. Therefore, we must not make the mistake of trying to adapt the terrain to our original intentions. Instead, it will be better to behave in the opposite way, that is to say, starting from the observation of the conditions of the space and then identifying the most suitable solution. In short, it is evident that a regular and rigid design can be out of tune on a lively surface, just as a totally flat surface will hardly accommodate irregularities in an aesthetically pleasing way. It is therefore preferable to exploit the particularities of the place to one’s advantage, for example by creating terraces in the presence of particularly steep slopes. In this regard, slopes must also be considered, also because it is not certain that a plant is able to grow on hills or slopes. The construction of walls or embankments will be an excellent remedy to this situation. But nothing prevents, however, from alternating paved areas and cultivated areas on flat soils, with classic garden species and rock garden plants. The design, then, will have to take into account the starting ground.

Nothing prevents, in fact, creating a new garden starting from one that already exists, improving it or enriching it: in short, while starting from scratch it will be important to establish, first of all, a general approach, in the presence of an already existing garden one it will have to adapt to what the earth proposes. Not that this represents a disadvantage: for example, you can take advantage of the situation by keeping the trees already present, obviously only if they are in good condition, even more so if they are centuries-old plants, which will be enhanced and highlighted. A tree of this type, on the other hand, can also have a practical importance, for example obscuring an unpleasant landscape, or protecting spaces from the wind, or muffling the noise coming from the road. Besides, why give up an adult tree, considering the time it takes to grow it? Even shrubs, however, can be exploited, in practice revitalized through a pruning operation: in case you do not know how to proceed, it is advisable to rely on a professional or in any case an expert person. There should be no scruples, however, in the presence of suffering and old plants, as diseases could spread and spread: it is better to eliminate them in the shortest possible time. In the event of a garden to be created from scratch, on the other hand, it will be good to evaluate the land: if placed next to a recently built house, it will be formed by construction debris, which must be eliminated and replaced with good soil, for at least thirty or forty centimeters in height. Clearly, the microclimate also deserves to be checked in advance, meaning by this term the set of precipitation, temperatures and climatic conditions affecting the green space. Just think of how the influence of the wind can be modified by the presence of a hill, a group of oaks or a building, or how a building can give life to a shadow capable of significantly changing the temperature. It is clear, in short, that a garden located at the foot of a hill will prove colder than a garden located on top of it, since the warm air rises upwards, just as a flat southern exposure will be less sunny. compared to a sloping exposure. It is worth remembering, however, that the winds, unlike what one might think, are made more intense by the walls. When they collide with an immobile obstacle, such as a wall, in fact, they give rise to particularly intense turbulences that risk causing serious damage to plants. Much better, therefore, to rely on a hedge, which also contributes to the creation of a micro-climate.