The 9 Cardinal Rules of Garden Building Positioning

There’s nothing like a gorgeous garden to add some curb appeal and general ambiance to your home. Adding a garden building can be a beautiful and utilitarian addition to any outdoor space. But it’s not always a straightforward project! There are quite a few different aspects of your garden to consider in terms of compatibility, especially if you’re adding in another structure. Without thinking through the details, you can easily wind up with a garden that causes problems for the building or a building that causes problems for the garden.

To combat these kinds of faux pas, we’ve compiled a list of 9 points to consider as you’re designing a garden with a building involved. Hopefully, the following tips will help you avoid any frustration down the line!

1. Corner Cabins Go Into A Corner.

This one might seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people assume a little cabin will look good anywhere in the garden. This is not the case and it’s a pain in the neck to realize after it’s already been moved! Corner cabins are designed to reside in the corner of a garden. They tend to look out of place if they aren’t along the boundary of your space.

A good way to use a corner cabin in the design phase of your project is to look at it as the starting point of your garden. Place it in a corner and start designing out from there! You’ll have your starting point and ideal placement for your corner cabin built into the design from the start.

2. Remember, More Glass Facing The Sun Will Increase The Temperature Of The Inside of the Garden Building.

Many garden buildings feature glass and windows to capitalize on light and provide a greenhouse or conservatory effect. It’s important to consider the placement of that glass though because if it faces an area of your garden where you get the most sunlight, you may find that the inside of the building gets oppressive as the sun continues to shine through the glass. Some sunlight is ideal, but full sunlight every day will mean that any activities done inside will be done in stifling heat. Keep both the purpose of the building and the angle of the windows in mind as you decide how you’re going to place the garden building.

3. Build A Nice Path To The Garden Building.

You don’t want to have to trample your flowers to reach the door of your garden building! Make sure there’s a clear way to get in and out of the front door and maybe even use it as an opportunity to beautify your garden further using stone!

4. Have Patio Outside The Garden Building.

A garden building is a perfect opportunity for a patio! You can enjoy the convenience of the building as shelter from rain or a convenient area to prepare food and drinks (if that’s what you use it for!) while enjoying the garden as a whole. As you build a walkway to your garden building, consider a slight expansion that would create a patio. This will give you that much more of an opportunity to enjoy both your garden and the building you’ve installed there.

5. Guttering Along Roof Edge Needs To Go To A Water Butt.

Rainwater can easily wreak havoc on your garden if it isn’t diverted properly. The last thing you’ll want happening in your garden once you’ve put in the building and designed the layout is realizing that your plants are getting drowned! Make sure that you place a water butt into the design to collect the rainwater from the garden building’s gutters to protect your plants and prevent flooding.

6. Strategic Rock Placement For Rainwater.

If there’s no guttering along the roof of your cabin, you can use stones to catch the drips from the building and reduce the splashback from the ground. This will effectively minimize the water damage to the building and flooding or pooling around the structure.

7. Consider the Tree Coverage And Placement.

Moss grows on the roof if there is a tree overhanging the garden building. You might also find that mold or rot sets in if the building is never effectively dried out from the sun. This can shorten the life of your cabin and cause damage to anything you might have inside it.

In addition, if there’s a large tree near the structure, roots might cause an issue, either by growing into the building or warping the floor as time goes on. If there’s a very large tree in the vicinity of your cabin, you may need to rethink the placement of your garden building or consider removing the tree before you embark on your project.

8. Plant The Right Flower/Plants Near The Garden Building.

The presence of a building is going to change the ecosystem of your garden including the lighting, the shaded areas, and the general layout. You’ll need to consider the adjusted layout and environment for your plants before you choose which ones to place near your structure.

9. Ask Yourself: When Sitting In The Building, What Do You Want To Look Out At?

This is one of the most basic questions you can ask yourself as you design your garden, but simultaneously, this is the question that should guide every decision that you make. When you decide which corner of the garden to place the cabin in, you should consider this. When you decide which flowers to plant, where the patio ought to go, which direction the windows face, and what type of structure works in your space, everything depends on what you want to look out at from the building. After every decision you make, consider whether or not you are achieving this goal. If not, you might need to adjust your design in some way.

The end goal of any garden building and garden design project is to leave you with a beautiful space, an outdoor oasis that allows you to enjoy your garden from every angle. A corner cabin adds a unique element to your garden, as well as the opportunity for additional storage and activities. By keeping these points in mind as you establish your garden design, you’ll be more likely to get the end result you’re looking for and avoid any future problems stemming from a detail that seemed minor at the time.

If you’re looking for more expertise on a garden design involving garden buildings, contact us here! We’d love to help you create the backyard sanctuary of your dreams!