June, July and August is the time of year when we are all focussed on making the most of outdoor living and really enjoying our garden. First things first, if you’re starting from scratch you need to consider where to position your outdoor living area.

There is no point in positioning that outdoor living space in the shadiest part of the garden. You want to get the most sun, and also consider where the evening sun is, as for most of us, it’s later in the day when you’ll get to spend more time outdoors.

Another point to consider is the practicalities, don’t have your outdoor living space too far away from your kitchen. Ideally, in most cases, the two places will be joined together unless you have a north-facing kitchen.

Read more: Garden expert's top tips for growing your own herbs

Continuity is also a very important word in creating the right outdoor space. You really want to make this feel like an outdoor room.

Where possible, you want to keep everything on the same level so you are not walking down steps between the inside living and outside living space; it’s rather like walking from one room to the next. By opening up something like a sliding door, it makes it feel more like that outdoor room.

The same applies for the choice of materials. If you’re using a porcelain tile inside, look at using something similar outside, even down to keeping the pointing lines the same so that the flow is very much the same inside and out. If you have timber floors inside, you could look at the same for outdoors though they would have to be suitable for our unpredictable weather.

It’s also important to consider the continuity of style. If you have a very contemporary style interior, it’s a good idea to bring this same style to your outdoor room. Keeping very straight lines and a clean modern look is the best option here, whereas a more traditional home might lend itself better to a more informal style garden with curved patios and softer areas.

Another thing I’m a fan of when designing an outdoor space is to use raised beds to flank your outdoor room to give it that homey feel. It can enclose that patio space to make it feel more comfortable and intimate. Raised beds can also double up as extra seating when you have more guests than normal.

You could also look at putting up a pergola system. If you do have a south-facing kitchen, this can provide a little shade to stop it from getting too warm inside during the summer, especially if you have a lot of glass. Equally then they lend themselves to having a temporary cover so that you can keep the area rain-proof so you get more use from your outdoor room throughout the year.

Something to consider with a pergola, however, is the size of your garden. If your garden is on the smaller side, a pergola may introduce too much shade, and create too much clutter in a smaller space.

In terms of accessories such as outdoor heaters, pizza ovens, etc. be realistic in what you will actually do and use in your outdoor room. I’m the kind of person who barbecues nearly all year round, but if you’re only going to use it once or twice a year, don’t go too fancy, a traditional barbecue is fine.

But some people who will really get the use could consider going one step further and looking at an outdoor kitchen. A good design can work to have a space where you have it all outdoors – from your barbecue to your pizza oven – so think about what you use and how much you will use it before you commit to any big expense.

Another very important word in garden design is proportion. If it’s a very large garden, a very small patio is going to look ridiculous. Equally, you need to consider the furniture you are going to use in that space. If you’re going to put a four-seater table you want at least a four-metre wide space, and so on.

Make the patio a little bigger than you think you’ll need. You won’t regret extra space, but you may regret having it too small if your furniture takes up the entire space.

If you are working with a smaller garden, I would recommend opting for raised beds which can work as extra seating, or attaching what’s called a floating bench to your raised beds which can be a really efficient way of using space. And then the raised beds can house your summer flowers or even a herb garden so you’re getting the best of both worlds, with plants and seating all in one.

The final thing to remember is that if you have small children, consider where you are situating their equipment and play areas. This won’t be an issue in a smaller garden, but if you do have a larger space make sure that the play area is visible from the kitchen or wherever you know you’re going to spend a lot of your time indoors.

For more tips, follow Peter, The Irish Gardener at PeterDowdall.com.

Not sure where to go with your garden? The right place to start is an online garden consultation with garden design expert, Peter Dowdall here.

Get the latest RSVP headlines straight to your inbox for free by signing up to our newsletter

READ MORE

• The most up-to-date headlines and stories on our site rsvplive.ie

• Expert gardener Peter Dowdall's dos & donts to creating the perfect vegetable patch

• Gardening expert says we can banish weeds for good for free with just boiling water

Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this LINK to receive your daily dose of RSVP Live content. We also treat our community members to wonderful competitions, promotions, along with great stories. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice .