Capability Brown knew a thing or two about gardens. Nobody could map out a formal Italian terrace like he could; he was a dab hand with a trowel in the herbaceaous border and he had an eye for creating a stunning vista across lakes and rolling, sheep-nibbled parkland.

Your garden may not be quite in the Hampton Court or the Blenheim Palace league but you'd be amazed at what you can do (with just a little forethought and elbow grease) on even the smallest patch.

In these economically difficult times garden trends have to tick a number of boxes not least the need to be practical, environmentally sound and imaginatively designed - and all without spending too much money.

But cheer up: in 2011 you don't need to sacrifice any of those ideals to achieve your own little Eden.

However unpredictable our English weather is, there's enough evidence to suggest that water is fast becoming a precious resource.

Collecting rain in a water butt will help keep your garden growing through even the driest of summers. And there's nothing like the sound of a fountain trickling lazily in the background to relax you through those long hot summer afternoons.

Right on trend this summer is the wild lawn. It's more environmentally-friendly and, as long as you have the right kind of grass, you'll only need to mow it once or twice a month.

You can't hurry a garden. Unless you've got a team of BBC Ground Force heavies to come and give it an instant makeover it could take years to get your plot just the way you want it. But there are a few tricks of the trade you can bear in mind.

Hot colours, such as reds, orange, bright yellow and even brilliant white will jump out at you. They will make a large space more intimate and a small garden feel even tinier.

Cool colours - blues, soft pinks and lilacs mimic that atmospheric 'blue remembered hills' haze. Plant up flowers, shrubs and bushes in those colours round the perimeter and it will make your garden feel bigger. Similarly, painting fences in muted hues will add to the perception of receding boundaries.

You can borrow a few tips in perspective from painters by running a path straight down the centre of your garden that gradually narrows as it reaches the back fence. Or clip a hedge so that it diminishes in height the further away from you it gets.

Growing your own vegetables and herbs, whether it's on half an acre or in a window box, is a great way to get the whole family involved in an activity that will give hours of fun and good exercise as well as putting some delicious homegrown produce on the table.