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Garden designs/Garden

What’s the Goal for your outside space?

Posted by Sam on

Who knew wanting to redo your outside space came with so many choices and things to consider. The first and most important step is to think about what your goal is. What is it to be used for? Is it for the children/grandchildren to play? Is the space purely for decoration? Or is it to be used for outdoor entertaining? 

Write down all the things you want to be able to do in the garden once it’s completed. Having this all written down will help you when you start to plan, or if you are looking to hire a landscaper, you will be able to tell them exactly your goals for the space. 

Involve the whole household in the planning stage. You may not all want the same for the space. Everyone’s opinion needs to be considered. You don’t want to find out when it’s almost finished that someone else in the household doesn’t like it. Work to resolve any issues at this early stage. 

Garden designs/Garden

Tips for Creating the Ideal Summer Garden

Posted by Sam on

Creating the perfect summer garden is a difficult task. It requires a lot of research, planning and some patience. Many factors need to be considered, such as climate, soil type, and the available space. A good start is to think about what you want your garden to look like. What kind of animals will you have? Will it be a place for relaxation or play? Is it for growing food or simply for aesthetic purposes?

The following tips will help you design your perfect summer garden:

– Research the climate in your area and choose suitable plants for those conditions. Is your soil chalk or clay-based? How much rubble or stones are in the soil?

– Consider what kind of animals you would like to see in your garden and think about building in some habitats

– Think about how much space you want to dedicate to the garden, i.e. how big is your current patio, or do you wish to build a shed?

– Think about what purpose the garden will serve. For example, will you be entertaining, or is it for the children to play in?

Garden designs

Add a water feature next spring

Posted by Sam on
Add a water feature next spring

A water feature is a lovely touch in springtime. You can quickly and easily give your garden a touch of tranquillity with a birdbath, fountain or pond. You also invite nature into your garden with water features, and it’s lovely to be able to look out the windows of your home to see lots of birds or squirrels using your garden like it’s their own home.

These can also add a touch of class to your garden, becoming a key focal point that only looks better with age. Every type of water feature will require some form of maintenance though, and even in spring and summer when the weather is sunny and nice and warm, you should still give the fountain or pond tiles a good scrub, whilst bird baths can easily be emptied, cleaned and refilled.

Why not invite nature into your garden next spring with a tranquil water feature?

Garden designs

Adding twinkle lights to your garden

Posted by Sam on
Adding twinkle lights to your garden

Needles in winter

We’ve long been a fan of twinkle lights, also known as fairy lights, and they’ve become extremely popular here in the UK. They first came to popular gardening stores during Christmas time, but it’s not uncommon to see them all year round now. With twinkle lights, you can add them to your fences, or the mature trees to the boundaries of your garden, or your sheds. They can create a cosy ambience in your garden, and it sets a nice scene if you’re one to entertain guests every now and then. You can also use them to light up particular areas, such as a swing, a pathway which leads down the garden or a flower bed. What’s more, these come in a variety of colours now, so you can choose white, blue or multicoloured if you’ve got a bit of a festive feeling right now. One thing we would recommend though is that you have a specialist electrician wire them into your garden, and do speak to him about the best bulbs to use too because you don’t want to be changing them each and every week.

Garden designs

Creating the perfect rockery feature in your garden

Posted by Sam on
Creating the perfect rockery feature in your garden

Gardens can be a creative haven, and adding a rockery is one way to add instant style. Adding a rockery to your garden is easier than you might think, and they can be the perfect garden feature for you. We have outlined some of the basic steps for creating your own rockery:

Ground- finding the right location for your rockery is easy. It requires adequate sunlight, and shouldn’t be placed in an area that is damp or covered in moss. Corners of gardens are a great place for a new rockery area.

Preparation- to prepare the ground it will need all weeds removed and levelling. Once levelled apply some lining to prevent any unwanted weeds from growing through and into your rockery.

Rocks- a rockery isn’t a rockery without any rocks. You will need a large variety of rocks both big and small so they can be arranged in an orderly fashion.

Plants and flowers- you can plant whatever plants or shrubs you desire, but you might want to think about adding some crawling plants to fill any empty spaces and give they rockery a stylish finish.

Garden Products/Garden designs

Garden Furniture – Traditional or Modern

Posted by Sam on
Garden Furniture – Traditional or Modern

When you renovate your home, you will likely consider buying modern or traditional styled furniture, and that’s no different when it comes to your garden either. There are many funky modern garden chairs and tables to choose from, as well as classic styled furniture, so looking at both options is a good place to start. Some modern garden chairs include colourful beanbags, garden sofas and curvy plastic chairs, whilst traditional garden furniture may be simplistic and constructed entirely of solid oak.

 

There are many different styles on offer, but to choose the right type, you really need to think about how your garden complements your home. If you have a very modern and minimalistic home interior, then perhaps you want to stay true to that theme in your garden. That said, you may want a different style in your garden entirely, so there’s no right or wrong answer, it’s completely up to you.

 

Garden designs

Creating a relaxation area in your own back garden

Posted by Sam on
Creating a relaxation area in your own back garden

Colorful autumn

Sometimes it is nice to sit back, relax and take your mind off everything, even if it is only for 10 minutes. Gardens are perfect for creating an area dedicated to relaxation.

Creating a relaxation area in your garden doesn’t have to be difficult, all you need is a small area to work with. Firstly, you need something comfortable to lay back and relax in, and there is nothing better for the job than a hammock. Hammocks are relatively cheap and can be extremely relaxing due to their rocking movement.

Another way to create a relaxing area is to add lighting. Gentle lighting can create a tranquil ambience, with solar powered twinkle lights available, you do not have to worry about having an outside power supply.

Finish off the area with some beautiful lanterns or decorations to make it a truly unique space. If you wish to use this area during the rainy months, you could consider adding a roofing system to keep you dry during the rainy weather.

Garden designs

Making mature garden borders work

Posted by Sam on

If you’ve inherited a garden that’s a little bit wild with mature trees and shrubs, it may look a little worse for wear right about now, however, you can keep some of that character and create a garden that’s unique and stunning.

Mature shrubs and trees do have their place in a beautiful garden, and before you jump ahead and cut them out of your garden, why not consider keeping them? Mature garden borders can work really well as they give you privacy when you need it, and they also add more character to your garden. You just have to find ways to find the balance between tidy lawns, neat patios and mature borders. To find the balance, why not split your garden into different areas like the lawn, seating area and boundaries? Mature shrubs, plants and trees can be part of your boundary and when combined with newly planted flowers, you can create a stunning border that’s way more impressive than standard fence panels!

Garden designs

Adding a pond to your garden

Posted by Sam on

If you are looking to update your garden but are not sure how, why not try adding a pond. Ponds are a very attractive feature to add to your garden, and also bring more nature and wildlife nearby too.

Ponds do not have to be big, they can vary in shape and size depending on the size of garden space you have and the design you want it to be. Once you have the area marked out, begin digging to the desired depth you want the pond to be. After you have dug the area pout completely, place a layer of sand into the hole and line with soft felt, covering the entire inside of the hole.

The next step in to lay the pond liner, this must be done carefully, making sure you do not rip or damage it. Damage to the line will cause leaking. Place rockery and large stones around the pond, and fill with water. Depending on what fish you want to add, you may want to consider a pump and filter system.