Spring is finally performing
Well after a lot of snow, frost and slushy mud spring is finally ‘performing‘ and lifting our spirits. This is the most spellbinding time of year. Daffodils and bluebells are on the way and the hedgerows will soon be flushed with blossom and new green growth. Baby blackbirds fumbling around in the hedges and the waterways soon to be speckled with endless hatchlings of fluffy mallard ducklings. If you are one of those fortunate enough to have your own outdoor space (unlike so many in the cities), our garden can be a true haven. With careful planning and for thought it can be a place of solace or fun. You can have a garden spilling over with growth and bloom, if you have time or hired labour to, or a more minimalist contemporary garden for those of us with busy lives. The real trick to a great outdoor space is to make a list of what and how you will use it. Not forgetting the user group such as Children and Pets who have a very ‘different’ way of using the garden. A reflection of your own style is always a good start. Contemporary/Minimalist Rambling and Fluffy Country Cottage Classical /Formal Selecting a theme will give the garden a real flow, from inside your house then through to the outside. If you have little time for gardening I would recommend a more minimalist style of garden which can be equally enjoyable. It will also be drought tolerant, a real bonus with today’s weather patterns. It will also have an all year round display of colour and form to take you through every season. With my Clients, I always have an extensive chat and a few meetings to come up with the ultimate best prescription and quotes, to apply to a garden based on the client’s time, budget and use of the garden. This ensures it will be maintained effectively and efficiently if need be. The best garden of all is one designed and installed from scratch. Failing that a rolling programme of enhancement schemes in sections of the garden. Anywhere where hard landscaping is to be introduced should be the first consideration (Patios/decking etc) as should a SIMPLE irrigation system. When choosing the plants do always look at the final maturity size. So many plants are hacked and chopped to fit the garden and totally lose their shape and form, a great shame. The right plant for the right site also applies. Thousands of pounds are wasted by people who buy totally the wrong plant for their garden. We also, at the end, give the clients a simple annual maintenance programme to fully benefit them and their garden. This is where my team can help to produce (and maintain if requested) a real joy of outside space. A Water Feature In a garden can really make it a restful place. We have installed huge cascades and Koi pools as well as simple brimming Urns in courtyard gardens. Water trickling is a lovely sound all year round and illuminated can be a real feature at night. Tree Houses A great place for kids to make use of with their friends especially if you have trees but not actually required if you don’t. Expensive toys will be eventually secreted away in a cupboard but the tree house will be well used and never go out of fashion. Even the smallest of spaces can be a place of open Refectory, Recreation and Relaxation …in fact …The Other...
Read MoreOverdue Decent Summer – Summer 2010
So far, we have had a long overdue decent summer. However, many peoples lawns have been much more seriously affected than others. Good management for lawn care and correct planting of tolerant border plants, plus a good underlying mulch, will ensure a splendid display through the whole season. We can quote you for autumn to hollowtine, loam, roll and topdress your lawn which will reap dividends .All my clients have had compacted lawns that have never had ‘TLC’. One treatment will last for many years. After all, we are all happy to cleanout and decorate the rooms of our home and effectively our garden is another living /recreation space. To give clients gardens a different dimension we have put in tiered or terraced gardens. The creates a focal point. Planting a careful structure of shrubs throughout the scheme and then seasonal bedding/bulb pockets in between. This is easy to auto-irrigate and kept mulched, will remain weed...
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