Garden design, garden planning, garden layout, planting plants and planting schemes

Gardening with planters

Posted on March 12th, 2010

Gardening with planters is a very enjoyable, easy and rewarding way to achieve great results and real impact in the garden. How to get the best results? Some simple rules apply and a little planning is all that is required to achieve stunning results.Gardening with planters and containers is very popular and a particularly favourite way to grow seasonal bedding plants, but containers are also a very useful and practical means for growing shrubs, trees, fruit, herbs and even vegetables.

Frequently container gardening is all about adding a splash of colour to give an extra wow affect, other times containers can be used very effectively to brighten a dull corner, obscure an unwanted view, frame an entrance and in the case of small areas to provide planting opportunities where traditional methods of planting in prepared ground is not possible (hard surface areas).

Whether we wish to decorate indoors or outdoors, at home or at the office, at the entrance or on the patio, on the rooftop or on the balcony and even tricky areas like steps, the scope for gardening with containers is practically endless. Choose planters wisely, probably most will be used in outdoor situations, we must remember to choose containers that are frost proof, which allows surplus water and rain to drain away and not drown plants. Some planters have an inbuilt irrigation means of providing water to the plants when needed, this labour and time saving feature is increasingly becoming very popular. For larger planters, it might be worth considering mobile stands or other means of easily moving the planter around the patio area?

When it comes to size, size matters, so better to think BIG. Larger planters are more flexible because they allow the plants to develop better, look better and ultimately achieve a more balanced and appealing mature appearance. They are also usually require (because of greater capacity and less likely to ‘dry out‘) less watering than smaller pots and how often do we see stressed plants ’potbound’ because they have simply become too big and outgrown the container? Larger planters widen the choice of plants from which to choose, allow us to plant up more plants and achieve more impressive results with interesting combinations.

There is a wide selection of planters now available in a range of sizes, shapes, finishes, colours and materials. So whether the preferred style is cottage gardening or post-modern, planters can bring interest and have real impact in our efforts to enhance the indoor/outdoor areas of our living/working garden environments.

IDEAL HOME IDEAL GARDEN

Posted on March 4th, 2010

Come and see us at the forthcoming Ideal Home Exhibition (Stand U 20) which takes place in Dublin’s RDS, 16-18 April 2010.

New season – new schemes

Posted on February 15th, 2010

Well as we enter the latter half of February, we surely say farewell to the previous season of short days and long shadows and look forward with renewed optimism to the new season. I’ve noticed that the interest in ‘Growing your own’ continues to grow in popularity both as a hobby but also as an integral aspect of new garden design. Ahead of posting updates on our new projects, I will endeavour to offer some advice on useful aspects of growing your own vegetables and perhaps new crops to try?

In the meantime here’s looking forward to the new Spring and more opportunities to devising interesting and pleasing garden schemes.

A new family garden with design, interest and uses

Posted on December 24th, 2009

Once the site had been cleared, worked commenced on grading the site and to create a series of terraces with the highest at the back (upper lawn) and grading downwards towards front (a planted buffer zone separating lawn area from football area) which was also separate from the enclosed vegetable garden which was next up from the entrance level and garden shed.

Some other works completed included the construction of an enclosure for the puppy as well as some wall cladding/trellissing to conceal some unappealling unrendered blockwork wall finishes etc.

Entrance to Dog Enclosure

Planting at Dog enclosure featured Hardenbegia and Libertia.

View of entrance (southern) to enclosed Vegetable garden area

Enclosed Vegetable garden Entrance/exit (northern)

Stepping stone pathway linking Vegetable garden to Garden Shed

View towards Boundary of prepared ground of Vegetable garden

View towards House of well prepared ground of Vegetable garden

A rendered and secure garden shed

View of football play area

View of upper lawn area

Sandstone setts were used to delineate lawn profile

View of Ornamental Grasses/Herbaceous planting area

Feature planting included Tree Ferns and slow but low growing Bamboos

Old granite wall provides an excellent backdrop to planting scheme

The gentle sweep of lawn edge/planted areas provides added interesting

Sweeping lawn edges create variable planted space possibilities

The original Post & Panel fencing was painted green to make it less conspicuous

Practical and robust planting (Pittosporum Tom Thumb and Libertia) at rear of football area

Roll turf provides an ideal and instant finish look to a new lawn

Timber cladding with trellissing provides a coherent but attractive finish

Grow it, kill it and enjoy it!

Posted on December 24th, 2009

The time has come for me to do the nasty deed!  After several months of careful nurturing with plenty of fresh and healthy feeding, the turkey which surprisingly provided many enjoyable moments has gained considerable weight.

After much searching, it was decided that the preferred method of killing would be to simply to behead the bird. After binding the feet, a black sock was placed over the head, which seemed to pacify the bird. The bird was placed on the ground and holding the wings firmly, it’s neck resting on a wide block of wood, and with a short swing of a hand axe, it was all over in seconds. Advised to pluck whilst the body was still warm, it was not too difficult to complete but there was a surprising amount of feathers.

Soon we will enjoy the better tasting qualities of a home grown free range Turkey.

Something to remember

Posted on December 11th, 2009

Remember landscaping is all about creative and constructive teamwork!

As we approach the end of another year, I would like to remember with sincere thanks the support and encouragement we have enjoyed from all of our clients which have been wonderful to work with and for. Yes it has been a challenging but busy year, and yes at times we seemed to have had endless terrible weather, but good fortune continues to come our way. 

Our collective efforts as a team continue to impress, excite and achieve. It is most satisfying to be part of such a committed team which undertakes all landscaping projects with enthusiasm, professionalism and great pride. Well done guys, and here’s looking forward to a new year and 2010.

Firm reminders of soft margins

Posted on December 9th, 2009

Although the lingering roadsigns are perhaps recent reminders advising road users of road closures along the Pier Road in Oughterard due to flooding, there are still plenty of firm reminders of nearby flooding that the warning notices of soft margins are hardly required or indeed necessary?

Although a casual visitor might be impressed by the apparent nearness and expanse of water on bothsides of the Pier Road, levels are still very high. The ditches which run along bothsides are as much as 1.0m – 2.0m deep and many are overflowing. More worrying for local residents is the nearness of high water which contiunes to spread from the local Owenriff river which appears to have become submerged within the new expanded waterscape. The Pier Road leads one to the Great Corrib lake and here too high water levels can be seen. Current levels are  as much as 2.0m – 3.0m above normal levels, quite staggering when one considers that the Corrib lake which has  depths of up to 50m making it even deeper than Galway Bay! The swans might be enjoying the newly expanded habitat of  ‘Soft Margins’ but I would doubt very much if anyone else would see the current conditions so.

New Gardening from above

Posted on December 5th, 2009

I was delighted to take the opportunity of our client’s invitation to view the garden from upstairs window. How interesting it is to see an all familair plan view from the vantage point of a bedroom window. Not only is the view much different and interesting but the gentle curves appear to take one on a much more sweeping  journey around the garden.

The fencing looks particularly striking and although the planting forms and colours were distinctive, planting appeared new and perhaps less developed from above. Still there is always the exciting prospect of future growth.  The Patio areas were certainly beautiful and the warm tones of Ravena sandstone really eye catching. I look forward to hopefully re-visiting the garden in late Spring but will always have fond memories of what was a very challenging but exciting project and the results of our efforts make me  proud.  

Unfortunately poor weather hampered my attempts to take photos from above but still we were all very happy with what we could see. 

Granite Driveways with garden and parking

Posted on December 4th, 2009

A typical situation, how to re-model a modest sized Front Garden to provide more parking space whilst still retaining an appealing garden. Impossible ? No not really. 

As with many of our granite driveway installations, we are striving to satisfy the practical needs for car parking as well as the aesthetic requirements of an attractive garden. As evident in many other examples of our portfolio, a simple layout with careful workmanship are hallmarks of a well executed project. Granite paving in conjunction with granite setts and granite kerbing provides a distinctive but hard wearing finish, and what better to contrast the clean lines of granite with the natural lush and vivid colours of a block planting scheme. The focal point features an Olive tree and the borders are planted with Iberis sempervirens and the shared planting bed features the glorious rich golden hues of Libertia. For added interest during darkness, high oputput LED garden lights are fitted discreetly amongst the planting. All in all, a graceful solution to parking and garden needs.

A great granite driveway

Posted on November 26th, 2009

Our great project in Greystones has finally come to conclusion and what a finish. Many weeks of hard effort and at times during very frustrating weather spells but all has been well worth the time, effort and cost. Unquestionably probably one of best efforts and in many ways one I am most proud of.  A challenging project from the outset, but wonderful clients inspired all involved from initial clearance to final wash down with remarkable motivation to go ‘the extra half yard’ and I think we did it so well. All aspects of this project from initial concept, to detailed execution of landscaping works including granite paving and granite setts, new lawns, specimen hedging and feature planting, entrance gates, access automation are all indicative of how well turned out an all inclusive ’start to finish’ project is.  

Although 2009 will be remembered by many as a tough challenging year, it was also a year which provided us at least with opportunities to excel and demonstrate again how important professionally designed and well executed landscaping projects are.  A keen eye for design, well executed construction with lots of good detail in evidence, and not least a desire and interest to do well, after all pride and passion for one’s work are the lifeblood of what makes great projects great. 

Perhaps the most satisfying aspect of our landscaping works is the regular but sincere acknowledgement by clients of our efforts and the unambiguous client satisfaction which we constantly generate.