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

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.

Driveway Lawn design

Posted on November 14th, 2009

Frequently it is a difficult challenge to overcome, creating adequate or practical space for parking of cars and making a useful lawn in the remaining space.  Here we have used granite setts to raise the lawn level but used the simple but attractive geometry of  the circle to enhance the lawn area.

Last days nearing the finish

Posted on November 11th, 2009

Another week, in fact week 12 since site works commenced back in August, and we expect what will be our final week to conclude all outstanding site/landscaping works. Fortunately for us much of what remains to be done is not hugely weather dependent or at least we can make provision for wet conditions. 

Sequencing of outstanding tasks for new lawn is important and ahead of preparing the ground and stone burying, we laid the limestone pebble dressing in the vegetable garden. This has turned out to be a quite simple, neat but nonetheless appealing area. The raised beds constructed from larch timbers complete with well prepared topsoil with plenty of added soil conditioner making for an attractive but hopefully productive growing medium.

After completion of the ground grading and stone burying works, and to protect the area from heavy rains which would make the ground unworkable, the area was covered with plastic so as to maintain reasonable dry conditions. The plastic covering is peeled back as the installation of the roll turf progresses. You’ll note from the photos the use of plywood sheeting which allows access and installation to proceed without causing any damage to the new turf and/or ground levels. Installation of roll turf usually starts at the rear of garden and progresses towards the front. 

In the front garden, the hardcore sub-base of the driveway area has been extensively rolled and compacted after which it was blinded with a very fine hardcore dust, which was also rolled and compacted. The area is now ready for the final top dressing, ie the ornamental stone finish. The dust blinding reduces any risk of the hardcore sub-base becoming loose and churning with the top dressing. The planting of the perimeter beds as well as top dressing with bark mulch has also been completed. 

Granite Setts a Driveway with Style

Posted on October 30th, 2009

Well in spite of the ongoing wet weather, we continue to make progress and today the remaining Granite Setts were installed which marks I suppose a key point in the completion of our hard landscaping of the Front Garden/Driveway.  We can now concenmtrate on finalising levels to complete the compaction and rolling of the hardcore sub-base as well as preparing the soil areas for planting and lawn. I think the granite works are particularly eye catching and when all landscaping as well house painting works are completed, I am very confident that this project will represent for both client and ourselves a great success.   

Also looking good and taking shape is the planting of the rear garden:

Setting the Granite Driveway

Posted on October 24th, 2009

Well the weather conditions have unfortunately deteriorated so badly as to bring a halt to any prospect of progress with works on granite setts in Driveway and planting of rear garden. However before the recent heavy rain showers we did manage to make some progress with the granite works. I am very excited with the design as the new layout begins to emerge.

View from Garage towards entrance of Driveway

Granite step with bullnose thread

Detail of Granite Setts and Granite Bullnosed step

Newly laid Granite Setts required protection from rain showers

Granite Setts for planting and lawn areas

Granite setts to define profile of lawn area

Some planting of rear garden did take place including the start of shrub and ornamental grasses.

Pittosporum Tom Thumb will provide good ground cover

Carex Evergold provides interesting foreground form and colour

The bright yellow of Acorus Ogon and the rich hues of Palace Purple

Granite Garden Driveways

Posted on October 16th, 2009

Granite Setts profile a linear planting area

As works continue in rear garden, excavations of Front Garden/Driveway have been completed, and much of the parking area has been hardcored. Perimeter edgings in this design features a double line of G603 Silver Grey Granite Setts/Cobbles. Perimeter planting bed has been set at 1200mm wide for new specimen hedging. A time clock will control garden Lighting which will feature stainless steel bollards (with CFL lamps) and a limited number of the high output 3W GU10 LED Garden Spike spots. 

Granite Setts circumvent mature Beech tree

Granite Setts profile sweeping planting area

Granite Setts on long sweep

Granite Setts profile planting area at wall base

'Boxes' housing units in situ for electric gate motors

Detail at right Pillar and sweeping planting area

Ducting for power and comms cabling at entrance

Soft landscaping area to be rotovated for new lawn

Granite Setts await installation at Entrance area

Initial build up work for Granite step and platform at main entrance

Granite setts to define planted area on LHS, see

Granite Setts as Planting strip

Main parking area with hardcore in-situ

Starting a New Driveway – excavations

Posted on October 1st, 2009

Here are some photos of the early stages in the process of constructing a new Driveway. In this project we can see excavation works in progress involving the removal of earth material. The project design features an extended car parking area and the surface finish is decorative stone chippings (more later). In such cases we typically remove/exacavate earth to a minimum depth 300mm which later will be backfilled with hardcore (804 grade stone), then blinded with 20mm of hardcore dust and rolled and compacted to provide a robust and stable sub-base for the surface finish of decorative stone chippings /parking area.

Some Landscaping Befores and Afters…

Posted on April 18th, 2009

They say a picture can tell more than a thousand words. Well let’s try this out, here is a random selection of phoographs from of a selection of our completed garden projects portfolio. 

The photographs illustrate perhaps a particular aspect from the project, and although the selection was random but collectively might provide some useful visual reference on design, layout, patio and broader landscaping details.

The  photos  show how the individual garden looked ‘BEFORE’  we commenced landscaping works and the impact following completion of landscaping is shown in the ‘AFTER’ photographs.

Granite Setts in Driveway Design

Posted on April 12th, 2009

Granite Setts although particularly attractive are not in my opinion ideal for heavy pedestrian areas as the tumbled surface can for some people be difficult to negotiate. Although having no first hand experience, I can only but imagine trying to walk on setts with fashionable stilletoes shoes, that said, walking on stone chippings must even be more difficult? Which is why when one is considering perhaps re-modelling or making changes to the Front garden to provide additional space for parking of cars,  it is very important that the layout is not only appealling but more importantly practical and safe for users. Here’s a recent example of a Granite Driveway design which features a high proportion of granite setts but used apprpriately for car parking the granite paving providing a more obvious route for pedestrians. Granite chippings were also used for secondary parking area and the  planting scheme was completed by extending the Red Robin (Photinia) Hedging which the owners had already started. Finally note the green box which must be accessible at all times (locates earth rod), we dicovered the earth box had been buried under the previous cobble lock driveway, which came as a shock to the owners. Nothing new in this, on occasions we’ve discovered manholes and AJs also buried under paving.