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

Garden Swing Seat

Posted on June 15th, 2010

ORB SWING SEAT (DOUBLE)

 What better way to enjoy the garden than in a wonderfully relaxing and gentle swing seat ? Made from robust pressure treated timbers and designed to withstand for many years the outdoor weather all year round, our ORB Swing Seat is the ideal way to relax and enjoy the summertime in your garden. Or if space permits, the ORB Swing Seat  is also an ideal seat for the Conservatory.

Available (in two sizes: Single and Double)  now from our GARDENSTUDIO.

Cushion Covers (machine washable) are available in a range of colours.

Driveway Design with Granite

Posted on June 10th, 2010

Current project illustrating the Driveway layout featuring Granite ie Granite paving, Granite Setts and Granite Kerbing. Because of the actual steep incline to the Driveway and to capture all surface water run-off and avoid any risk to accumulated damp areas at house, the installation included a storm channel which is a practical but very effective means to capturing all surface  and rain water. 

The completion of the Granite paving, work can now proceed with the installation of the garden lighting and finally we can proceed with the planting stage.

Small Garden Design Ideas – Patios

Posted on June 5th, 2010

The design, layout and size of the Patio areas in Small Gardens is essential to get right. Too small will mean the space will not be practical,  too big it is more likely to be underutilised and impact on the design scope for the remaining space. Site elements will need to considered when determining the layout, avoid arbitrary straight division lines and instead try and develop Patio profile which provides a more integrated look.

Small Garden Design Ideas – Lawns

Posted on June 4th, 2010

Beauty is in the detail and no more so when it comes to determining the size, shape and finish to a new small garden lawn. There are no hard or fast rules to what works best, in some cases a linear layout can be particularly interesting with a uniform layout and space efficient. However sweeping curves or circular layouts are also very popular. Although the curves can provide an eyecatching profile with variable widths to the perimeter planted areas, they can be slightly less space efficient than corresponding linear layouts. The variance although marginal is more than made up by a  probably a more distinctive layout.

In small gardens, design, finish and attention to details are all critical and which must also take account of ongoing maintenance requirements. In regard to lawns, there is no better way to provide a permanent lawn profile finish than a distinctive edge which is also a mowing edge than the sandstone sett/brick edging. In this instance we have used sandstone to compliment the sandstone patio area. The sett edge not onlys makes strimming unneccessary but perhaps more importantly defines the lawn and prevents any risk of the lawn and planted areas becoming blurred in time.

Roll turf  lawns provide the instant finished look and with the sweeping curves this small garden demonstrates how to realise the design potential.     

Small Garden Design Ideas – Raised Beds

Posted on June 2nd, 2010

RAISED BEDS featuring pressure treated PINE SLEEPERS

Raised Bed with sweeping curve layout

An important challenge in designing and building Small Gardens is to utilise the available space to provide practical and visual interest. Raised Beds which can be be constructed in a range of materials and in different sizes and formats are a very useful design idea or feature for the small garden. Not only do they provide easy access and easier maintenance of plants but can be a feature within the garden area. In this example we have used pressure treated Pine Sleepers to construct the Raised Bed and another interesting aspect of this example is the layout, ie a combination of gentle arc and linear layouts reflecting the sweeping curves of the lawn areas.

Another aspect is the inclusion of herbaceous planting at ground level in front of the Sleepers to provide a two tier arrangement to the planted are. The photos show the excellent Scabiosa columabria ‘Pink Mist’, which reaches 25-45cm (Raised Planter Bed is 45cm) and produces beautiful pink flowers from June – September each year. Some spacing between the Scabiosa was left for additional planting of Spring bulbs. 

Raised beds are an easily accessible and eyecatching idea for inclusion in small garden areas with sweeping curves offering additional interest in contrast to the more usual linear layouts.

Raised Bed with foreground planting at ground level

RAISED BEDS add a new level and focus to the garden

Grow your own eggs

Posted on May 30th, 2010

Great to see the resurgence in self sufficiency and interest in grow your own produce, not least in the re-appearance of hens in family gardens. Alas cockerels are banned from urban areas, but at least with hens you can enjoy the bounty of not just grow your own produce but also your very own free range eggs. 

Although the origins of poultry can be traced back to the Bamboo Pheasants in Asia, there are literally hundreds of breeds from which to choose. A vast range of colour, shape and size but if you are keen on having a steady supply of eggs, do note, some breeds are more productive than others. Two popular choices would be Rhode Island Reds and Hybrids, these are great layers all year round (but like all breeds lay fewer eggs during Winter).

Hens require little attention, access to food and fresh water and secure quarters at nightime to protect against fox attacks. Hens being excellent foragers are a wonderful addition to any garden, and hugely popular with children.   Another fascinating aspect is to observe the pecking order across groups of mixed breeds ranging from the shy types through to the assertive bullys. Fascinating especially at feeding times.  

Loch na Fooey, Connemara – remote, wild and beautiful

Posted on May 30th, 2010

Loch na Fooey near Finney is located in a remote area of Connemara near the border with neighbouring County Mayo. A small loch which surrounded by nearby hills has a spectacular amphi-theatre atmosphere. Remote, wild and beautiful and well worth the visit. A small sanded shoreline, makes Loch na Fooey an ideal area for families or simply an ideal area to de-stress and enjoy the incredibly beautiful natural landscape of Connemara as it swaps the Spring greens for Winter browns.

Small Garden Design – Small Garden Landscaping

Posted on May 29th, 2010

A current project reflects the many typical or broad challenges encountered in designing and building small gardens. Frequently such gardens have particular challenges, eg poor or inadequate space during sunny spells, no provision for storage space, uneven or sloping irregularities in lawns, arbitrary division of soft and hard landscaping areas, lack of focal points. All of these points although individually not too serious but collectively conspire to make the small garden uninspiring, uninviting and underutilised.

Here are some photos from early stages of project, commencement of site clearance through the stages of development Patio construction, groundworks and levelling. A very interesting aspect of this particular project was the decision to paint the boundary fencing which providing a very clean, unified and interesting background for planting later on. Also painting the new Garden Shed in same colour was also a simple example of how to make the ubiqitous garden shed less conspicuous within the garden.

Later on I will post photos of the completed project which I believe illustrate how creative small garden design combined competent and careful landscaping produce an exciting garden space that is packed with practical features, inspiring colours and an exciting outdoor living space.

Designs for Small Gardens

Posted on May 27th, 2010

Morning Patio

Afternoon/Evening Patio

The design of small gardens is particularly challenging to deterimine the optimum space allocation for the Patio and Planting areas as well as the practical demands for Utilities like waste bins, clothes lines etc. Despite the lack of space it is still possible to achieve a layout which is not only pleasing and practical but also on a modest budget. 

Simple sweeping Stepping Stone Pathway

A recent project example illustrates some of these points, in which we provided the happy owner with two Sandstone Patios (Morning and Evening Sun), a series of sweeping curves to delineate the planted areas (Raised Sandstone Kerbing) and an informal but eye catching Stepping stone path which links the two Patios across a modest area of bright and cheerful stone chippings.

Sandstone Kerbing for clear but effective retention of planted areas

Despite the compactness of the area, I believe a little imagination is all that is required to design and build affordable Small Gardens which are visually interesting, easy to maintain and where the space has been handled in a very practical and appealing way. Who says everything must be straightlined or linear. Even in small spaces, sweeping gentle curves also play a vital role within the overall design.

HAMMOCKS for Outdoors

Posted on May 24th, 2010

Another word about our very popular selling Hammocks is that the frame is manufactured from Pressure Treated timbers which have been engineered to withstand all types of weather conditions. So no need to worry about storage over Winter, simply remove (by unclipping the quick release clasp) and store the cotton canvass indoors during wet spells. The frame which is very stable, sturdy and eyecatching can be simply be left outdoors.  The UV rays of the sun will eventually bleach the timbers a silver grey colour,  otherwise rub down with linseed oil every two or three years. Although hugely popular with people of all ages, they are an essential garden accessory and much loved during the summer months, make hammocks a perfect gift/surprise idea!

Enjoy swinging gently in the breeze, or try do nothing for a change and feel good about it! Hammocks are a great way to relax and allow your mind to drift and wander to far flung places as you gaze at the skies. Hammocks provide a great means to enjoying other outdoor fun like reading, snoozing, listening to music, or just simply hanging out!

To order your Hammock simply contact us (see Contact Form on Homepage) or ring 087-2306 128 for details of prices and delivery.