Designer's Corner

BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2010

Author: Tracy Foster | 2 Comments
Here’s a show with a difference! It is an RHS show, so gardens are assessed and judged to the normal RHS criteria but the show is run in conjunction with the BBC so there is show biz glitz and celebrities are everywhere.I explored this year’s show gardens hunting for some inspiring hard landscaping ideas that would be easy to recreate. I had to look hard, with many gardens offering minimal hard landscaping and masses of plants, especially vegetables, with paving being replaced in som... [More]

How to plan your driveway

Author: Frank Culloty | 0 Comments
Why is it that, for an area that gets used every single day, nobody ever puts very much thought into its design? We spend hours, days even weeks pondering over patio layouts, and that’s an area we only use a handful of time a year (if we’re lucky). For most of us, every person that comes to our homes sees and uses our driveways and for some reason we never cast them a second thought. Well that stops here! I’m going to present a list of questions that you must a... [More]

Adding 'Kerb Appeal' can increase the value to your home

Author: Vanessa | 1 Comments
The property market is, happily, making a recovery and people are now starting to think of moving house or purchasing a new property.  Spring is just around the corner and most estate agents will agree that this is their busiest time of year. If you are thinking of putting your house on the market, or perhaps it has been up for sale for some time, it is useful to think of your property from the perspective of a possible buyer.  There are plenty of property improvement shows on televis... [More]

Hard Landscaping and Easy Planting

Author: Tracy Foster | 3 Comments
When I’m doing planting plans I try to follow all the rules about choosing the right plants for the position they are going in (shade lovers for the north facing border, drought tolerant plants for freely draining soil in a sunny spot and so on). Then I start to think about the colours of the flowers and foliage and how they will all look together.   Once all that is chosen, there is still the colour and style of the hard landscaping to factor in and I’ve noticed that some pla... [More]

Design from Down Under

Author: Vanessa | 1 Comments
Now, I don’t want to make everyone jealous, but as I write this I am sitting in the lovely warm New Zealand sunshine.  Whilst I’ve been away, I have been visiting gardens and other such places of interest to pick up some new design tips.  We can all do this when we’re away on holiday and then re-create the holiday feeling back at home in our own gardens. One feature that I do like to include is dense planting as a backdrop.  Another useful idea to make a small g... [More]

The Garden Shed

Author: Frank Culloty | 0 Comments
The Garden Shed   There’s no need to blush or get embarassed, unsightly as they sometimes can be, a shed is an integral and essential element of most residential landscape layouts. The first question you need to ask yourself is, “Am I going to be able to see it”. Obviously, you can purchase a simple, low cost structure if you can tuck it away behind something, however, often there is just not enough space in the garden to do this.   So keep it cheap and ... [More]

Designing the Patio

Author: Tracy Foster | 0 Comments
If you are thinking of revamping your garden, you will almost certainly want to include a patio area. You know you don’t just want the usual rectangle of paving slabs just outside the back door, but how do you go about planning something unique? [More]

Where does everybody sit ?

Author: Frank Culloty | 0 Comments
Most patio sets come with 6 or at most 8 chairs, well when was the last time you were at a party and only 6 people came. I hope you’re thinking, never. [More]

Winter Oasis

Author: Vanessa | 0 Comments
Now that the clocks have gone back and winter is upon us, our summer holidays seem a distant memory.  So how can we shorten the winter and keep the memory of warm sunshine in the forefront of our minds?   One of the best ways to do this is to maximise the number of opportunities for sitting outside in the garden.  Even if you only have a small area outside, it can be easily transformed into a sheltered haven.  Firstly, find the best spot for your tranquil retreat.  Nex... [More]

Good Planning is the key to a successful design

Author: Frank Culloty | 0 Comments
Good planning is the key to a successful design. When embarking on a landscape design project, it is vital to first of all make a list of what you want from the space. Take a walk around and look at what is there already, the chances are most of these thing will have to remain, in one form or another. [More]