Bring your Garden to Life with a Spring Makeover

Many people see spring as the beginning of the gardening year, and it’s the perfect time for a garden makeover. Any improvements you make now will get the new season off to a great start.

Here are a few ideas that can give a tired garden a quick facelift:

De-clutter: Resolve to get rid of anything you no longer want or need, but think green and recycle as much as possible. You might be able to sell or give away play equipment that your children have outgrown, building materials left over from DIY projects, even that wheelbarrow with a wonky wheel … Your junk could be someone else’s treasure and just think of the extra space you’ll have!

Make a new lawn: Most lawns can withstand a lot of wear and tear but eventually the damage takes its toll. If your ‘lawn’ has become a rutted patch of weeds replace it with fresh, top quality turf for an instant green carpet.

Coordinate your containers: Most keen gardeners have a collection of assorted plant containers that they have acquired over the years. Pots, tubs, boxes and troughs in a variety of different shapes, sizes, colours, styles and materials can all be useful, but when clustered together on the patio they might not give the overall effect you were hoping for. There is a place for a pink plastic flowerpot in the garden, but it probably isn’t next to an antique stone urn. If you don’t want to buy a complete set of new containers try rearranging the ones you already have into groups that do look good together. You can paint wooden planters in the same or toning colours, and instead of trying to hide a single ‘odd’ pot you could make a feature of it.

Be ruthless: Unfortunately, plants don’t last forever. If some of yours are past their prime they might not be worth cosseting for another year. Try taking cuttings from a favourite plant so you can replace it with a vigorous new offspring. Otherwise, get rid of mediocre plants that are taking up valuable space and treat yourself to something different that you’ll really be proud of.

Add a focal point: If the first word that springs to mind when looking at part of your garden is ‘boring’ give it some interest in the shape of a statue, sundial or water feature.

When you start improving your garden one idea will often lead to another, but tackling all those jobs is a different matter. If you need advice and help with some of the bigger projects, ask for a free, no obligation consultation from a professional landscape gardener who can turn those ideas into reality.

The benefits of decking your garden

Garden decking is exceptionally versatile; it can be used to overcome issues that make landscaping difficult, to enhance the features of a garden, to add practicality or to extend your house into your garden. Here are some of the major benefits of decking your garden:

A solution for sloping and uneven ground
Garden decking can counteract uneven ground and sloping sites. Building on stilts and using steps and different levels will give the impression of uniformity and will make your garden much easier to navigate.

Unlimited Design Possibilities
There is a plethora of decking materials available and add-on features such as pergolas, balustrades and privacy screens. Adding a deck allows a whole host of flexible interesting design possibilities to your landscaped garden.

Flexibility
Garden decking can easily be combined with other garden features like water features, statues, rock gardens and planting to achieve a garden centrepiece.

Ease of Handling
Garden decking is easier to handle than hard landscaping materials like paving and bricks. It is lighter too, which means it is much easier to handle, especially if you are not experienced in any construction trade., and good therefore for raised areas.

Versatility

Decking can be used for a wide variety of uses, the most popular of which is extending living space outdoors to create the illusion of a larger property. Decking provides a home with a socialising area and is perfect for properties on riverbanks or even for caravans.

Garden decking allows you to create a practical and attractive garden design that provides additional space for entertaining and socialising without a large outlay. Why not get a quote from your local landscape gardener and see how much it would cost to install decking in your garden? It could even add value to your property!

Take a look at some of the Essex and east London decking projects we've recently undertaken:

Decking photo gallery

Essex Gardeners: Your lives made easier with a reliable supply and delivery service

We are offering gardeners in Essex a helping hand courtesy of our turf and topsoil supply and delivery service which covers Essex and East London.

We’re offering a service to smaller garden landscaping companies or gardeners who need access to quality turf and topsoil at competitive prices, and who need them delivered direct to the properties they are working on.

We offer discounted trade rates and complete reliability of service. We’re known for being dependable and we know how important it is to present a positive public image, and for this reason we guarantee to make all our deliveries – of the very best quality materials – on time, every time.

Are you a gardener or landscaper based in Essex or east London? Call in to 1B Sunnyside Gardens, Upminster, Essex or telephone 07852 666858 to discuss your particular turf and topsoil supply and delivery needs.

Increase the space in your property and increase its value - landscape your garden!

Even if space is short within a home, the impression of a bigger property is made possible by cleverly designing a garden so that it works as a living-space extension.

A stunning garden that has been well-planned to incorporate practical benefits such as sectioning off areas for children to play, creating privacy from neighbouring properties and keeping animals contained will attract attention from prospective buyers.

I suggest the following for adding space and therefore value to a property:

Consider a deck or patio that leads out from large glass doors and make sure you don’t hide it behind curtains – you want your viewers to walk into the room and immediately be drawn to your lovely outside space!

Use this decking or patio area to create an outside dining and entertaining space. Consider covering it and adding a heating system so that the area can be used all year round rather than just during the summer months.

Add an outdoor kitchen with a permanent barbeque or outdoor oven and a sink. If your property is strapped for entertaining space inside, make that space outside! That way you can utilise your inside space for other important things, thus making your home even more attractive to potential buyers.

And don’t forget the front garden! It is the first thing viewers see so make sure it looks fantastic and leaves a lasting impression.

Landscaping a garden makes it easier to sell a property. It is all about extending space outdoors, and making that outdoor space habitable all year round.

Anyone in any doubt on how best to utilise their outdoor space should contact D&G Garden World for friendly, expert advice; it will be money well spent, and will be recouped when the property is sold!