How to Choose the Best Path for Your Garden

Many people walk up and down their garden paths without paying much attention to them – unless they notice a wobbly slab or weeds growing through the cracks. If your paths are past their best, or no longer suit the way you use your garden, why not consider some new ones?

A good garden path needs to be functional, but it should also be attractive and an important feature in the overall design of the garden. When planning where to put a path, and deciding which materials to use, ask yourself the following questions:

How much will it be used?
A path from the street to your front door will need to stand up to more traffic than one between flowerbeds in the back garden.

Is it in the right place?
Do you have a path around the perimeter of your garden that is rarely used because it’s quicker to walk across the lawn? Lay paths, or stepping-stones, where people are actually going to use them.

Does it complement the style of your house and garden?
Straight concrete or slab paths suit formal gardens but look out of place in a woodland garden. Crazy paving can add quaintness to a cottage, but seems strange leading up to a modern house. When choosing bricks, slabs or gravel look for colours that will blend well with adjoining buildings and walls.

What about the edges?
Think about how the path will fit into the garden. Will it be on the same level as the surrounding ground or slightly raised? Will it need to include steps? Do you want an informal look with plants spreading over the edges of the path? Or clearly defined, perhaps with a contrasting edging?

Will it lead to a focal point of the garden?
Garden paths are not just for walking on! They also guide the eyes. When viewed from the house does the path only draw attention to the compost heap? Perhaps you could curve the path towards something more interesting, or make a new focal point in front of the compost.

When you’ve spent time and thought on designing the perfect paths for your garden it makes sense to construct them from good quality materials and lay them properly with adequate foundations so they will last for years. If this seems like too much hard work, or you need some advice on how to do the job properly, consult a local professional landscape gardener. Find one who is willing to visit and give you a free, no obligation quote either to do the work for you, or to supply the materials only if you want to do it yourself.

Summer Gardening Tips

Here is my pick of the tips for a healthy looking summer garden that you and your guests won’t fail to enjoy:

Colour burst
Make sure you turn any containers or hanging baskets to ensure they get equal exposure and bloom all round!

Keep annuals flowering by frequently watering and feeding with a plant food rich in potassium; and don’t forget to keep up with the deadheading!

Watering Well
Make watering a priority to keep your plants healthy. Use saucers under your pots to improve efficiency and cut the need for watering by adding water-retaining gel or granules to the compost or by mulching the soil.

Green, Green Grass
To keep your lawn green, thoroughly water it occasionally, but give it a little water on a regular basis. Using a fork to spike the grass will help the water to get through to the roots. And don’t forget to raise the cutting height of your mower blades! Mow your lawn too short and you’ll end up with moss and weeds.

Hearty Herbs
Herbs are at their best during the summer emitting the very best scent and flavour. Cut them and freeze within ice cubes so they can be added to dishes straight from the freezer all year round.

Prune and Prepare
Prune early flowering shrubs and climbers immediately after they flower so that new growth is encouraged and you will be all set to enjoy an abundance of flowers next year.

Three Things to consider when landscaping your garden

When done properly and with careful thought and planning, landscaping a garden brings a whole host of benefits ranging from environmental to social. But there is much to consider when embarking on a garden landscaping project. In this article we cover our top three:

1. Space
At the planning stage, make sure you take into consideration what the garden will be used for and factor in a range of practical features. For example, you may want a secluded area for sunbathing; a place for children to play that needs to be robust enough to stand up to heavy traffic; you may want to include a place to entertain; and you may also want to use trees to filter noise. Combining beauty with practicality is a fundamental part of the garden landscaping process.

2. Style
Maintaining a style theme throughout your garden is vital if you want the finished product to appear streamlined, attractive and a pleasure to spend time in. It is also a good idea to match the style of the garden to the style of your home. Modern houses lend themselves to contemporary garden designs whilst period homes work best with traditional style gardens. Put some thought into blending the inside with the outside and the results will be admired by all who visit.

3. Planting
Remember that plants grow! Your shrub or sapling may be tiny now, but what size will it be when mature? You must take into consideration what size the plant will grow to otherwise you could end up planting it too close to a wall, a fence or other plants. If other plants end up in its shadow, they may not survive and if the roots are too close to your home, it could have serious repercussions which may even lead to subsidence. Make sure you find out about the plants you are buying and allow enough space for them to grow to their mature size.

These are just a few of the many things you need to take into consideration when planning your garden landscaping project. Watch this space for more!

Landscaping your garden: the benefits

There are countless benefits to landscaping a garden, not least your own enjoyment of the outdoor life.

A well-designed garden will add extra space to your home, acting like an extension to your living space and adding value to your life, as well as to your property. The benefits are practical, environmental, financial and social.

The practical benefits of garden landscaping

When landscaping your garden you can factor in features that will bring benefits on a practical level. For example, you could plant trees in strategic positions so as to minimise traffic noise; you could plant bushes or shrubs to enhance privacy and by erecting a fence you can define boundaries, prevent stray animals wandering in and reduce the amount of rubbish that blows into your garden. You could also divide your garden to allow for children’s areas, pets’ areas and of course adults’ areas!

The environmental benefits of garden landscaping

A healthy lawn and a good variety of plants and trees make invaluable environmental resources. Apart from purifying the air by absorbing carbon dioxide, plants also attract wildlife, birds and insects into the garden which all work together to enhance the local biosphere. Everything has a purpose and each link in the chain benefits the environment in its own way.

The financial benefits of garden landscaping

A professionally landscaped and well maintained garden will add value to your home and undertaking a garden landscaping project could bring double the expenditure in terms of added value as well as making a property much easier to sell, especially nowadays where buyers are looking for additional features such as readymade outdoor living. Landscaping your front garden brings particular benefits as this will be the very first thing a prospective buyer will see when viewing your property, and if it looks good, it will leave a lasting impression.

The social benefits of garden landscaping

An outside space in which to entertain; to take lunch with friends, spend quality time with loved ones or watch over the children. A landscaped garden is all of these, and can be designed around your precise needs. It just takes a bit of planning!

There is much to gain from landscaping your garden; getting it done professionally will help too but otherwise strategic planning will count for much. Think about what you want to get out of it, and build your wishes into your garden!

How to choose a Landscape Gardener

Faced with hiring a landscape gardener, many people don’t know where to turn. There are many to choose from, and lots of them claim to be ‘garden experts’. But how can you be sure you are choosing the right company?

I’ve put together some advice on choosing a good quality landscape gardener that won’t let you down or charge you too much and will go the extra mile to help make your new garden the only place you’ll want to be.

Ask them:

What services to do you offer?
Some landscape gardeners cover a variety of services including turf laying, fencing, decking, patio laying and planting. Others however only specialise in one area. If you are looking for an all-round garden landscaper then you must quiz your prospective provider as to what they can actually do – properly and professionally.

Can I see and check testimonials from past customers?
If you have not been recommended to this garden landscaper by someone you know has been satisfied with their service, then ask them for testimonials that you can verify. There is no substitute for hearing from other satisfied customers that this garden landscaping company can be trusted to do a good job, on time and for a reasonable price.

Can I see photographs of previous work?
Ask for photographs or even video coverage of recent garden landscaping jobs so that you can check the quality of the work.

Do you provide written, no-obligation quotations?
Make sure the garden landscaper puts their quote in writing on official headed paper showing a postal address and full contact details. Verify these details and look the company up by searching for them on the internet. Listings in directories and a strong presence stand for a lot.

Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions, any garden landscaper worth their salt will answer them without hesitation. Whatever you do, take your time and ask around for recommendations. All of this will ensure your garden project runs to schedule, is not overpriced and the resulting garden is something to cherish.