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

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.