Hi

Thought I'd share this one with you all.

I have just designed a rather unusual Kitchen Garden surrounded by a ruuning stream in the middle of an old arable field with lslands  seperated with Rills and approched from timber bridges.

In Brief

Each Island comprises of  ....Island One; Allotment Island with 4 large raised beds to aid crop rotation and lawned paths connecting to Island two and seperated by 18 inch (45omm) deep Rill which is more of a formal type Graden with ornate box hedging encompassing a mass of edible flower beds, the n moving on over a further Island split into two, one of which is mainly fruit, strawberries etc.. moving over to a Island for chickens with its own coop and fences.

   ...and finally onto the Propagation Island with 20 x 10 Victorian Green house and 20 x 10 Poly tunnel with water and electric installed.

The whole site project is around 36 x 26 metres with a 3.0mtr stream running all the way round aided by  2 UV boxes and  pumps.

Excellent way to keep the slugs from migrating but most importantly a boost for the wildlife and a plus for the green issues.

This design has taken a huge amount of time with calibration and engineering and will be pressed at later date in very well known publications/media...watch this space friends

I will post these pics into another album at a later date once we have completed project..................slight hitch at moment with regards planning..........as the field was once Arable/Aggricultural we have to apply for "change of use".........burocracy gone mad,, especially as the field as not been touched for over 30 years and is annexed/surrounded by the house gardens.

Still their are those that must be obeyed..

 

 

 

I would like to thank firstly the Garden Network for a great website, forum, blog, the list could go on. But more over for introducing me to Kerrie at The Garden Design Company in Cambridge. We have just finished our first full garden project together. The customer was very pleased with the garden and it came in on budget and on time. Photo's can be seen on my site under current projects. If you would like to see what Kerrie can do for your garden then please visit her website at www.thegardendesignco.com . Here's to a successful working partenership.

look u lot get your garden sorted in the winter ,paths patios etc, then when spring comes u can plant and we can relax ,id rather work in the winter and potter around my  own garden in summer than slog my guts out round your garden, come on get it sorted happy gardening 2 all ,maybe might here from someone this winter  after my moan( fat chance ) wayne

Reinventing Your Garden

TIME has a funny way of creeping up on you when you're having fun. It is a great healer yet it also ravages.

Nowhere is this more evident than in a tired, old garden — the lush shrubbery is overgrown, the walls and furniture covered with moss. What’s left are the memories of a time gone by.

 
A cosy hideaway is ideal for quality time with friends.
The children have left the nest, leaving only you and your nostalgia. This may explain the trend of people selling off their huge bungalows for humbler units.

A new chapter begins

In the past, you may have needed a large garden for your kids to play in. Naturally, the garden design was kept to a minimum.

Now, with the kids gone, your garden seems bare with all that space, and you do have all the time in the world. You find that your home and garden no longer mirror your life. What to do?

Sell the house and move to a smaller place? Leave things be and wallow in nostalgia? Or allow your garden and yourself to experience a new chapter?

Possibilities abound

Welcome to the world of outdoor living spaces. Your garden is like a blank canvas awaiting the splashes of paint to create the lifestyle you desire.

You can make your garden into an arena of sporting battles for your grandkids, a quiet hideaway, or simply an oasis of beauty and relaxation.

The following are a few suggestions on outdoor living space designs:

The grandchildren's garden — If you dote on the little ones, you might want your garden to resemble a theme park.


The family picnic garden — The Irish way when families come together can be summed up in one word — Craic. 

Such a garden must have room for BBQ parties, with one or two outdoor dining tables and lots of informal seating. 

The old friends' garden

The memoir-writing garden – Also known as the garden of contemplation, this design celebrates your freedom — of time, money and commitments. Now is “me” time.
 
The botanist's garden — One of the common laments of semi retirees or pensioners is boredom and the feelings of uselessness.
Gardening is a marvellous antidote, and may even yield side income if you include a vegetable patch or fruit orchard. Activities like pruning, weeding, and planting improve blood circulation and flexibility of joints.

The Balcony Garden

— Imagine with one studio room or a two bed room apartment over looking the sea or the concrete jungle in the town centre what can we do with such a small area. I noticed that most owners place two plastic chairs and a table waiting for the sun to shine on certain occasion. As a matter of fact, the Neo’s design will able to create an oasis within one day with complete sanctuary effect and enjoy the mother nature beyond your footstep. — There's nothing quite like meeting up with friends and catching up on the good old days. You can do this over finger foods, beer and some chips, or wine and cigars.
Your outdoor living space must be centred on comfort and privacy.

Hi,
Is there anyone near East Leake, Leicestershire?

when the client said crazy paving, i had to suppress the choking...... but with 25 tonnes of reclaimed victorian york stone to hand it was a challenge not to be passed by.  About 2 weeks later we had finished the patio!!  crazy paving..... emmm... the client knows best!

Onto the pergolas, after a lot of searching on the Net and a few visits to some well known independent garden centres it was decisied we'd make our own. I live in a village with a timber saw mill on the doorstep....how many times i have i passed it in all my years living here???? Still, one phone call later, I had nearly a tonne of oak ordered, made up the design from scratch... Oak is a fab timber to owrk with, despite the enourmous weight of the posts and the massive holes I had to sink them into too, it was a real joy to build and construct.

I'll be using the timber again, it is so adaptable, and wet or dry just has a beautiful hue.

The two oak seats were also amazing, the grain and texture just sublime.

Reccomend it to anyone and just been commsioned to create a further patio area in oak decking, a 6x4 foot garden table and two six foot benches to match......

 

keep reading!

 

 

 

I was speaking to another landscaper today and he said that he was working in a stream,  i don't envy him at the moment. 

Were working on a job about 400 yards from where i live, a real bonus i can roll out of bed and in to work. The job started off quite basic as the customer had her own set of plans,  we were only asked in to do a 100yd terrace at first but then they have asked us to continue on with other work and we've adapted the design, we have some old hand-clamp walls to build but we can do anything today with that because were still below zero here.

The good news is that i can get on with adjusting our set of plans and working out order quantities for the next job which we've had to put back a couple of weeks due to this job.

Works going well were booked up until september, and i think that this site's fantastic thank you for your hard work, feel free to ask any questions and offer improvements to my work

hope to hear from you all

 

Antony