Cool Gardens - the pleasure of off-peak

Gardeners and garden designers often talk about extending the season of interest in the garden and for the most part we’re usually referring to plants – great plants for winter interest or autumn colour, for instance, but this time around I thought we’d look at ways of making the garden a lovely place to be beyond those balmy summer days. We’ve actually met people that don’t venture into their gardens at all from the point that the temperatures drop in the autumn until it rises again with those first sunny days of springtime, and for us, that’s way too long to be avoiding your garden! So, here are our top 4 things to think about, that if tackled, might just entice you back out into your autumn, winter and early spring garden again…

Comfort

We all love a bit of comfort but if we’re going to enjoy some throughout the cooler, wetter months then our comfort needs to be practical. Opt for furniture that can be left out in all weathers and/or design in some incidental, all weather sitting stops so that finding somewhere to sit doesn’t become a job in itself. For extra comfort choose cushions that are covered in weather proof fabrics and/or store them either in the seats that they belong to or in close proximity to them. The trick is to make the act of sitting comfortably as quick and easy as possible – if we have to work too hard at it we tend not to do it at all…

Shelter

If you have the room for one, a permanent structure will lend itself better for all year use; think gazebo type – with a roof and open sides – like in our image of Kew, here (although most domestic gardens opt for timber alternatives) - but shelter can be provided in many ways. The rain shadow of evergreen trees for instance may be all you need or the windbreak afforded by some dense border planting can make a cosy, inviting corner; even the meeting point of two fences with a bit of strategic planting can make an inviting sheltered spot. Suit the shelter to your style of garden and its environment and position it for optimal benefit and use. Anchor it by planting around it and leading pathways to it and if you’re designing your garden get that structure into your plan first so that it beds into your overall design.

Warmth

Of course for off-peak garden visitation we recommend wrapping up warm before you set foot outside of the house but to make a real event of it warmth is where it’s at! South facing walls will be naturally warmer than other aspects but for extra oomph you can’t beat a fire and for the real thing there’s a dizzying array of possibilities from corten steel fire pits to brick built outdoor fireplaces and clay or metal chimineas and log burners to suit any style. Fire pits look brilliant but if your site is even vaguely windy chimineas and fireplaces deal with smoke much more effectively. Check the eco-standards of wood burning options before buying though; the Government is cracking down on them! If you love flames but don’t want everything that goes with burning a real fire consider gel or bioethanol fires and if you just want heat without the flames gas and electric patio heaters come in many shapes and sizes including floor standing, ceiling rigged and table topping (electric heaters are generally more versatile and eco friendly than gas).

Ambience

Ambience is what will make your outdoor space one that you want to spend time in. Shelter, comfort, warmth all contribute to the character and atmosphere of a place but add lights, planting, views (whether near or far) and other decorative elements to your off-peak garden and it can be transformed into a truly magical place. Sipping a hot drink, wrapped up and warm in the quiet of a frosty winter morning is just lovely – we highly recommend it!

5 reasons to create a fabulous front garden

In all of the years we’ve been designing gardens we’re rarely asked to do anything with a front garden. Not many of us have a frontage like Kiftsgate, seen here in our image, but most of us do seem to think long and hard about what we want from our back gardens but rarely approach our front gardens with the same level of gusto – or indeed with any level of gusto to be fair – which is a shame.

When we ask clients what they want from their back gardens the lists we get back are usually long and multi-faceted but ask somebody what they want from their front garden and most people tend to lean towards the ‘somewhere to park the car’ and ‘somewhere to hide the bins’ approach, and don’t take their thoughts any further. But why stop there? We may not want to sit out and entertain in the front garden but a fabulous front garden is in reach of anyone who has one and in this blog we’re going to try to convince you why it’s worth going beyond the total paving approach to our front gardens and opting instead for a beautiful, planted but still functional space.

So, in no particular order here are our top 5 reasons to create a fabulous front garden…

Aesthetics. Put simply, a street full of lovely front gardens is a nicer place to be and see, but aesthetics have an economic trade off as well because that kerbside appeal translates into improved house prices. A well kept front garden tops the list of the top 5 exterior must-haves for homebuyers with almost a third of us being willing to pay up to 20% more for a home with kerbside-appeal.
Supporting wildlife. While gardens will never replace natural habitats they are an important nature reserve that can support a substantial range of wildlife. Evidence is growing that some species that were once common in low-intensity farmland are now more abundant in urban areas and particularly in domestic gardens.
Mitigate flooding. More and more of us are increasing the amount of paving we have in our gardens, especially our front gardens; a trend that has been linked to a higher frequency and magnitude of flooding in those areas with increased levels of impervious paving. Recognising these problems the UK now has legislation relating to front gardens and flooding. Simply put, permeable surfaces and planted up front gardens help prevent flooding. Vegetation, especially trees, acts like a storm water management tool. It captures intense rainfall and temporarily holds it in its canopy which eases demands on urban drains. At its other end vegetation encourages better infiltration of water into the soil which reduces surface water flows.
Reduce urban temperatures. Urban areas – dominated by dark and impervious surfaces – absorb considerably more heat and reflect considerably less than planted surfaces; which makes them warmer than planted areas. This is essentially what causes the urban heat island effect where cities experience higher than normal temperatures as compared to surrounding rural areas. Current research suggests that a 10% increase in vegetated surfaces in urban areas would help manage the rise of summertime air temperatures due to climate change; our front gardens have the potential to significantly contribute to this goal.
Improve human health. Much research points to the benefit of green spaces in human health terms – alleviating stress, improving cognitive function, improved self discipline; reduced illness levels, better relaxation and being able to cope with trauma have all been evidenced, while the act of gardening brings with it physical health benefits too.

This list isn’t exhaustive but when so many positive consequences can come from reconsidering and treating your front garden as a garden rather than a car park and bin store why wouldn’t you opt for a fabulous front garden?

Dealing with unwanted sound in your garden

Sound isn’t always welcome

We often write about the extra dimensions and pleasure that sounds can bring to a garden but let’s face it, not every sound is a welcome one. Whether it’s traffic noise from a busy road or neighbours’ shrieking children or boisterous barbecues sometimes it’s respite you need from the constant clamouring not receptors!

Noise itself and how we interact with it can be complicated; the level of noise, the frequency of it, the proximity to it, the tone, the range, the social and cultural aspects of it all play a role in how we react to noise. The constant hum of traffic for instance can almost be acclimatised to whereas the noise from neighbours is erratic and unpredictable making for a potentially more jarring irritation. Our response to those aspects of noise is also highly subjective – what is annoying in the extreme for one person can be acceptable to others.

Many of us ‘block’ a noise from view thinking that it somehow makes it less intrusive if we can’t see where it’s coming from but surprisingly research suggests that being able to see the source of a noise can reduce its annoyance factor because our senses are ‘prepared’ for the accompanying noisiness of the activity being viewed. ‘Hiding’ a noise from view then doesn’t lessen the irritation aspect of it, it can actually heighten it.

Most of us opt for a plant ‘barrier’ between ourselves and external noises, but again, perhaps surprisingly plant barriers are fairly ineffectual ways of blocking noise. To be effective as a blocking mechanism a plant barrier would have to be high (think trees), dense (think full canopied to the ground and evergreen) and about 9 metres deep. Not many of us have that amount of space to play with! As a distraction however, plants do have their merits: rustling and swishing leaves can help to disguise some low level noises. Running water on the other hand can be a much more effective disguise/distraction technique, most efficient when placed between ‘you’ and the source of the noise.

Plant barriers are fairly ineffectual ways of blocking noise

The most effective way to block sound though is to reflect it back by the erection of a man-made solid barrier such as a wall or solid fencing, which can reduce noise by about 50%. The placement, height and the solidity of the barrier are key elements in its effectiveness.

In terms of fencing typical larch lap fencing isn’t the thing to go for here since they tend to bow and let air, and noise, through so purpose built acoustic fencing solutions are what you would look for if you prefer timber to a brick/masonry look.

In terms of height as a general rule of thumb, the higher the barrier between you and the noise source the larger the sound blocked ‘shadow’ will be behind it. 2m high and above can start to be effective (preferably 3m) but be aware that planning permission will usually be required for anything higher than 2m.

The best place for a sound barrier is as near to the noise source as possible but the next best place is around the area you most want ‘protected’ and whilst for small gardens that’s likely to be around the boundary for large gardens it’s better to create small pockets of quiet within the garden.

There’s lots to consider but it’s nice to know that in our increasingly crowded world there are some options available to you to help reduce intrusive noise.

Garden Trends – 20 for the 20s

It’s that time of year…

Chances are you’re starting to think about your garden. If you’re not sure where to take it we thought that with the start of a new decade it would be fun to have a go at predicting some of the garden trends and practices we’d expect to be seeing over the next decade. It might help inform some of the decisions you make in your own garden. So, in no particular order here are our 20 for the 20’s…

Purposeful. Gardens will be more than something to look at and enjoy; we think they will be increasingly designed and built to achieve things too. So, for instance, they might be helping to manage rain water within your property, or boosting wildlife habitat, etc.
Wildlife. We’d expect to see a more relaxed style to our gardens as supporting wildlife becomes ever more important. Increasing development plans brings with it decreasing wildlife habitat and we expect to see more and more people want to do more for our beleaguered wildlife.
GYO. As plant based diets, increasing food costs and the need to know where our food comes from continue to surge we’d expect to see more people growing their own.
Indoor. Houseplants sales have been a growing trend over the last few years and we’d expect that trend to continue, driven mainly by increasing urbanisation, pollution and lack of access to nature.
Containers. With increasing numbers of renters and gardens getting smaller and smaller container gardening is likely to make a big step forward as a portable, viable option for many dealing with little or no-soil spaces.
Vertical. We’d expect to see many more living walls appear driven mainly by lack of space and a changing climate.
Green roofs. Currently concentrated around London, Birmingham and Manchester we’d expect to see green roofs more widely spread around the UK. The benefits of them far outweigh any negatives.
Low maintenance. While we see the drivers behind people’s decisions about their gardens changing, time-poor people generally want to enjoy their gardens rather than ’maintain’ them.
Technology. Where there’s a will there’s usually an app for it! We expect the use of tech in the garden to grow over the next decade.
Sustainable choices. As awareness of the climate crisis grows we expect growing consumer demand for more sustainable options to elicit significant changes in garden related markets.
Soil. We expect to see soil care taking centre stage in gardens with no-dig outweighing dig methods, home composts and green manures being increasingly used.
Composting. We expect to see increasing numbers of people home composting driven by soil and waste awareness, and economics.
Organic. The organic market has seen consistent steady growth over the last six years and we expect to see that trend continuing through the next decade.
Plastic. Worth a mention of its own, the plastics battle is likely to rage throughout the 20s and beyond. In the design and gardening fields we expect to see a major shift in demand to natural and plastic-free materials.
RRR. We expect to see a buoyant reclamation sector emerge around the landscaping industry as people’s desire to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle materials grows. On more individual levels we expect to see a growing trend for personal upcycling/repurposing garden projects.
Water management. Future predictions for the UK weather points to hotter, drier summers and much wetter, warmer winters so water management is likely to play an increasingly important part of our garden planning.
Adaptive planting. Increasingly our plants need to cope with significant weather events so we expect to see more adaptive planting styles coming to the fore. Plants are likely to be chosen more for their adaptability than their looks.
Trees, shrubs & hedges. With their superior ability to help mitigate flooding, reduce temperature and support wildlife we expect to see a resurgence of tree, shrub and hedge planting across UK gardens.
Plant biosecurity. Increasing awareness of the potential import of foreign pests and diseases into our fragile eco-system will see the demand for reputable plant suppliers rise. However, with new customs practices and probable rise in plant costs we also wouldn’t be surprised to see a rise in black market plant sales potentially bypassing the plant passport system.
British grown. Linked to the above we expect to see a big rise in the use of British grown plants.

The Slab Effect

The Slab Effect

Love them or loathe them, chances are you have some slabs – paviours to us garden designers – somewhere in your garden. Incredibly versatile and varied paving slabs offer all sorts of opportunities through colour, function and form for garden owners and designers, but not all paviours are created equally. So, how do you decide what’s the ‘best’ paviour for your garden project? Here are some performance related things to consider as a starting point….

Most people tend to go for the look of a paving effect first but it’s worth knowing what you’re going to do with your newly paved area before you invest, so that the paviours themselves are fit for the purpose you intend. So, for instance, are you going to walk over them, drive over them, sit on them, park on them, etc? Will the area be high or low ‘traffic’? What are the prevailing weather conditions that it will be in, will it be in sunshine or shade, hot or cold, etc?

All of these things require varying performance capabilities from a paviour. In our UK climate for instance we need paviours that won’t crack in repeated freezing temperatures or go green with algae and lichen growth when sited in a shady spot, so in this regard when considering a paviour look for water absorption figures/guarantees from suppliers. Reputable suppliers will provide them but unfortunately that’s not the case with many stones available. The lower the water absorption figure, the better the chance of an algae-free shady spot or a cracking paviour in freezing conditions. The suppliers we use typically offer paviours with water absorption level of 1.7%.

Driving over paviours demands strength and flexibility, something that is usually best accommodated with smaller, albeit thicker, paviours. That’s why so many driveways use block paving or setts, the smaller shapes allow for ‘flex’ as the car wheels drive over them, but larger paviours can be used with some careful thought and a suitable base. Never opt for anything less than a 32mm thickness for driveway paviours and preferably choose 40mm, 50mm or more. Flexural strength is sometimes mentioned by suppliers and this refers to the strength of a material in response to flexing stress and force applications – generally the stronger a stone is the less chance there is of it failing or being attacked by frost once it’s laid.

If you’re going to use paviours on pathways and patios choose slip resistant finishes; this used to mean that it’s usually best to avoid highly polished paviours and lean instead to a more textured or rivened finish but many stone suppliers today promise slip resistance on the vast majority of their paving if it is maintained properly, so it is possible to get that smooth, contemporary look with a functional slip free surface with a little more effort. Sandstone or Yorkstone are popular natural stone choices here but we’re seeing many clients opting for vitrified paving now.

Vitrified Paving

The word vitrified technically refers to a conversion/glazing process that turns things into a glass like substance – so ceramic and porcelain are words sometimes used to mean very similar, if not the same, thing – but vitrified paving can look far more natural than you’d usually associate with ceramic or porcelain paviours. The benefits of vitrified paving include exceptional strength, high anti-slip properties and little, to no, water absorption which in turn means high performance and less maintenance requirements.

Of course I’ve only managed to touch upon a few things about paviours within this article – it’s a massive area but other things like colour, shapes, ethical sourcing, bases and the main deal breaker for most of us, price, will have to wait for another day…

Up Front Garden Design

Up Front Garden Design

I thought I’d make a change from normal proceedings this time around, and rather than focus on a garden design principle or tip I thought I’d consider a specific area of our home: often overlooked, but always on view, our front gardens frequently get short shrift when it comes to imaginative home improvement.

Recent trends in front gardens have seen significant increases in full paving practices and substantial reductions in plants both of which have detrimental knock on effects to humans, wildlife and the planet as a whole. It may sound dramatic and it’s easy to think that ‘my little bit’ won’t make a difference but cumulatively lots of ‘little bits’ following these trends are increasing the possibilities of flooding, contributing to climbing urban temperatures and pollution levels, impacting negatively on wildlife and making our environment more fractious, depressing places to live.

It may sound trite to say that a little bit of garden design inspiration can help mitigate these very real threats to ours and our natural world’s existence but if we all start to really think about the space outside our homes as a ‘garden’ first and a car park or a bin store or a mere transition point from a pavement to our front door second, then we just might stand a chance of reversing these damaging trends. Don’t get me wrong, I still stand by the design mantra of ‘form ever follows function’ but there’s no ‘form’ in fully paving a front garden; it is functionality without form and it is that idea – that you have to sacrifice form entirely in order to get a car (as an example) onto your front garden – that I want us all to reconsider. With a little bit of imagination and an application of design principles there is no reason why we can’t have our cake and eat it too i.e. have a functional but still lovely front garden.

So, some top tips for achieving it? Read on…

Approach your front garden design as you would your back garden. Be considered!
Make a plan of your front garden so you know how much space you have available to you. Make particular note of boundaries and house walls too.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the only option available to you is to completely pave over your garden!
Minimise paving as much as you can, either don’t include any at all or combine paving with permeable surfaces so that rainwater can penetrate to the ground below. This will help mitigate the potential for flooding.
Make a list of what you want to use your front garden for. If its car parking for instance, consider how many cars you really need to park on your front garden (if space allows!). If the number includes ‘occasional’ or overspill spaces you can be more creative with that. For instance you can occasionally park on a lawn (especially if it’s been reinforced with plastic cell/mesh products!). And night time and weekend only cars can be accommodated with gravel options and drive over planting such as Thyme, Creeping Jenny (use this one sparingly, it can be invasive!) or Ajuga.
Aim to maximise planting – it reduces pollution, urban heating, can help reduce flooding, is great for wildlife and humans alike:
- Consider hedges instead of boundary walls or fences – hedges are great for screening, for wildlife and also act as a filter for dust from the street – they also look great!
- If you can’t use a hedge look at your boundaries and house walls for vertical and climbing plant potential.
- Use corners for planting opportunities – you usually can’t park in a corner! Consider small trees in corners that can add height and interest to your space.
- If you have very little space available to you utilise containers to their best effect – you can still get plants around you!
- Also consider green roofing – can you plant up your car port or bin store roof?

Hopefully this will give you some ideas of where to start and we can all begin to make our neighbourhoods lovelier places to be! Check out the RHS website too for more ideas about how to green your little bit of grey Britain.

Planning your Patio – the 2 F’s to Success

The Problem with Patios

Patios are often the most expensive part of a garden and because of that are often the most long lived part too so it’s worth trying to get your patio ideas ‘right’ before any build commences. The majority of the times we’re called out to consider a patio redesign it’s because the existing patio isn’t, or is no longer, fit for purpose. But there’s an architectural design saying: ‘form ever follows function’; and if you can keep it in mind when you’re thinking about your new patio the odds are improved that your resulting patio will work for you.

So, what does the phrase mean? Today’s garden design interpretation and application is probably much more relaxed than its pure functionalist creator intended but it generally means thinking about what you want a space for (function) before you start thinking about what it will look like (form). Sounds pretty obvious right? You’d probably be surprised at how many patios we come across that didn’t apply the idea!

Take the ‘usual’ positioning of a patio as an example. 9.9 times out of 10 it’s right outside the back (aptly named!) patio doors. Accepting the fact that many people inherit a patio with the house they buy you’d still probably be surprised at how many people, when in control of one do just ‘put’ their patio outside the back doors of their house because that’s where they’ve traditionally been placed, rather than actively making the decision because it’s the best place to suit their own needs. But if, for example, my client is a sun lover who wants to sit in the sun as much as possible and the house casts the patio in shade all day her functional requirements aren’t being met by this particular space.

In this shady, back of house scenario; my sun loving client would be best served by positioning her patio in the place that gets the most sun in her garden with the space being big enough to allow plenty of sunbathing opportunities while offering enough privacy and seclusion from neighbours, for instance, so the planting and things adjacent to the patio may end up being just as important as the patio itself, in terms of meeting its functional goals. My large dinner party hosting clients on the other hand, living in the adjoining house, would appreciate a patio big enough to accommodate a large table and chairs, as near to their kitchen as can be. And for my sun loving clients who also love to throw al fresco dinner parties? For them it’s probably a two patio design because a single patio wouldn’t be able to quite accommodate their dual functional requirements adequately.

The ‘form’ of the patio areas would then begin to fall out of their proposed functions and in these very simplified examples their position has already fallen out of them so now it’s time to consider size, shape, materials, aesthetics, incorporation into the wider garden, lesser functional requirements, etc.

For the dinner party couple, for instance flat, slip free surfaces accommodate tables and chairs best so paviors are the obvious choice here. The size of the patio needs to accommodate their overly large dining table and chairs with enough space to get around them comfortably when they are in use. The position of their patio next to the house requires careful drainage solutions and a robust build. The transitions from the house to the patio, and then from the patio to beyond, need careful consideration both in terms of their look and their usability; the materials and use of them need to aesthetically tick the boxes from viewpoints both outside and inside the house, in all seasons and all of these things, and more, need to be considered with budget very firmly in mind.

It is all a tricky balancing act but if you can remember the phrase you’ll stand a better chance of success with your patio.

Panic for Fence Panels? Think Again!

Lots of us have been affected by continuous storms and constant battering by the rain causing damage not only to plants in our gardens but fencing too. This has led to a national shortage of fence panels to the extent that according to the BBC, prices have risen by up to 30%. Newspapers have also reported that a black market has opened up with 'normal' - usually budget - fences being offered at £80 a panel!

That's extortionate but it's also an extremely good reason to consider creating a green boundary in your garden instead of fence paneling. It's no secret that we love plants here at Blue Daisy and we love living boundaries, here are some of the reasons why…

They can look fantastic - Beech, Hornbeam, Photinia Red Robin, Box, Pyracantha, Berberis, Holly (non-invasive) Bamboo the list goes on… green boundaries look great and can sound great too
They are functional - they give us the privacy we so often crave and can in some cases act as a sound barrier (not completely but much better than a fence panel can). They can also help mitigate urban flooding.
They're great for wildlife, not only for birds and mammals but in many cases for our beleaguered pollinators too (see Pledge for Pollinators and RHS Wildflower Plants for Pollinators List Released for further information about pollinating insects)
They add interest - because they are living many will change with the season
Sure you will need to maintain them but living boundaries - hedges - can help distribute and dissipate wind as it passes through its leaves and branches - this can be really beneficial for protecting the microclimate of your garden. It also makes them more likely to survive high winds and stormy weather.

So what are you waiting for? Contact us to organise your new living boundary today!

A House with Kerbside Appeal

Kerbside appeal - sounds lovely doesn't it? It conjures up all sorts of warm images that you really want your prospective purchaser or tenant to have about your property. We all remember, from various TV programmes, their suggestions of how to make someone have that warm and cosy feel about your home - consider baking bread or a putting a pot of coffee on so the smell emanates through all the rooms. But what about the gardens, what about kerbside appeal and what about a wonderful view from the lounge, kitchen or dining room window?

How many times have you heard friends or relatives saying they went out looking for a new house and did a 'drive by' (viewing that is, not shooting!!)? Nothing says 'first impressions count' more than this for the initial view of your home. Here are a few things you can do to enhance that kerbside appeal and the view from inside your home over the rear garden:

Weed the driveway, around the garage and near fences
Weed the borders
Prune the shrubs
Remove any dead foliage and dead head if it's the flowering season
Think hedges and edges – clip your hedge and redefine your lawn edges
Mow the lawn
If you've got climbers growing up the walls ensure that any wispy growth is gently tied in and ensure all views from windows are unrestricted
Rake up leaves in the autumn
Depending on the season lightly fork over or dig the borders to make them look fresh or simply cover with a mulch
Buy a few plants to fill any gaps that appear as you clear borders and prune existing shrubs
Brush and/or pressure wash your paths and driveways as required
If fences are looking unloved treat them with a coat of fence stain
Finally, place decorative pots either side of the door or along the pathway with a splash of seasonal colour to welcome your prospective buyers – you can always take them with you when you move!

Of course all of this takes time and money especially if you're buying new plants so why not start to gradually address some of the points above. When your estate agent comes to do the survey and take photographs you’ll want them to be able to capture your home and garden in its best light.

If you're thinking of renting your home the same points above still apply but it is understandable that you may be concerned about what state the gardens could become if the new tenant doesn't like gardening or really know what they are doing. Those precious and expensive plants you've bought or nurtured could be pruned incorrectly, may die or be left to their own devices and eventually smother out other plants. Changing the plants and introducing those that require less maintenance so they will pretty much get on with life with little intervention from humans is a good idea. Or, why not consider having a gardener come in and look after your garden on a regular basis? It could be a real selling point; after all it is a tough market out there so giving a busy tenant one less job to do might help and above all you would know that your garden was being looked after.

Here at Blue Daisy we help customers get their gardens ready for when they put their homes on the market, we maintain gardens so tenants don't have to get involved, we advise how to make the garden more of a low maintenance space and we help customers understand the potential of their newly bought garden.

So if this has whetted your appetite contact us at Blue Daisy - we might be able to help.