Apparently around 10% of gardens contain plastic grass now. Strange that we have happily got rid of plastic bags in shops, only to cover our lawns with them!

Unfortunately, it’s an ecological disaster. As the Society for Garden Designers says: “Not only do these products contribute to habitat loss; they also cause plastic pollution, destroy living soil, leak microplastics into waterways, cause flooding, contribute to urban heat islands due to the amount of heat they retain and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions in their production.”

A damning summary. For more details, please see this leaflet from the SGD. In addition, they also need more brushing and cleaning than a patio – if there are pets that use it, then this becomes a weekly task.

For alternatives here are some ideas (also from the SGD):

• Grass – a traditional lawn is sustainable (mow with electric mower) good for nature, safe for animals and children
• Clover – a very good drought-tolerant alternative to grass. No need to mow or water, stays green all year round and has bee-friendly flowers all summer
• Chamomile – also needs less attention than grass, helps improve the soil and attracts pollinators
• A ‘tapestry lawn’ – a mix of low-growing flowering plants. Low maintenance, very attractive to look at.
• For a hard-wearing sports surface, use Pratia pedunculata – an evergreen plant that has white flowers in spring and summer, but is low-growing and will take even deep shade.

© Alister Thorpe

I had the pleasure of designing a garden for a close friend in Milton Keynes.  It’s an example of how the same space can have a completely different feel to it once redesigned, even before plants have been put in.

The previous owners had small children, and the garden was entirely designed as a child’s play paradise – slide, swings, Wendy house, soft surfaces to fall on, a willow arch to hide in and a shady nook at the far end as a den.  Unfortunately the play area split the garden down the middle – and it was a narrow longish garden anyway, so it felt cramped and crowded.

The new owner had one grown-up son and wanted a place to look at when working from home in her first-floor study, and to sit outside in at leisure, with some outside entertaining.  Her son needed a bike shelter, and the shed at the far end needed some renovation.  The house dining area was in the conservatory facing the garden, and views were important.  “I want to sit and look at greenery” she said.

I could see that the garden would feel much more spacious once the play area was taken up, and the space could be used in a different way, with more of a flow from one area to another, and planting to emphasise the flow and to provide privacy and lushness.  The plan we agreed on had a curved lawn and path, which helped the narrow garden feel wider as it drew the eye from side to side.  Curves also meant that eventually the planting would conceal some of the garden from immediate view, making it seem bigger and more interesting. The area near the house was shaded ,but this was preferred to sitting in the sun, so the patio was kept there.

We spent several months finding a landscaper, as they are in short supply because of the lockdown increasing the popularity of gardens.  I had produced a specification for the landscaping, to help brief landscapers and to compare their quotes.

The garden only had very narrow access down the side of the house and Chameleon were able to use smaller equipment – a digger and dumper truck.  There was a lot to clear away, including things that were only discovered once the deck and play area were removed – remnants of many patios and paths gone before! They also had to create a soakaway under the patio and lawn to deal with the downpipe from the conservatory.

As the house faced north-east, the patio would be in shade most of the time, which suited the clients.  A stone patio in this situation would need a lot of maintenance to stay clear of slippery green algae etc, as it would not dry out easily, so we chose a porcelain slab instead.  Porcelain doesn’t absorb moisture and is easy to maintain.  Here is the patio laid, with the metal edging providing a rough guide to the path laid out on the earth.  The edges will be hammered into the ground to provide a smooth edge to the lawn that can be mown over.

Here are two pictures of the finished design, before new plants have been added.  The utility area at the back has been hidden by a trellis, with plans for a climbing rose in front of it.  There will be seats in the ‘shady nook’ at the back under the apple tree, and also at the end of the lawn, to make the most of the changing light and the new planting to sit among. A tree will be planted on the left side, to help screen the view of the house at the end. There’ll be more to show you when the plants come – the client is exploring a purple, blue, white and pink colour scheme.

The client said: ‘Even though we haven’t done the planting yet, I am already using the garden a lot more and I’m delighted with the design and the peaceful atmosphere of the space. There are a lot of choices to make in designing a garden and for a novice like me it was great to be able to talk through my ideas, get a second opinion and advice, and particularly to see the computer generated mock-ups that really brought the design to life. Jane quickly understood what I wanted and was able to produce a design that captured my vision. It also made briefing the landscapers far easier. The garden will give me many years of entertaining, relaxation and interest , so definitely money well spent.’

I have been asked to design gardens with an Oriental influence recently, particularly from the Chinese and Japanese traditions. I haven’t seen these gardens in their home countries, but there are examples in the West that have inspired many.

My most recent clients were inspired by one in Vancouver – and so were two people whose own garden appeared on Gardener’s World recently; a single visit inspiring in all of them a lifelong interest, and the wish to create a beautiful garden. It is the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese garden. A Chinese pavilion looks onto a lake surrounded by rocks, trees and a mosaic path. For Japanese inspiration (and boundless energy), see the gardens designed by Kazuyuki Ishihara, who has designed at least 14 Japanese gardens at Chelsea. He takes you round his own garden in Nagasaki here.

My clients liked the Japanese tradition of ‘stroll gardens’. These were designed for the aristocratic class to give owners and their visitors the entertainment of exploring a garden, rather like our English Romantic tradition does: to take a winding path to see different views and features round the garden.

I was commissioned to design a ‘modern take’ on a stroll garden with a ‘structured informality’, in a medium-sized garden. They basically had a large lawn surrounded by trees, with very little else. They wanted to make the garden more interesting, with new views to enjoy as you went through it, rather than being able to see everything from one place.

The Japanese garden next to a Buddhist temple in Milton Keynes inspired me to see what could be done. It isn’t a large garden, but still there is a path round a lake with different views at every turn, like a landscape in miniature.

The bridge acts as an entrance to your ‘stroll’.

When you come over the bridge, a different view, of clipped shrubs and rocks catches your eye.

You look back during your walk for views of the temple reflected in the lake.

At the end of the walk, you can look back to see the trees reflected in the lake. And during your exploration you can pause and sit on a rock, to take in the views. In this case, there is a view of the hill in Willen Lake park with the ‘Peace Pagoda’, also built by the Japanese monks here, in the distance. A lovely peaceful place to visit.

Many Japanese stroll gardens are centred around a body of water, but sometimes they use a ‘dry sea’ of stones and gravel instead. As water was not required, this ‘dry sea’ was my starting point, together with a circulating path.

Another source of inspiration were the Schnormeier gardens in Minnesota. These were designed and constructed by an American couple. I and my clients particularly liked this feature using multistem trees and stone paving of different sizes.

For my client’s design, I used 3 multi-stem trees around an area with gravel and pebbles, with a stone path of larger, irregular stones. The trees were in two irregular shaped curvy beds with larger rocks, small shrubs and grasses.

The back border will have a couple more layers of planting added: shrubs and groundcover. The outline plan of paths and beds looks like this:

I’m looking forward to designing the planting, for a modern, but Japanese-influenced look.

Resources:

What is a Japanese Stroll Garden?

Dr Sun Yat-sen Classical Chinese Garden

A Garden Paradise with Kazuyuki Ishihara

Thanks to my clients for the photos in this post.

The Design Brief

My clients had a long, narrow, flat garden laid mostly to lawn, in Beckenham.  They wanted more privacy – both visually and from the noise of the adjacent road.  They had just added a modern extension with bifold doors onto a patio, and wanted to improve the view from it.  They were a couple with adult children,  liking to sit outside, to entertain, hold occasional parties, not serious gardeners but wanted some space to grow vegetables. 

The garden faces northwest, so they liked the idea of a pergola or small garden building, halfway up the garden, where they could sit in the sun.  They needed a shed to hold the mower.  They also wanted a space for herbs near the house.

In the photo you can see the shape of the design marked out.  I chose a diagonal design to make the garden seem wider.

Here is the final design, with a small patio 2/3 way up the garden, where there is a pergola and also a shed hidden behind it.  There is an arch next to this patio, leading to the vegetable growing area and some meadow at the back.  There are extra trees to screen the view of neighbouring houses, and the fence on the left is a new acoustic fence.  I also recommended replacing the fence on the right with a featherboard fence to match.

Beds were dug out and a hedge put in as well as a new acoustic fence added. 

Then paths and patio were dug.  A small landscaping team of two started work in October..  The path to the right was stepping stones, so the holes had to be carefully dug out of the turf.

Then paving was put in, leaving gaps for the pergola posts, and working round existing trees.

The pergola went up first before the shed.

Then the shed was built from a kit, to fit almost behind the pergola – it would be hidden from view from the patio.

The lattice screen hid the remainder of the shed and provided support for climbing plants.

This is the garden so far, awaiting some shrubs and an arch.

Here is what it will look like eventually, when planted up and when the trees have established.

This is the view through the new arch to an urn, showing what became the shed and pergola on the right.

Here is the view from the back fence, looking over a meadow area, to a bench and raised vegetable beds, a relaxing solitary spot.

I hope you found this a useful step by step guide to what landscaping a new design involves.  So you know where the money goes!

If you have garden plans, best of luck this season in making them happen.

Jane

This time of year many of us start to feed the birds. But what else should we do to encourage them to flourish in the garden? We know they need help – even sparrows’ numbers are decreasing – and we love to look at them. This post shows you 3 main things to consider.

1. Nesting

Site your nestboxes where they will use them. Now’s the time to put them up, as they start looking for nesting sites in late winter/early spring.

CJ Wildlife says that birds need a clear flight path in and out of the box, but also shelter from wind and rain, and some shade from hot sun. And of course, make them high enough to prevent cats accessing them. You may not have cats but your neighbours’ will quickly find out where the nests are!

‘Organic Gardening’ (RHS series, Stickland and Pears) [out of print but Pears has a similar book here] says different birds prefer different types of box. Robins and spotted flycatchers use an open box with sides and a roof. Bluetits need boxes with a small hole 2.8cm in diameter. Great tits will use ones with holes 3cm in diameter – any wider and the sparrows will take over.

2. Shelter and food

‘Organic Gardening’ also says to provide different layers of vegetation in your garden. A tall tree (if you can) will be a ‘song post’ where they perch and proclaim their territory. Lucky you if you can get a thrush to sing there! Thick shrubs, hedges, undergrowth and climbers will provide natural nesting sites, and their berries will feed hungry birds in autumn and winter. Flowers that attract insects will give birds their food as well, and seedheads. The sight of a group of goldfinches eating cow parsley seeds, and a bluetit holding on to a stem of opium poppy to poke a hole in the seedhead and extract the tiny seeds can have you fascinated.

When you site a bird feeder, it’s best to have some shelter there or nearby so birds can retreat quickly eg if a sparrowhawk’s attention is drawn to the feeder. Cats can lurk underneath, so take care here as well. My cat would crouch under an arching grass and I had to straighten it up during the breeding season!

3. Water

Give them a source of drinking water and water for bathing. They will use ponds and bird baths, and some birds like running water: a bubble fountain will provide this. Put a small ball on the pond surface in winter to keep the water aerated for underwater plants and animals, and to provide access for birds; break the ice on bird baths.

Other gardening autumn tasks for now include planting garlic and other bulbs, enriching the soil with a layer of compost or well-rotted manure, and collecting leaves to make leaf mould with. Put them in a chicken wire enclosure or into black plastic bags with some drainage holes in the bottom.

Leave food like cat or dog food out for hedgehogs, who are preparing to hibernate (move bonfire materials just before you light them to check they’re not in there, too.) And make sure you have that hole in the fence to allow hedgehogs to come and go – see my previous blog post here.

That’s it for now! Sorry if you missed me, I have been busy. Hope to update you on my summer projects soon, there’s been quite a variety.

Jane

I hope you are all keeping well during this strange time of lockdown against the corona virus. It seems everyone wants to tackle their gardens at the moment, and in the UK it’s been perfect weather to get out there to do that. A favourite project is improving the lawn, and here’s a post to help you do that.

This contribution is by Laurence Bennet, who has a useful website on which he evaluates garden equipment and writes about everything to do with your lawn. See http://lawnmowerlarry.co.uk/   

5 Steps to Successful Organic Lawn Care

Have you considered that the greenest part of your home — your lawn — may be the least green of all?

More and more people around the country are doing their part to live an eco-friendly lifestyle, but keeping a lawn looking lush, green and healthy can involve loads of synthetic fertilizers and chemical herbicides.

These harmful products may make your lawn look great, but they destroy the environment by degrading the soil. The chemicals pollute water they leak into and are a health hazard to humans, pets and wildlife.

Creating a beautiful and organic lawn is easy and rewarding. It also saves money in the long term.

Autumn is the best time to start, but spring is the second best time — simply follow these 5 easy steps:

1 – Mow Correctly

Mow the lawn only when it is dry to prevent fungal spores or other diseases from spreading across the garden.

Lift up your mower a little, to a height of around 3.5” — The higher length helps to create shade, slows the growth of weeds, prevent dry patches and keep your lawn looking green.

Have your mower checked by your service provider to ensure that the blades are sharp and clean. Blunt blades make your grass look uneven and create clumps that can block drainage.

Choose an eco-friendly mower. The most ‘organic’ lawn mowers are manual push mowers.

– They don’t use fuel and cannot cause pollution by accidental spillage.

– You are not releasing and breathing in toxic fumes.

– You get a free workout in the fresh air!

2 – Aeration

Test how easy it is to poke a screwdriver into the ground. If it is difficult, you probably have soil that is compacted. This occurs when your soil is high in clay, filled with weeds or has many bare spots. Loosening up the earth with an aerator is vital for a successful organic lawn. Rent an aerator and run it over your lawn. Or if you are feeling fit, aerate your lawn with a garden fork!

The spikes create holes that aid water drainage. Eco-friendly worms and microflora flourish as they have fresh oxygen. Aerated soil allows grass roots to grow deeply, creating a vigorous lawn. Very soon, birds will be pecking for food and aerating your lawn for you!

3 – Fertilise organically with mulching

Fertilising is essential for a healthy lawn and the best way to do it is organically. Most chemical fertilizers contain Nitrogen, but grass clippings contain 50% of the Nitrogen you need. Leave them on the lawn and they will naturally fertilize your grass.

4 – Overseed

Overseeding is throwing grass seeds over an existing lawn to make it fuller and thicker. First, aerate your lawn. This allows the seeds to make contact with the soil for germination. Mow your lawn and then sprinkle the seeds evenly. You can use a rotary spreader or throw them by hand. Rake the lawn lightly to allow the seeds to settle. Finally, give your lawn a good watering.

5 – Learn about your lawn

Understanding your garden is fun and rewarding. Buy a home kit and test your soil. The pH level should be between 6.5 and 7.0. Discover which weeds are growing. Not all weeds are bad – Clover, for example, takes free nitrogen from the air and distributes it to the grass.

Once you have a successful organic lawn, you will find that it costs very little to maintain. And you can enjoy it, knowing that you have done your part to save Mother Earth!

Top photo © Daniel Watson on Unsplash.

Here’s a great article on how to work with a designer and what to expect – including how long in advance to book them.  This is for the UK by the online house and garden magazine/forum ‘Houzz’.  Houzz also have another article here on Design Costs (not including landscaping or plants).

Here’s an article from the ‘Houzz’ website on Australian gardening – with a photo from one of my designs in it, from Towcester in the UK! I enjoy looking at gardens from a different culture – The Australians always have a shaded space next to the house as the sun gets so hot. They practically live in this area and in the outdoors, so their gardens seem more expansive and relaxed than ours..

NB: Click the lettering in green to go to the article.

It’s been awhile since I wrote a blog and I have some varied visits to blog about – the first ones in June. My village, Wappenham in south Northamptonshire, once again opened its gardens for the National Garden Scheme, and there were all sorts of gardens to see. I didn’t get round all of them so my apologies to those I missed out, such as Hilary and John’s lovely garden full of flowers and fruit. Please note that the weather was very wet so imagine how it would all look when the sun came out…

The first garden was at the end of my road and was originally designed by James Alexander Sinclair. It was great to have a closer look, as it has three interesting areas joined together in quite a small space. Here is the entrance path:

This runs past the front door on the left, to a swimming pool area set in the old barnyard.

This pool is very sheltered as it is surrounded by buildings on three sides, and a hedge and gate on the fourth. Near the gate is a nice raised pond, with yellow phormiums behind:

The swimming pool is to the right. Meanwhile, in the foreground of this raised pond, is the house terrace, leading to the back garden. James has arranged ‘exploding squares’ here, beds set at angles to lead you through to the back garden:

The two men above are looking at the back lawn, ingeniously filled with topiary. Here is the view from the bottom of the lawn back to the house.

I haven’t included the veg garden or the hen house which has its own hedged area, but it was very stimulating to see something different.

Dodging rain showers, I called in at Beeches Farm, at which it was too rainy to take many photos, and Wappenham Manor, which has opened and been blogged about before. Here are some photos of the Manor, another James Alexander Sinclair garden.

Lastly I visited a garden made by the owners and full of interesting ideas. The entrance is lined with pots of white pelargoniums and some azaleas in flower:

Then leading round to the right, you pass a lovely deep red climbing rose:

Then through the arch and uphill to the rest of the garden:

Then to the right of all this, there is another garden, on the garage roof. Now a bit late to see it as it is full of azaleas, but still, the view was worth going up the steps for.

The rest of the garden is shaded by tall trees, with roses, and is lined with beds with displays such as these hostas in pots, under the fragrant philadelphus.

At the back of this garden is a hedgehog nest – note the sign!

Lastly, a pic of the ‘natural’ part of my own garden: lilacs, peonies and the meadow patch. The veg garden is yet to spring to life.

I thought this post from the home and gardens website ‘Houzz’ was worth including: