With frost on the ground and chill in the air it might not feel like time to get stuck into the garden. But if you haven’t already thought about it, now is the time to do it. The economy is still struggling to kick into gear, so budgeting effectively is as crucial as ever. Having your garden completely landscaped can be an expensive process, but it doesn’t have to be if you plan effectively.
It really is possible to achieve your dream, without spending wheelbarrow loads of money or having lots of experience and knowledge.
What will keep costs down and maximise your budget?
Planning:
If you can, contact a garden designer at the earliest possible moment. There are busy times throughout the year for landscaping works, so by contacting a designer early on it will push you to the front of the queue. For example, Winter is a perfect time to get in touch as the works can be scheduled in to get the garden ready for Summer. This forward planning will ensure everything is prepared in advance and minimises the risk of meeting inflated prices from landscapers when they are busy.
Materials:
The layout and features of a garden design determines the cost to a point, however material choices can dramatically increase the price of a build. If prices need to be brought down in a project then it is worth opening your mind and exploring alternative materials, such as opting for softwood over hardwood, gravel driveways over block and simply using more economical manufactures.
Recycle:
A recycled galvanised water tank turned planter
A morally responsible and often quite inventive way to save money is to look at using recycled materials. This could be from something on your site already, or by using local reclamation yards to find interesting items and materials. We recently saved an old galvanised water tank and repurposed it as a planter which was much cheaper than buying a new planter at that size.
If you would like any advise just head over to our Contact Page and get in touch.
SWIPE to see a new project that I’m very proud of!
This garden was a challenge to design as it had to be designed around some large existing features, mainly the pool, pond, and obviously the strong architectural home. It is all pulled together with some new hard landscaping features, curved pathways and heaps of planting 🪴
This garden was only planted in the middle of this hot summer, so next year it is going to really burst into life!
The main features of the design are a curved cantilevered @millboard_live_life_outside deck, overhanging the revitalised pond. @johnstonelandscapes did an amazing job of this.
Masses of new planting, both front and back, help to ground the house into its surroundings.
The existing trees are now underplanted with a matrix of woodland edge plants!
There’s an edible meadow alongside the deck. Taking inspiration from the RHS Chelsea garden I co-designed with @sidhillecogardens
A favourite piece is a bespoke curved iroko bench that I built with my main man Joe, this wraps around a stunning fire pit and some precision radial setts that @johnstonelandscapes installed.
The driveway has been re-worked with large Fagus topiary and contemporary block planting of grasses. Then a shady overhang with picture frame windows into the house is underplanted with a shade loving matrix and tree ferns. I can’t wait to see this develop in time.
@johnstonelandscapes & I have worked together for a few years now, making the build such an enjoyable and collaborative process, and of course they tackled any on site challenges with ease. Thanks @johnstone_landscapes_jake 👌
SWIPE to see a new project that I’m very proud of!
This garden was a challenge to design as it had to be designed around some large existing features, mainly the pool, pond, and obviously the strong architectural home. It is all pulled together with some new hard landscaping features, curved pathways and heaps of planting 🪴
This garden was only planted in the middle of this hot summer, so next year it is going to really burst into life!
The main features of the design are a curved cantilevered @millboard_live_life_outside deck, overhanging the revitalised pond. @johnstonelandscapes did an amazing job of this.
Masses of new planting, both front and back, help to ground the house into its surroundings.
The existing trees are now underplanted with a matrix of woodland edge plants!
There’s an edible meadow alongside the deck. Taking inspiration from the RHS Chelsea garden I co-designed with @sidhillecogardens
A favourite piece is a bespoke curved iroko bench that I built with my main man Joe, this wraps around a stunning fire pit and some precision radial setts that @johnstonelandscapes installed.
The driveway has been re-worked with large Fagus topiary and contemporary block planting of grasses. Then a shady overhang with picture frame windows into the house is underplanted with a shade loving matrix and tree ferns. I can’t wait to see this develop in time.
@johnstonelandscapes & I have worked together for a few years now, making the build such an enjoyable and collaborative process, and of course they tackled any on site challenges with ease. Thanks @johnstone_landscapes_jake 👌
My favourite late summer colour plants in this scheme are: Echinacea ‘Pretty Parasols’ Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Alba’ Scabiosa columbaria Obviously the Salvia too 😂
This is one of my recently planted gardens on the edge of Dartmoor.
The clients wanted colour and that’s what they’ve got! Perennial colour through the seasons with some evergreen shrubs and topiary to keep the scheme strong through winter.
The stonework and hard landscaping provides such good structure to show off the planting. Can’t wait to see it develop next year.
Some people hate yellow flowers for some reason… What do you think? (I love them 👌)
Plants from @foliumandflosplants Photos by @jacobgibbinsphoto
My favourite late summer colour plants in this scheme are: Echinacea ‘Pretty Parasols’ Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Alba’ Scabiosa columbaria Obviously the Salvia too 😂
This is one of my recently planted gardens on the edge of Dartmoor.
The clients wanted colour and that’s what they’ve got! Perennial colour through the seasons with some evergreen shrubs and topiary to keep the scheme strong through winter.
The stonework and hard landscaping provides such good structure to show off the planting. Can’t wait to see it develop next year.
Some people hate yellow flowers for some reason… What do you think? (I love them 👌)
Plants from @foliumandflosplants Photos by @jacobgibbinsphoto
I’m very proud of this garden. I only planted it a few months ago and it is now flourishing! This garden was all about the planting and I think it compliments the surroundings perfectly.
This is just a small section of the garden. Shall I share some more?!
I’m very proud of this garden. I only planted it a few months ago and it is now flourishing! This garden was all about the planting and I think it compliments the surroundings perfectly.
This is just a small section of the garden. Shall I share some more?!
It took a lot of head scratching to get it right but I’m so proud of how this bench turned out. Joe and I spent a couple days making this, using Iroko boards that tapered out to the radius of the seating area.
All fixings are hidden and screwed from the steel behind. Lovely curved steel frame made by @taurusfabrications
The fire pit is the perfect centre piece for it.
@johnstonelandscapes @johnstone_landscapes_jake have now finished even more landscape works around it so I can’t wait to share more clips with you soon.
Would you like one of these in your garden? Or do you prefer something more traditional? Let me know!
It took a lot of head scratching to get it right but I’m so proud of how this bench turned out. Joe and I spent a couple days making this, using Iroko boards that tapered out to the radius of the seating area.
All fixings are hidden and screwed from the steel behind. Lovely curved steel frame made by @taurusfabrications
The fire pit is the perfect centre piece for it.
@johnstonelandscapes @johnstone_landscapes_jake have now finished even more landscape works around it so I can’t wait to share more clips with you soon.
Would you like one of these in your garden? Or do you prefer something more traditional? Let me know!
My Dad lives with paranoid schizophrenia, which can be quite severe at times. In a time when mental health and wellness is mainstream, serious mental illness is still often misunderstood and rife with stigma.
Being a schizophrenic doesn’t define my Dad as a person, but it has impacted his entire life, leaving him unable to work and often getting himself in unfortunate situations, or sectioned for long periods of time. Whilst this is his situation, many people with schizophrenia do manage to work and hold down a more ‘normal’ lifestyle.
Some common symptoms of schizophrenia are: Paranoia, delusions, visual or audio hallucinations, muddled thoughts, lack of motivation, difficulty with social interactions. Just to name a few.
It also isn’t as simple as someone having the same symptoms every day of the year. It’s common to have up and down periods, where the symptoms and behaviours may become more extreme. Sometimes leading to a state of psychosis where someone needs to be sectioned under the mental health act.
Hopefully this has given some personal insight into schizophrenia. If you need any information or support, please go and check out @rethinkmentalillness ❤️
My Dad lives with paranoid schizophrenia, which can be quite severe at times. In a time when mental health and wellness is mainstream, serious mental illness is still often misunderstood and rife with stigma.
Being a schizophrenic doesn’t define my Dad as a person, but it has impacted his entire life, leaving him unable to work and often getting himself in unfortunate situations, or sectioned for long periods of time. Whilst this is his situation, many people with schizophrenia do manage to work and hold down a more ‘normal’ lifestyle.
Some common symptoms of schizophrenia are: Paranoia, delusions, visual or audio hallucinations, muddled thoughts, lack of motivation, difficulty with social interactions. Just to name a few.
It also isn’t as simple as someone having the same symptoms every day of the year. It’s common to have up and down periods, where the symptoms and behaviours may become more extreme. Sometimes leading to a state of psychosis where someone needs to be sectioned under the mental health act.
Hopefully this has given some personal insight into schizophrenia. If you need any information or support, please go and check out @rethinkmentalillness ❤️
The brief for Charlie & I was to make a wild Welsh inspired garden for a young family to enjoy. All with the challenge of a huge existing concrete pad to work around.
Luckily slate chippings cover a multitude of sins and tied in beautifully with the show stopping water feature. Made using slate walling stone by the very talented @landy3614 - it definitely stole the show!
There’s something very satisfying about poking plants into the nooks of a dry stone wall and around the base of the water feature.
The covered pergola gives them somewhere to sit outside even in the typical wet Welsh weather👌
@benjaminrichardpope and the rest of the team did an amazing job on this one! @leighapugh @jimbobs2020 @burdfieldlandscaping 🙌
The brief for Charlie & I was to make a wild Welsh inspired garden for a young family to enjoy. All with the challenge of a huge existing concrete pad to work around.
Luckily slate chippings cover a multitude of sins and tied in beautifully with the show stopping water feature. Made using slate walling stone by the very talented @landy3614 - it definitely stole the show!
There’s something very satisfying about poking plants into the nooks of a dry stone wall and around the base of the water feature.
The covered pergola gives them somewhere to sit outside even in the typical wet Welsh weather👌
@benjaminrichardpope and the rest of the team did an amazing job on this one! @leighapugh @jimbobs2020 @burdfieldlandscaping 🙌
