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.
Here’s how to turn boring awkward shaped lawn into a beautiful garden!
This is a classic sight on new build houses: exposed fences and dodgy lawn, often overlooked by neighbours.
The way to tackle it is to remove the lawn or reduce it significantly and pack the garden with beautiful planting. We used a gravel garden in this one to make more low maintenance yet impactful planting.
The garden art studio was a later addition, in the first makeover we had a bench as a focal point alongside the water bowl set in planting.
Another key feature that makes this garden so inviting is the pleached Hornbeam. They make a lush green floating hedge that screens the neighbours and makes the garden feel cosy.
Here’s how to turn boring awkward shaped lawn into a beautiful garden!
This is a classic sight on new build houses: exposed fences and dodgy lawn, often overlooked by neighbours.
The way to tackle it is to remove the lawn or reduce it significantly and pack the garden with beautiful planting. We used a gravel garden in this one to make more low maintenance yet impactful planting.
The garden art studio was a later addition, in the first makeover we had a bench as a focal point alongside the water bowl set in planting.
Another key feature that makes this garden so inviting is the pleached Hornbeam. They make a lush green floating hedge that screens the neighbours and makes the garden feel cosy.
Watch to see us plant 10,000 bulbs on one of my projects!
Key take home tips > 🌷Don’t be scared - just throw, plant, grow. 🌷Experiment with planting tools 🌷Try different bulb and colour combinations 🌷Try to create drifts and leave open patches of lawn if you don’t want to be too wild! 🌷 Always plant more than you think you’ll need!
Big thanks to my main Greenbook helpers Joe and Monty
Hopefully more to share from this project in the future!
Watch to see us plant 10,000 bulbs on one of my projects!
Key take home tips > 🌷Don’t be scared - just throw, plant, grow. 🌷Experiment with planting tools 🌷Try different bulb and colour combinations 🌷Try to create drifts and leave open patches of lawn if you don’t want to be too wild! 🌷 Always plant more than you think you’ll need!
Big thanks to my main Greenbook helpers Joe and Monty
Hopefully more to share from this project in the future!
I’m a colourblind garden designer: see through my eyes!
I hope this helps people to understand what colourblind people see and that it shows I still put together some awesome colour combinations!
I have great plant knowledge and have been doing this for years, so with that experience and understanding of colour theory, I understand what colour combos work well together.
In my eyes it all looks amazing so I can’t imagine how good it looks for you lot with normal eyes 👀!
I’m a colourblind garden designer: see through my eyes!
I hope this helps people to understand what colourblind people see and that it shows I still put together some awesome colour combinations!
I have great plant knowledge and have been doing this for years, so with that experience and understanding of colour theory, I understand what colour combos work well together.
In my eyes it all looks amazing so I can’t imagine how good it looks for you lot with normal eyes 👀!
@alantitchmarshmbe and I will be on @itvloveyourweekend talking about different types of hedges to plant this Autumn 🌱
We might have been rained on, but that didn’t stop us from exploring a range of options to suit your garden. From evergreen to deciduous, tall to short, we have it covered!
Tune in on ITV from 9:30am today.
Thank you to @foliumandflosplants for supplying the hedging 👌.
Thanks @stepmart76 @melissa_louise95 and the rest of the gang for all of the behind the scenes work!
Let me know which hedge you would like, or if you have a different option that you’d prefer 🥂
@alantitchmarshmbe and I will be on @itvloveyourweekend talking about different types of hedges to plant this Autumn 🌱
We might have been rained on, but that didn’t stop us from exploring a range of options to suit your garden. From evergreen to deciduous, tall to short, we have it covered!
Tune in on ITV from 9:30am today.
Thank you to @foliumandflosplants for supplying the hedging 👌.
Thanks @stepmart76 @melissa_louise95 and the rest of the gang for all of the behind the scenes work!
Let me know which hedge you would like, or if you have a different option that you’d prefer 🥂
I love getting all the toys out for some Autumn hedge cutting!
I always leave the hedges through Spring & Summer for nesting birds and even some into winter, but certain hedges need to be cut to maintain their shape.
The dream combo for doing hedges is my @STIHLGB HSA 100 hedge trimmer and HLA 86 Telescopic hedge trimmer. You’ve got all areas covered with these two and being on the AP battery system, they last for ages and have heaps of power.
I love getting all the toys out for some Autumn hedge cutting!
I always leave the hedges through Spring & Summer for nesting birds and even some into winter, but certain hedges need to be cut to maintain their shape.
The dream combo for doing hedges is my @STIHLGB HSA 100 hedge trimmer and HLA 86 Telescopic hedge trimmer. You’ve got all areas covered with these two and being on the AP battery system, they last for ages and have heaps of power.
I always say that subtlety is key when it comes to garden lighting. It’s far too easy to over do it. In this garden I mostly used @collingwoodled from @landscapeplus_uk low wattage LED spike lights and deck lights. Brighter LED strips under the social seating area give some extra wow factor.
I love how the down lights illuminate the perennials, it looks like they’re dancing in the moonlight!
What’s also nice is that both the fire tables provide another soft light source and you feel extra cosy!
Check out my previous post to see that garden in the daylight 🌞
Built by @benjaminrichardpope 📷 @jacobgibbinsphoto
I always say that subtlety is key when it comes to garden lighting. It’s far too easy to over do it. In this garden I mostly used @collingwoodled from @landscapeplus_uk low wattage LED spike lights and deck lights. Brighter LED strips under the social seating area give some extra wow factor.
I love how the down lights illuminate the perennials, it looks like they’re dancing in the moonlight!
What’s also nice is that both the fire tables provide another soft light source and you feel extra cosy!
Check out my previous post to see that garden in the daylight 🌞
Built by @benjaminrichardpope 📷 @jacobgibbinsphoto
If you love contemporary gardens then this one’s for you!
It is a simple design in theory but it has a lot of bespoke details that really make it feel luxurious. A modern fire pit area with bench seating creates a great social space, with a bespoke L shape pergola overhead with tiny downlights in it.
Behind that custom laser cut screens set within slatted cedar brings some excitement to the boundaries!
Whilst the shapes of the garden are very clean and modern, the planting adds heaps of colour, texture and movement. The star plants for me are the Stipa, Verbena and the Dicksonia (Tree Ferns) 🌱
@benjaminrichardpope did an awesome job building this one and myself and my team did the planting.
This garden looks AMAZING at night, so I will share some lighting shots on another post soon.
What bespoke features would you want in your garden?
If you love contemporary gardens then this one’s for you!
It is a simple design in theory but it has a lot of bespoke details that really make it feel luxurious. A modern fire pit area with bench seating creates a great social space, with a bespoke L shape pergola overhead with tiny downlights in it.
Behind that custom laser cut screens set within slatted cedar brings some excitement to the boundaries!
Whilst the shapes of the garden are very clean and modern, the planting adds heaps of colour, texture and movement. The star plants for me are the Stipa, Verbena and the Dicksonia (Tree Ferns) 🌱
@benjaminrichardpope did an awesome job building this one and myself and my team did the planting.
This garden looks AMAZING at night, so I will share some lighting shots on another post soon.
What bespoke features would you want in your garden?
Tulip ‘Negrita’ Tulip ‘Exotic Emperor’ Narcissus ‘Tete a Tete’
They work great in beds together or in a pot if you’re doing a bulb lasagne! Remember that an easy rule for bulb planting depth is two-three times the height of the bulb itself.
November is a great time for planting tulips so go and buy some! Let me know what combinations you go for.
Tulip ‘Negrita’ Tulip ‘Exotic Emperor’ Narcissus ‘Tete a Tete’
They work great in beds together or in a pot if you’re doing a bulb lasagne! Remember that an easy rule for bulb planting depth is two-three times the height of the bulb itself.
November is a great time for planting tulips so go and buy some! Let me know what combinations you go for.
My favourite Autumn colours @ntkillerton from an afternoon dog walk. They have such a great selection of trees but also show how you can bring late season colour into your beds even now!
My favourite perennials there were the Dahlias, Tricyrtis and Salvia leucantha.
As for the trees, it was the Acers and the Walnuts that were stealing the show!
My favourite Autumn colours @ntkillerton from an afternoon dog walk. They have such a great selection of trees but also show how you can bring late season colour into your beds even now!
My favourite perennials there were the Dahlias, Tricyrtis and Salvia leucantha.
As for the trees, it was the Acers and the Walnuts that were stealing the show!...
EXCITING NEWS!
I will be on @itvloveyourweekend tomorrow (Sunday) morning at 9:30am. I will be talking to @alantitchmarshmbe about autumn tree planting and how to choose the right tree for your garden.
It’s been a pleasure to work on the show and I shall be on it again in November.
Absolutely stunning trees kindly loaned by @foliumandflosplants - thanks guys!
When you’ve watched it, let me know what your favourite tree is!
I will be on @itvloveyourweekend tomorrow (Sunday) morning at 9:30am. I will be talking to @alantitchmarshmbe about autumn tree planting and how to choose the right tree for your garden.
It’s been a pleasure to work on the show and I shall be on it again in November.
Absolutely stunning trees kindly loaned by @foliumandflosplants - thanks guys!
When you’ve watched it, let me know what your favourite tree is!
