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.
I’m always getting things filthy from gardening tools to bikes, so I thought I’d put the @stihlgb RCA20 cordless pressure washer through its paces.
I only do Ads for products I genuinely like, and I wanted an excuse to look like a rad dad. The best thing about it is that you don’t need mains power or water, so you can use it with the bladder or a water butt. You can also plug it into a tap if you’re cleaning things at home.
It has a lance extension and a detergent bottle included in the kit. It also has multiple spray settings and an eco mode if you need to save power, but the AS batteries charge very quickly.
Definitely a great fit for my lifestyle I’m often away from water connections and seem to get everything covered in mud 👌
I’m always getting things filthy from gardening tools to bikes, so I thought I’d put the @stihlgb RCA20 cordless pressure washer through its paces.
I only do Ads for products I genuinely like, and I wanted an excuse to look like a rad dad. The best thing about it is that you don’t need mains power or water, so you can use it with the bladder or a water butt. You can also plug it into a tap if you’re cleaning things at home.
It has a lance extension and a detergent bottle included in the kit. It also has multiple spray settings and an eco mode if you need to save power, but the AS batteries charge very quickly.
Definitely a great fit for my lifestyle I’m often away from water connections and seem to get everything covered in mud 👌
If you want some plants that will keep giving all through winter, then check out @itvloveyourweekend at 9:30am today or catch up on @itvxofficial
@alantitchmarshcbe and I discuss some of our favourite plants for a winter display.
Some key plants for your winter garden: Cornus sanguinea (colourful stems) Cornus alba (colourful stems) Skimmia japonica (berries or flowers) Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’ Miscanthus sinensis (leave it tall!) Eucalyptus (for evergreen foliage) Malus ‘Evereste’ (colourful apples into winter) Taxus baccata (evergreen topiary structure) Hellebores (winter flowers) Pinus sylvestris (bright evergreen foliage) Plus plenty of other options discussed in the episode 🪴
The amazing specimen plants here are from @foliumandflosplants 🪴.
If you want some plants that will keep giving all through winter, then check out @itvloveyourweekend at 9:30am today or catch up on @itvxofficial
@alantitchmarshcbe and I discuss some of our favourite plants for a winter display.
Some key plants for your winter garden: Cornus sanguinea (colourful stems) Cornus alba (colourful stems) Skimmia japonica (berries or flowers) Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’ Miscanthus sinensis (leave it tall!) Eucalyptus (for evergreen foliage) Malus ‘Evereste’ (colourful apples into winter) Taxus baccata (evergreen topiary structure) Hellebores (winter flowers) Pinus sylvestris (bright evergreen foliage) Plus plenty of other options discussed in the episode 🪴
The amazing specimen plants here are from @foliumandflosplants 🪴.
The key is to prune more often than you think and you will create a dense plant with few holes. There is something to be said for leaving the shaggy new growth for a while though, as it looks great!
These Yew topiary balls had only been planted this year and were long overdue some shaping. They looked fab in the summer against the grasses and perennials, but I love that they’re going to provide structure even through the winter.
The key is to prune more often than you think and you will create a dense plant with few holes. There is something to be said for leaving the shaggy new growth for a while though, as it looks great!
These Yew topiary balls had only been planted this year and were long overdue some shaping. They looked fab in the summer against the grasses and perennials, but I love that they’re going to provide structure even through the winter.
Pink themed garden with all weather reading shelter ✅
@garden_ninja_lee and I had a blast on this build! We went all out with pink outfits to match the theme 🤘!
This really was the smallest garden rescue build we’ve done and I packed a lot into the design! When a covered seating/reading nook is on the brief I really had to rack my brains to think about working it into the design without taking light from their patio doors.
The planting is very traditional but the green, pink and whites work very well together 🙌. Some lovely paving details as well to complement this, mixing aged bricks with more contemporary planks.
Cracking job by the team as always @benjaminrichardpope @landy3614 @leighapugh @jimbobs2020 @burdfieldlandscaping
Pink themed garden with all weather reading shelter ✅
@garden_ninja_lee and I had a blast on this build! We went all out with pink outfits to match the theme 🤘!
This really was the smallest garden rescue build we’ve done and I packed a lot into the design! When a covered seating/reading nook is on the brief I really had to rack my brains to think about working it into the design without taking light from their patio doors.
The planting is very traditional but the green, pink and whites work very well together 🙌. Some lovely paving details as well to complement this, mixing aged bricks with more contemporary planks.
Cracking job by the team as always @benjaminrichardpope @landy3614 @leighapugh @jimbobs2020 @burdfieldlandscaping
Another @gardenrescueofficial garden in the bag and @flo_the_gardener and I had fun making this one! This garden needed to be used for cooking and entertaining all year round.. the couple even cook their Christmas dinner on the BBQ, so it had to deliver!
I designed the garden with good structural elements in both the hard landscaping and the planting, so it will look good all year round. A couple of my favourite plants featuring in this one.. the Dicksonia Antarctica (Tree fern) and the Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ - both influenced from when I was first learning to garden with John Bailey.
The team did such a good job on the paving and timber work, I think the setts really tie the whole garden together. Cheers @benjaminrichardpope @jimbobs2020 @leighapugh @burdfieldlandscaping & Jonno!
Another @gardenrescueofficial garden in the bag and @flo_the_gardener and I had fun making this one! This garden needed to be used for cooking and entertaining all year round.. the couple even cook their Christmas dinner on the BBQ, so it had to deliver!
I designed the garden with good structural elements in both the hard landscaping and the planting, so it will look good all year round. A couple of my favourite plants featuring in this one.. the Dicksonia Antarctica (Tree fern) and the Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ - both influenced from when I was first learning to garden with John Bailey.
The team did such a good job on the paving and timber work, I think the setts really tie the whole garden together. Cheers @benjaminrichardpope @jimbobs2020 @leighapugh @burdfieldlandscaping & Jonno!
Inspiration photo dump from our holiday to Andalusia. We travelled across the bottom of the Sierra Nevada mountains and then up to Granada.
We went over for a friends wedding (which was the best) and then spent a few days after having a little holiday. I couldn’t help but take snaps of plants here there and everywhere…
It’s so refreshing to go abroad and see plants in a totally different environment to what we have here in the Uk. The contrasting textures in managed gardens were so beautiful and then the natural plant mixes found on hillsides were equally as striking!
Always good to have a breather, take your head out of work for a moment and remember why you get so excited about plants 😂🪴.
P.s spare a thought for Zoe and Jude who were having to put up with me stopping the car every 5 minutes on random mountain sides, looking at random messy shrubs and grasses!
Inspiration photo dump from our holiday to Andalusia. We travelled across the bottom of the Sierra Nevada mountains and then up to Granada.
We went over for a friends wedding (which was the best) and then spent a few days after having a little holiday. I couldn’t help but take snaps of plants here there and everywhere…
It’s so refreshing to go abroad and see plants in a totally different environment to what we have here in the Uk. The contrasting textures in managed gardens were so beautiful and then the natural plant mixes found on hillsides were equally as striking!
Always good to have a breather, take your head out of work for a moment and remember why you get so excited about plants 😂🪴.
P.s spare a thought for Zoe and Jude who were having to put up with me stopping the car every 5 minutes on random mountain sides, looking at random messy shrubs and grasses!
