Sustainability

Sustainability in the garden covers a whole range of subjects, in a nutshell it means using all materials thoughtfully and re-using things where possible.
Plants are chosen so that they're right for their location. They may need irrigating during their first year until they get established, but after that they'll flourish and won't have to be replaced. Appropriate plants won't need lots of water and chemicals to help them survive.
It's just as easy to use plants that benefit birds, butterflies, bees and other insects and therefore your garden in the long term.

These are some of the aspects that we like to integrate into our designs.

RECLAIMED MATERIALS:

You'll have a much more unique and interesting garden by using reclaimed materials.
We've saved scaffold boards from land-fill and used them as chunky decking.
A lovely textured gate-post that had been abandoned at the back of the garden
is used as an exclamation mark in the corner of the decking.
The covered timber bench is made with oak decking from one of our R.H.S. show gardens.

"in a nutshell it means using all materials thoughtfully and
re-using things where possible"

COMPOST BINS:

good soil is the life blood of a garden and adding home-made compost to it is the best method of improving it. We always try and find space for at least one of these when we're designing gardens, they can be tucked away out of sight or we'll use one that looks nice.
You can use up lots of garden and kitchen waste in a compost bin and turn it into lovely compost to improve the soil in your garden. There'll less waste in your dustbin and you won't have to buy expensive soil and lug it home.

ATTRACTING BENEFICIAL WILDLIFE:

Encouraging birds and insects into your garden will help to establish a natural balanced system. You'll have fewer pests such as snails and greenfly, and a garden with bird song creates a lovely atmosphere.

You just need to supply them with food which is easily done with appropriate planting and places to nest and rear their young, a source of water is also important.
The hibernating insect house is made from a framework of pallets and filled with bricks, tiles plants stems etc. Make sure it's sturdy and won't topple over.

PAVING FRONT GARDENS:

Paving front gardens has been a contributing factor to flooding in recent times.
Replacing grass and planting beds with hard paved surfaces means rainwater can't naturally soak into the ground as it used to.

Paving front gardens is now subject to regulations, following legislation that was introduced on 1st October 2008. No more than 5 square metres of hard surfacing can be used unless it allows water to drain through it (permeable).

However there are many creative solutions that provide new opportunities for front gardens and comply with the new rules. Rainwater can be diverted into shrub and flower borders and there are many types of paving that are semi-permeable.

<<< Return to the portfolio index