The Dorset Gardener http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/ The Dorset Gardener en-us Nucleus CMS v3.22 © Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://dorsetgardener.co.uk//nucleus/nucleus2.gif The Dorset Gardener http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/ A Garden Design for Weymouth Living http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=21 null The existing large garden is currently mainly grass and deck. Client requirements are to impart a more designed feel to the garden in a way suitable for enjoyment and entertaining friends, whilst allowing freedom for children to play yet requiring a low level of maintenance and providing for small scale vegetable growing.

The design brings more of an open feel to the garden; although a large garden, its long length currently has a narrowing effect. Use of appropriate trees not only adds width through blending with the surroundings to the west but also adds interest, particularly in the Autumn when foliage turns crimson.

The clean sweeping lines of the design suggest a modern feel and give a sense of unity to the two main parts of the garden. Subtle Japanese touches add tranquillity and further interest. The tea house doubles as a playhouse for the children. The imposing nature of the existing large but practical raised deck is softened by further tree and shrub planting. The sweeping path from the house finishes flush with the deck and invites one to make the journey to this far end of the garden. The four raised vegetable beds made from railway sleepers are accessible, manageable, allow for crop rotation and have a levelling effect to a sloping area of the garden, and are a feature in their own right.

The Existing Garden

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Given the large size of the garden, a traditional approach to planting would not only be costly but would also be overwhelming in maintenance terms for a couple with two small children and a busy lifestyle. Designing the garden with simplicity in mind and more like a public space means that ‘less is more’ (already a cliché but true in this case). It also means the garden will blend in with its surroundings very well since planting is mainly of trees, all of which give interest from Spring to late Autumn.

The main path is marked with low level side projecting solar powered lights. Uplighters to the Davidia feature tree give night ambience.

The trees provide the main feature aspect to the garden. There is a Japanese style granite rock set in gravel in the west patio area and also a Japanese style water feature. The gravel can be raked when the children have finished playing in it!

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]]> Recent http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=21 Sun, 11 Mar 2007 17:48:35 +0000 Dorset Gardener Small Town Garden takes shape http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=20 null
Low cost, low maintenance, small town garden design being finalised. ]]> Recent http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=20 Mon, 20 Nov 2006 10:29:58 +0000 Weymouth Garden Design for a low maintenance courtyard garden http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=17

This design brings together the three separated areas of the existing garden to give a better feel of unity and space, and an outside 'room' which lends itself to entertaining friends.

The Existing Garden



In the new design, the stepped line to the patio breaks up the space in a relaxing way and, with the integral planting squares, adds direction and purpose to the garden. The planting squares are flush with the patio and gravel areas, and their progression leads the eye down the garden while the slight rotation of the two westerly squares gives further direction and feeling of space to this narrower part of the garden and unity with the whole. Wrapping of the patio around the house corners gives a further sense of unity. The rotation of the paving within the easterly most square directs one towards the raised upper patio and adds balance to the westerly rotated squares.

The use of camomile and sempervivum planting in these squares provide interest, scent and colour. A modern mirror water feature adds a touch of chic and provides masking sound to the occasional distracting noise originating from the adjacent flats. The social aspect is further enhanced by garden up-lighting to the trees and shrubs. The lower canopy of the existing Chamaecyparis conifer is to be raised to a height of at least 1.9m in order not to partition the garden into two halves. A scented Jasmine is to be grown up through the under-branches. The tree seat adds further purpose to the tree and adds another social aspect to the garden.

All existing planting is removed (except for Chamaecyparis and Cornus) and where possible recycled to friends. The new planting scheme aims to provide all year round interest and screening in a low maintenance way. The new silver birches and the columnular cherry trees add vertical structure and screening and all year interest. Their small leaf form adds to the feeling of space. The Acer in the north west corner is attractive all year but stunning in the autumn. Allium bulbs are planted randomly amongst the Sasa veithchii.

March 2007

The new garden is now nearing completion with all the hard landscaping complete.
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]]> In Build http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=17 Fri, 6 Oct 2006 11:04:07 +0100 New Surveys confirm the value of attractive gardens http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=16
Whether you desire a quiet house in the country or hectic city living, there can be no doubt that owning a little patch of garden is a very attractive feature for any aspiring homeowner. New research by Halifax Estate Agents reveals that two out of five people found it difficult to find properties for sale or to rent with a suitable garden or outside space. For many, it seems that a garden is more important then an extra room in the house. A hefty 61% of us would choose to live without a utility room and over half of respondents would also forgo a second bathroom.

Another Halifax survey shows 45% of house owners in the Southeast enjoy over 6 hours of garden relaxation time per week.
www.hbosplc.com


In another survey, property search engine OnOneMap reports 51% of respondents felt that a garden was a must have, ahead of off-street parking (47%) and good schools (20%).
www.ononemap.co.uk

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]]> News http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=16 Mon, 18 Sep 2006 17:06:06 +0100 Garden Development brings new drought tolerant borders to Preston garden http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=15 The garden commands impressive views over Weymouth Bay but pays the price with exposure to wind and sun. The clients required Garden Development in the form of a re-design of just their main border to provide impact and cope better with the conditions, rather than a complete garden re-design.

Existing border view

Additional Lavender and Thyme planting beds in a style that reflects the Bay (wave) aspect provide further interest and colour and invite one to venture to the lower garden while giving an otherwise neglected corner of the garden some new purpose. A new opening through the hedge with steps complete the access to the lower garden, while providing an additional framing of the wonderful view.

Existing view to hedge and beyond

The landscaping specifications include adding generous amounts of organic material to the eroded soil. The soil is topped with horticultural membrane to improve moisture retention and weed suppression. A final gravel mulch adds further water retention properties and also gives a Beth Chatto gravel garden appearance. Planting consists entirely of drought tolerent plants such as Achillea, Santolina, Phlomis, Lavender and Thyme punctuated by more architectural types such as Yucca, Phormium and Kniphofia.

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]]> Recent http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=15 Mon, 18 Sep 2006 15:15:04 +0100 Gardens 'add value' say surveys http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=11 Andrew Goodsell, Chief Executive of Saga, said: "Gardens can really enhance the look of a house - our recent research shows that 82% of people regard the garden as the most important feature when house-hunting.

A further survey by MasterCard has shown that for every £100 spent on a garden, a house’s selling price could potentially increase by £350, and adding particular improvements could raise the value even further.

www.saga.co.uk
www.mastercard.com/uk

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]]> News http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=11 Tue, 13 Jun 2006 13:58:00 +0100 Design on show at V&A http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=5 ]]> Concepts http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=5 Fri, 26 May 2006 17:33:00 +0100 Survey and design for Dorset Planning Application http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=6 ]]> In Build http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=6 Fri, 21 Apr 2006 16:20:00 +0100 Jersey front garden comes alive http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=2
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Synopsis
This large detached house situated in one of Jersey’s main road arteries. It is constructed of stone with a rendered finish painted white and a slate roof and white wooden sash windows and has a colonial feel. The property has an attached annexed cottage which overlooks the North part of the garden and is currently rented out. Although the tenants do not have use of the garden, the existing layout tended to deter enjoyment of the northern half of the garden, and generally had no interest.


The front garden to be redesigned is approximately rectangular, west facing, is quite exposed to the prevailing winds, and covers about 250m2. There is a large imposing Methodist chapel directly opposite on the other side of the main road.



Design
The design retains the existing levels and shrub borders but provides more direction and interest with a circular paving progression .The circular path arrangement not only provides an attractive aspect but also invites exploration of the garden. Focal point statuary further invites movement down the garden. The end statuary is taller than the mid point one in order to be seen from the entrance end. Planting within and around the circles is block planting for effect, evergreen for all year interest, provides scent and is attractive to insects. The Southern border already has a slight Mediterranean feel to it. This theme is extended and given more height and density. The existing Escallonia hedge at the Western boundary is extended along the Northern boundary to provide shelter and privacy in front of which a low Lavender hedge provides interest, scent and further reason to venture to that part of the garden. A water feature, chosen by the client, helps mask the traffic noise and the additional and taller hedging provides more shelter and privacy. A rising aspect to the buxus ball planting combined with columnar yew trees distracts the eye from the gloomy church.
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The design implementation was to be achievable by the client with minimum assistance.
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Still some more planting up to do .....

June 2007 Update - filling out.
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]]> Recent http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=2 Thu, 20 Oct 2005 16:13:00 +0100 Maiden Newton garden gets a room outside http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=4 _________________________________________________________

Synopsis
The rear garden to be redesigned was approximately rectangular, south-east facing and covered about 0.3 acres. The garden was on two levels with just over a 0.5 m rise from the 1/5th part nearest the house to the remainder of the garden. Each area was already approximately level. Drainage was poor in places. The area was quite exposed to the prevailing winds.


The patio area was uninviting, felt exposed and was undersized in relation to the house and plot.


Design Solution
The planting area at the top of the West steps is modified to become more Mediterranean in style. A small single sided avenue of columnar cherry trees adds further direction and some vertical interest and a degree of screening. Eastern border shrub planting is supplemented with some evergreen and scented shrubs. Towards the bottom of the garden, a triangular area of specimen trees is established which will provide particular Autumn and Winter interest and further shielding from neighbouring property. Together with Easterly shrub planting, this triangle of trees also provides some seclusion for the ‘hidden’ patio in the Southeast corner. A more functional vegetable and utility area is provided at the South and Southeast corners. A small fruit tree area is added at the Southwest end of the garden which also provides some shielding to the utility area. The existing sunken aspect to the western mid edge of the upper lawn is filled and given more purpose and interest by mass fern and grasses planting.


The original small patio is replaced and extended to form a more socially useable area but intimacy is improved by providing an arbour over the area formed by the existing patio. The arbour also softens the imposing aspect of the house rear elevations. A rectangular pond flush with the upper patio adds further interest and provides for the sound of water.

An upper patio area is provided as an annexed social area including a hot tub. This is now a platform for enjoying the upper garden and view to the South.


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]]> Recent http://dorsetgardener.co.uk/index.php?itemid=4 Thu, 14 Jul 2005 00:59:00 +0100