Gardens are wonderful places to unwind after a busy day and enjoy a relaxing meal with friends and family. The sight of pretty flowers, the aroma of fresh herbs drifting on the breeze and inviting chairs awaiting everyone on the patio immediately evokes a sense of pleasurable downtime. It is no wonder that the ‘Love the Plot You’ve Got’ campaign has launched an annual event, Al Fresco Fortnight. Kicking off on Father’s Day, Sunday 19th June, the event aims to get as many people as possible to eat outside at least once over the two week period. For more information https://www.hortweek.com/new-al-fresco-campaign-love-plot-youve/retail/article/1395046. Participants are encouraged to stay out until the sun goes down, enjoying an Al Fresco meal outside, and to share their event on social media. Snaps of the event may even win prizes. Planning for a successful Al Fresco Fortnight event does take time which is why you need to think well ahead. It is not just a matter of sorting out food and drink, as you need to take a close look at your garden as well. After all, the location has to be perfect! Dirty patios, broken decking, damaged paving stones or fences that are falling down do not create a very good impression. Check out your hard landscaping as soon as possible after making a decision to hold an Al Fresco activity. Begin by looking for any repairs that are necessary. This may require replacing some fencing, decking supports, handrails or paving stones. Give everything a thorough scrub to ensure that the surfaces are clean and shining. Check pathways for any build up of slime following the heavy rain this spring, and wash as required. Remember that safety is important, and that a relaxing evening can quickly become a nightmare if accidents happen as a result of someone tripping and hurting themselves. Check that your seating area will accommodate everyone you have invited. There is nothing worse that having guests round, and finding that there is not enough space. Seek advice from hard landscaping specialists to discover how patios and decking can be extended quickly. For a specialist, this is a task that can be undertaken rapidly as they have the knowledge, the skills and the materials at hand. They can also build in some benches or extra planters to brighten up your patio at the same time. If necessary they can even build a new patio or lay new decking.
Getting Your Garden Ready for Spring
Getting your garden ready for spring. With the strong winds and storms we have had recently spring might seem a long way off but now that we are in February it actually isn’t that far away. So let’s take a look at what we can start to do to get our garden ready for the spring. Have a quick stroll around your garden to get a good overview. Look at your fences and any walls to check that they are in a good state and not in need of repairing or replacing. Now is a good time to carry out any repairs so the garden is ready to fully enjoy in the spring. Treat your wooden structures with a wood preservative during a dry period. Take a look at our blog on maintaining your fencing https://www.eastlondonlandscapes.com/maintaining-a-fence/ for some further tips. Give your garden decking a good brush with a hard broom. Brush away any leaves or debris stuck in the corners. If there is a build-up of mildew on the decking give it a good clean. Take a look at our blog for maintaining your decking https://www.eastlondonlandscapes.com/maintaining-your-garden-decking/ for some further advice. Check your tools to check they are in good working order and not in need of repair. Store them away in an easily accessible place to get full use out of them this year. Nothing worse than hunting around for a tool when you want to get a job done! Rake over your lawn to remove any debris or dead leaves. This helps to aerate the soil. Try to do this when the soil is not too wet to avoid compacting it. Prune your shrubs and trees. Turn over your soil and weed and mulch your beds. Remove any annual plants as they will not return to clear space in the bed for this year’s planting. Cut away the dead stalks of any perennials. This will encourage growth for the coming year. Take a look at your garden beds to plan your planting for the coming year. Have a look at your current plants to see what new ones will compliment them. They have some great choices in the local garden centres to give you inspiration or you could order summer flowering bulbs online. In February you can start to sow seeds which require a longer growing season. They will need to be grown in a heated propagator. Turn over your compost pile. Try to move the good stuff at the bottom to the top and give it a good mix up. Give your greenhouse a thorough clean so it is ready for all the spring seedlings. Brush all the surfaces and give everything a clean and wash all the window panes. Install water butts now to collect rainfall which are good for your beds and saves on your water bill. Make sure it is positioned below a downpipe to catch the maximum amount of rainwater.
Planning a new patio or decking for your home?
Planning a new patio or decking for your home? With a little bit of thought you can transform a simple patio or decking area into an incredibly stylish area that can be enjoyed throughout the year. Adding a little extra value can work wonders for the overall design and concept. If opting for decking, opt for higher quality woods. These will last longer and feel much nicer when you walk on them. The higher the quality of wood, the greater the choice of woods available – which means you could use oak rather than pine, or something unusual like maple. The use of colour stained wood is beginning to reappear again. Instead of the natural look, you could aim for cool blues or verdant greens. Try colour co-ordinating with colours that dominate in your garden, give planters a slightly darker shade of your chosen colour to make them stand out. Fixing a mirror on the wall is a well-established way of making a small area seem much bigger and it can give the garden greater depth. Consider adding balustrading around the patio or decking as this adds a touch of elegance as well as practicality. What about incorporating a water feature such as a trickling fountain or millstone fountain, or building in lots of planters using wood or brick. Waist high planters can be an excellent idea if there is anyone in the household who is disabled or elderly as it avoids back problems when caring for the planters. It can ensure keen gardeners with health problems can continue gardening whatever their circumstances. Make decking across two levels or incorporate some steps around the garden to add greater interest. Contrasting colours of wood or stone help to add interest, while other colours like grey and dark blue can look very distinguished and elegant. Bricks are also useful if you have problems with water retention and flooding, as they will allow rainwater to permeate through to the soil below. As a final touch, consider building in a seating area which is tailor made in matching wood. Storage can be built into the seating areas to create a streamlined look and provide the important storage space needed in a garden. Adding value to your decking and patio will not only make it a more pleasurable place to live, but will increase the price when the time comes to sell your house. If you would like to discuss a decking or patio project please get in touch via our website www.eastlondonlandscapes.com.
Landscaping Trends for 2015
As we begin a new year now is great time to look at landscaping trends for 2015. Wooden decking is set to remain one of the most popular trends in garden landscaping during 2015. It is easy to see why. Maintenance is simple and decking always looks good. The natural timber or stone look remains highly desirable. This reflects increasing environmental concerns and the desire for natural products. Householders are seeking ways to make the most of their decking and patios by adding inbuilt planters and outside kitchen areas. Linking the patio/decking and the interior of the house is becoming more important among garden designers. It enables home owners to bring the outside inside and expand available entertainment and living space. To achieve this look, the same materials and wood stain colour are being used for both flooring and decking. This look works best when the house and garden are at exactly the same level. Greater need for privacy is also set to become a feature of 2015 gardens. Fences will increasingly incorporate trellis to add height and interest, while providing increased privacy from neighbours. Vintage and retro looks dating to the thirties, forties and fifties are very much in fashion. This is being reflected in the garden with an increasing demand for traditional materials and styles. Crazy paving, antique look paving slabs, bark and stepping stones along with reusing and upcycling materials are regarded as chic and up to the minute. Forget ideas of sleek metal that have been so beloved of garden designers for so long – 2015 is clearly the year for natural products, timber and stone paving to become regain prominence within the garden. Easy maintenance is essential as pressures on time are becoming ever more acute. Adopting patina of age and period charm amid environmentally friendly hard landscaping while extending living space is definitely the upcoming trend for 2015. As we begin a new year now is great time to look at landscaping trends for 2015. Wooden decking is set to remain one of the most popular trends in garden landscaping during 2015. It is easy to see why. Maintenance is simple and decking always looks good. The natural timber or stone look remains highly desirable. This reflects increasing environmental concerns and the desire for natural products. Householders are seeking ways to make the most of their decking and patios by adding inbuilt planters and outside kitchen areas. Linking the patio/decking and the interior of the house is becoming more important among garden designers. It enables home owners to bring the outside inside and expand available entertainment and living space. To achieve this look, the same materials and wood stain colour are being used for both flooring and decking. This look works best when the house and garden are at exactly the same level. Greater need for privacy is also set to become a feature of 2015 gardens. Fences will increasingly incorporate trellis to add height and interest, while providing increased privacy from neighbours. Vintage and retro looks dating to the thirties, forties and fifties are very much in fashion. This is being reflected in the garden with an increasing demand for traditional materials and styles. Crazy paving, antique look paving slabs, bark and stepping stones along with reusing and upcycling materials are regarded as chic and up to the minute. Forget ideas of sleek metal that have been so beloved of garden designers for so long – 2015 is clearly the year for natural products, timber and stone paving to become regain prominence within the garden. Easy maintenance is essential as pressures on time are becoming ever more acute. Adopting patina of age and period charm amid environmentally friendly hard landscaping while extending living space is definitely the upcoming trend for 2015. If you would like to discuss a landscaping project please get in touch to discuss and get some advice www.eastlondonlandscapes.com.
Landscaping in Winter – Why it makes sense to carry out the work now.
Saving money makes sense – which is why it is now worth thinking about undertaking hard landscaping projects such as new paths and driveways. Prices for gravel and other hard landscaping materials are lower in winter – but rise again as soon as demand increases in the spring. Just like buying heating oil in September can result in significant savings on your heating bills because the cost of oil is lower, so buying hard landscaping in wintertime can result in similar savings. The price of many landscaping materials goes down during the winter simply because there is less demand. This means that contractors can pass on these savings to the customer. It may even make projects more cost effective and give you more choice in terms of designs and styles. An added advantage is the fact that the lower demand means that installing a new path or creating a new hard landscaping project can be completed more rapidly. As contractors are less busy, they can undertake work at short notice, and get it finished quickly. Then there is the question of the disruption caused by installing hard landscaping. This is inevitable. Construction work is noisy and plants within the area being landscaped may be damaged during the work. Although contractors will do everything they can to minimise potential damage, plants may be stepped on or branches broken by accident. During the winter, most plants are dormant so there is less risk of any damage being caused. Thinking and planning ahead is worth the time and effort. While other people are busy replacing or undertaking landscape projects at higher costs in the spring and summer, you can use the money that has been saved to do other things in the garden or around the home. Above all, with the lovely new look given to the garden of your dreams safely in place; you can sit back in the sunshine, relax and enjoy it. If you are planning a landscaping project please get in touch for a free quote or some advice www.eastlondonlandscapes.com. We provide landscaping and fencing services in East London .
