Now any article that tells you how to do something that can be very dangerous is bound to start with a serious health warning, right? And this article is no different. Health and Safety Warning No one can learn to fell a tree by reading an article and the intentions [...]
Many gardeners are astounded at the appearance of tropical landscapes and plants in the most unlikely places. It's perhaps understandable in the very southernmost parts of the United Kingdom but many tropical plants can be grown successfully further north, as long as the growing sites are carefully selected and care [...]
We've covered water features and ponds in the garden in another article, including fountains and waterfalls. Here we're going to expand the topic to include more complex water features that involve moving water about the garden. These can take the form or a stream, river, small canal or rill. The [...]
Lawns have been a focal point for landscape gardening for centuries, whether they are neatly striped, billiard-table flat lawns behind a house or the rolling expanses of parkland made popular by Capability Brown and his followers in the eighteenth century. Lawns Losing Popularity If you are coming toward the end [...]
If you're looking for something to brighten up the garden and catch the eye then there is a plethora of different statues and ornaments to choose from. The choice is so vast that we're not even going to try to catalogue them in this article, just try to give some [...]
Increasingly trees are being protected by local authorities, either individually or on a blanket basis, and you need to be sure you have the right permissions before felling a tree. Failure to do so may bring a fine of up to £20,000 so it's worth doing your homework. Tree Felling [...]
Landscaping around a driveway is important to keep kerb appeal high, particularly if you are about to sell a property. Assuming that you aren't the owner of a baronial hall then your driveway is going to be quite short, so integrating it with the garden shouldn't be too difficult. Landscaping [...]
Garden design software used to be the province of professional gardeners and landscapers but such is the ferocious march of technology that excellent packages are now within easy reach. An ordinary modern PC is perfectly capable of handling the load of 3D renditions and the price of garden design software [...]
When most of us thing about landscaping a garden we're thinking of a bit of planting here, perhaps a deck or a terrace there. The thought of planning permission would probably never enter a gardener's mind. But there are some circumstances when planning permission might be required. Specialist Situations with [...]
Most of the time when we think about landscape gardening we're thinking of ordinary gardens, the type that any normal family would have behind their house. But there are places that have much larger gardens, or perhaps paddocks or fields joining their property. What are the considerations when you are [...]
Most of the projects we’ve covered on Landscape Expert are the kind of landscaping that ordinary mortals might do in their own gardens. But there are landscape projects of a different kind, those on a huge scale. We take a look at one such project where the big diggers were [...]
The nuisance presented by noise is becoming more of a problem in today's society and the part that landscaping can play in deflecting noise is beginning to be recognised and appreciated. Of course trees and shrubs aren't going to keep out noise as well as a nice thick wall, but [...]
What if you're into gardening but there's only room for one building in your garden; do you make it a potting shed or a greenhouse? What is the difference between the two and what are the pros and cons of owning one or the other? What's the Difference? For the [...]
Growing vegetables and herbs on a small scale is perfectly possible for people who have little or no outside space but it does need a bit of creativity and some care with planting around the seasons. Here we'll run though a few ideas that might start you thinking about growing [...]
Adding ramps and paths that allow wheelchair users to access a garden is getting more common. Wheelchair access for private gardens can be tricky particularly if there are steep gradients on the plot, but the body of knowledge on accessibility is growing all the time and there are plenty of [...]
Many householders get great enjoyment out of garden care. They enjoy creating, developing and maintaining their garden and professional garden care is something they wouldn't even contemplate. But for every one of those people there are many others who either don't have the time to spend on garden care, or [...]
Many people think that the idea of hiring a garden designer is pie in the sky, something for those who have more money than sense. But that's not always the case and the popularity of garden design, led by TV shows and glossy magazines, has made the idea more accessible. [...]
You could be in the market for the services of a landscape gardener if you decide to completely redesign your garden. A landscape gardener may also be useful simply to maintain and develop a garden if it's too much for you to do on your own. Gardeners, Garden Designers and [...]
Many gardeners spend a lot of time on lawn care, striving for that beautiful bowling green perfect surface and a weed free environment. Lawn care is a job that needs attention all year round although with the changes in climate that the United Kingdom is experiencing these days the ideal [...]
It makes a lot of sense to re-use reclaimed materials for hard landscaping in the garden. New regulations now make builders responsible for disposing of building waste and while there's no real market for many of these materials the temptation to throw them away or, worse still, fly-tip them, is [...]
To answer your last question first, probably the only way to save your hedge is not to move it. The plants that make up a hedge intertwine with each other to such an extent that the only way to move it would be to cut the whole thing down drastically [...]
It's good to see people taking a responsible attitude to their responsibilities in making sure that cleaning their decking doesn't damage the surrounding environment. Cleaning, in particularly to stop the decking becoming slippery, should be a mixture of brushing and washing. Causes of Slippery Decking The slipperiness is caused by [...]
There's a big choice of climbing plants to choose from and many of them have been bred to make them hardy for our climate. It is worth saying that the advice of a local garden centre would be invaluable if you are in a very northerly or exposed part of [...]
In our article about making raised beds part of a garden landscape plan we mentioned herbs as well as vegetables and soft fruits. Raised beds work really well for many herbs but they're not essential, herbs are equally suited to container gardening, terraces or ordinary beds. But from the landscape [...]
Raised bed gardening has a lot of benefits for many people and can increase the production capacity of a garden so if you are embarking on a garden landscape project that will include fruit or vegetable planting it's well worth considering them. Raised Beds Benefit Gardeners and Gardens The main [...]
One of the most dramatic contributions that can be made to a garden landscape by food plants is the technique of training fruit trees in two-dimensional patterns, known as 'espalier'. Rather than planting fruit trees in an orchard-like arrangement they can be pruned and trained into a variety of different [...]
Placement of a vegetable patch is probably the most important element in ensuring a successful crop year on year. But many people won't have much of a choice because household gardens in the United Kingdom have got smaller in recent years as developers chase higher profits and we turned to [...]
Designing a vegetable patch can be as simple as throwing some seeds in a corner of the garden. With sun and water something will almost certainly grow, but you hare more likely to have success if there's a properly designed vegetable patch ready to receive the seeds and plants. In [...]
Landscape gardening can encompass fruit and vegetable as well as ornamental plants and trees. With the economic climate cooling many more people are turning to producing their own food in their gardens, so if it can be blended in with the ornamental aspects of a garden then so much the [...]
If you're serious about vegetable production then your garden landscape plan could include a polytunnel, a giant version of a cloche that's big enough to stand up in. Like a greenhouse, but significantly cheaper, this large tunnel of hoops covered in taut translucent plastic sheeting makes plants of all kinds [...]
Landscaping a garden so that there is a separate area for vegetables is an aesthetic and practical choice rather than a horticultural one. Although there are benefits to having flowers and vegetables in the same area, benefits we'll talk more about later on, not everyone wants to look out of [...]
Bulbs are hard to beat in any low maintenance garden – hardy, easy to plant and simple to grow. While many of the usual annuals, bedding plants and perennials of traditional gardens are hard to accommodate in a design intended to minimise the amount of work required to keep things [...]
While the hard landscaping elements tend to set the scene and define the overall structure of the low maintenance garden, like any other garden, the whole thing only really comes to life with the addition of plants. As a quick visit to any local garden centre makes very clear, there’s [...]
Trees and shrubs make really good candidates for any low maintenance garden. Once established, they are some of the most undemanding of plants – so you can forget most of the usual ritual of dead-heading, feeding and weeding that goes with most annuals and bedding plants. In addition, they can [...]
Although there are many ways to approach low maintenance gardening, there is one feature which is common to all of them – the most successful designs make good use of hard landscaping and easily maintained plants which require little effort to look good. For the modern gardener, advances in the [...]
The lawn has become the established centre-piece of most gardens for generations – but as anyone who has tried knows, keeping it at its best involves a lot of work. The trick for a low maintenance landscape design is to keep the feel of the traditional lawn, without the relentless [...]
Although designing the perfect town garden can be challenging, with a little care and imagination, even the smallest and apparently least promising bit of urban space can be transformed. Although the town garden is often fairly small and often heavily overlooked, its role as a private oasis amid the urban [...]
While the contrast between light and shade is an inevitable and attractive part of the landscape and can add a feeling of depth interest to any garden, too much shade can be a problem. Many plants simply won’t tolerate being left in the dark for the greater part of the [...]
Wildflowers occupy a particular place in landscape design and for most of us there seems to be something rather appealing about a profusion of native plants growing in a natural setting. For many people, the idea of being able to enjoy the feel of the countryside within their own garden [...]
Having a play area in the garden is an absolute must if you’ve got small children – there’s no better way for youngsters to get out into the fresh air than providing them with their very own play ground to explore. Planning how to incorporate some child-friendly ideas into the [...]
According to the predictions, climate change means that Britain is due to see some serious changes in rainfall patterns over the coming years, which means we’re all going to have to get used to the two opposite extremes of flooding and drought happening a lot more often. Despite all the [...]
Winston Churchill once famously remarked “give us the tools and we will finish the job”, but when it comes to buying garden tools, sometimes we can be so spoilt for choice that it is difficult to know which ones to choose to get the job done. From lawn management to [...]
Garden furniture has come a long way from the days when deck chairs and plastic sun-loungers were pretty much the only option. The rise of the whole “outdoor room” concept, which has witnessed the patio, terrace or decking area seen as an extension of the living space has driven a [...]
With the advent of telecommuting and broadband connectivity, a home office has become a part of the working lives of a growing number of people – and not just the self-employed or artists. While the spare room is one option, using an outbuilding in the garden is an alternative which [...]
A well-maintained lawn can make a major contribution to any garden and whether you are starting a-fresh, or replacing an existing poor quality patch of grass, turf offers one of the best ways to achieve that "perfect" patch of green. While creating a new lawn with turf works out more [...]
Although we would all really rather not think about it, the fact remains that home security is for most of us, sadly, a very real concern – and when a house is broken into roughly every thirty seconds in the UK, it is scarcely something that is easy to ignore! [...]
Formal gardens are the triumph of human order superimposed on nature, the underlying message being one of control and restraint, with the shape and form of the planting scheme reflecting symmetry and geometric perfection. Deliberately created to be far from the random, wild beauty of nature in the raw, the [...]
Although traditional gardening falls largely into the well-know divisions of “formal” and “informal”, the stylised garden is a type of landscape design which has been growing in popularity in recent years and which does not fit into either category entirely comfortably. Often somewhat airily described as being more akin to [...]
Few aspects of gardening arouse such passions as topiary – and love it or loathe it – you have to admit it is a very skilful part of the gardener’s art. Once traditionally used almost exclusively to produce strong architectural forms to reflect the geometric order of formal garden designs, [...]
Weeding has got to be the single most tedious job in the garden, but even with the best attempts to keep it to a minimum with mulches, ground cover and dense planting, it is inevitable that some part of the garden will require it, sooner or later. Fortunately, the gardener’s [...]
Soil is a surprisingly complex material, made up from a collection of fine mineral particles and varying amounts organic matter, containing quantities of air and water along with a surprising array of worms, insects and other living things. The precise mix of any soil defines its character while its physical [...]
The increased frequency of summer water shortages over recent years, coupled with a growing awareness of the wider need to conserve water resources has led to many gardeners adopting a number of measures to cut down on the amount they use. While some of these are relatively new, others, such [...]
While the weather in the region where you live obviously forms the principle influence that climate has on what you can grow, sometimes aspects of your house and garden can create a local mini-climate, which can make a surprising difference to the plants which will thrive. A range of factors [...]
Slopes can add a feeling of life to the garden, especially when they are incorporated into the overall scheme, becoming useful features in themselves, rather than simple accidents of geography. A completely flat piece of ground may well be a joy to cultivate – and mowing a level lawn is [...]
The best sorts of informal gardens are those which look almost as if nature herself has had a hand in their construction, lending a softness and gentleness to a design that, although clearly is artificial, looks as thought it might not have been. Informal gardens play to that slightly schizophrenic [...]
Plants for the garden tend to get chosen for the colour of their flowers, foliage or berries, but this is far from the only thing you might want to consider when it comes to the selection, particularly if you are looking to create a strong focus. Structure, shape and form [...]
Although gardens are inevitably at their peak and most showy during the period from late spring through to mid- to late summer, with a little planning, it should be possible to provide interest throughout the changing seasons. Picking plants to bring new sights and appeal to each successive stage in [...]
Although carpeting the ground with dense groupings of low-growing plants is principally about reducing the amount of weeding needed to keep beds looking good, using ground cover can contribute to the low maintenance garden in others ways too. In addition to being functional, well chosen and carefully planted ground cover [...]
Grass is such a well established feature of gardens that it can often be almost invisible – overlooked, except when it becomes necessary to roll out the lawn-mower for its regular cut. The type of grass and the way in which it is used within the overall landscaping scheme makes [...]
Although thinking about paths and power supplies may seem a little dull after the excitement of choosing your new building and deciding where you plan to site it, they have a very large influence on the overall success of the whole project. Planning for these key factors is essential from [...]
Although some beautiful gardens have been created without any initial overall plan, evolving over the years as different elements were introduced and changes made, in general most people work to some kind of “scheme” – even if it is not a particularly detailed one. Whether you are setting out to [...]
Many modern houses stand in a relatively small plot, which can pose a few challenges when it comes to producing a garden design to make the most of the available space. Since many new-build developments leave bare soil, all the landscaping work is entirely down to the first owners, but [...]
Working with the colour and texture of the huge variety of plants available is one of the fundamentals of garden design – and one of the most effective ways to provide a major impact. It is an area which offers gardeners unrivalled opportunity to indulge their personal tastes with their [...]
It is one of the most bizarre ironies of the British climate that despite what seems like torrential rain and flooding for half the year, the spectre of hose-pipe bans looms large for so many areas of the country come the summer. Whether the reason for this apparent paradox is [...]
How much frost and wind protection you need to plan for in your garden greatly depends on its climate and aspects and, of course, the sorts of plants you grow. The best sort of protection is not to need it in the first place – so sticking to plants that [...]
Although in one sense, all gardens are people-orientated, some designs quite deliberately set out to go beyond simply reflecting the gardening efforts of their owners. There are any number of reasons why the layout of the space might be decided by the particular needs of homeowners, ranging from the changing [...]
In the cool and frost-prone climate of Britain, to grow many of the lush, tropical and sub-tropical plants there’s no way round the fact that you are going to need a heated greenhouse or conservatory. However, if it’s more the general look of warmer lands that you are after – [...]
An unsightly view can blight even the most otherwise attractive of gardens and with ugliness – like beauty – being largely in the eye of the beholder, it doesn’t always take something as imposing as the local gas-works to make a bit of a blot on the landscape. Whether your [...]
Whether you have just inherited a garden from a previous owner or are contemplating reworking your own handiwork of several years, it can often be difficult to imagine how what you want to do relates to what exists already. However, this is a vital part of any landscape redesign and [...]
Many kinds of garden buildings are widely available for self-assembly, bringing the opportunity to save a little money by erecting one for yourself. Although the prospect can sometimes seem a little daunting, especially if you have never put one up before, the instructions from most manufacturers are very clear, which [...]
Roses have enjoyed a long and deserved reputation amongst both gardeners and poets through the ages – offering a bewildering diversity of colours, shapes, forms and fragrances, with enough variety and flexibility to suit any garden. With over 100 wild species and more than 13,000 cultivated varieties to chose from, [...]
Greenhouses, conservatories and sunhouses in many ways are close relatives and although each has its own particular forte and no one can entirely substitute for any other, there is a large area of overlap. While for a large garden it may be possible to enjoy the luxury of all three, [...]
Of all the garden outbuildings, the shed remains one of the most popular and frequently erected. Whether used as a simple store for garden equipment, as a true potting shed or as a multi-functional space acting as combined tool storage, workshop and general household overspill, a shed is always a [...]
Any outdoor building represents a considerable investment – in time and effort, as much as hard earned cash – so it pays to make sure that you get the right one. While much of that depends on what you expect it to do, there are a number of general things [...]
Adding an outdoor building to your garden should provide new scope to extend the usefulness and enjoyment of your plot, but locating it properly is the key to really getting the best from your new investment. Although some aspects of this are obvious – you’d hardly site a greenhouse in [...]
Patios and terraces have become firmly established as essential features of the modern garden, offering a way to broaden the usefulness of our plot by providing an outdoor room as an extension of the house for entertaining, dining and relaxation. A well positioned patio, in a sheltered spot can provide [...]
Well chosen herbaceous planting brings a splash of colour to the garden and with a huge array of candidates for sale in the average garden centre, you are likely to be spoilt for choice. The herbaceous border really became an established feature of gardens when its popularity rose in the [...]
Paths and steps form both practical and design elements in the landscape, linking the different parts of the garden as much by eye as they do physically and as a result, play an important role in providing a unified feel to the space. They can also be features in themselves, [...]
Pergolas, arches and trellises are unbeatable additions to any patio, terrace or pathway, adding new height to the vertical dimension, while offering shelter, seclusion and a perfect support for any number of climbing plants. As architectural as they are functional, they can be made with simple, clean lines to suit [...]
Long-established as the hard-surface of choice in warm, dry climates, decking has become increasingly popular in Britain over recent years – as its frequent appearance in the many gardening programmes on TV will testify. As a result, the range of types available – and the uses to which it has [...]
While the word “patio” automatically conjures up the instant image of an area of paving slabs in almost everyone’s mind, despite their widespread use, those 18-inch (45cm) pre-cast concrete squares are not the only option available. Many garden centres and builders’ merchants stock a good variety of slab designs, offering [...]
While many of the materials used in landscaping projects have been around for years – with long-established track-records of successful use – there are many alternatives available for anyone looking for something a little different. Some of these are new materials, while others are old ones which simply fell out [...]
Shrubs form the backbone of the planting design, their architectural forms and enduring interest playing an important role in setting the overall tone of the whole garden. Aside of a wide variety of shapes, sizes and silhouettes, they also make a huge contribution to the colour palette with their large [...]
When it comes to adding height, structure and a point of interest to the landscape, there is nothing to beat a tree. Whether it’s a stand of mature, native broad-leafs or smaller and more exotic types – Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) or Snow Gum ( Eucalyptus pauciflora) – few plants [...]
Whether grown over a trellis or pergola, against the house itself or used to scramble over an unsightly wall or fence, climbers bring a touch of the dramatic to the planting scheme. Within their ranks there is a huge array of different types, so whatever you are after – showy [...]
Long established as features of the British countryside and gardens, hedging forms an important element of the structure and character of the overall design. If your garden belongs to an older property, you may have been lucky enough to inherit an old hedge, with all its years of living history, [...]
Container gardening is one of the most flexible and versatile ways of growing plants and the diversity of candidates for these conditions is rivalled only by the variety of pots to put them in. Equally at home in the most restricted of plots as in the largest of gardens, container [...]
For many of today’s gardeners, the inspiration to build planting areas amid stone and gravel comes from concerns over climate change and the increasingly common threat of drought; for others it is simply about creating the perfect environment to set off particular groups of plants. Whatever your reason – an [...]
Fences are often seen as just a way of marking a boundary or as a means of keeping your dog in – or next door’s out! However, they can be decorative features in their own right, while few things offer such almost instant privacy or wind-protection and at a fraction [...]
Although the days of the great walled gardens have largely gone, walls still have an important role to play in even the most modern outdoor space. Low walls – less than a metre high – in particular lend themselves to the DIY enthusiast and few things can be used quite [...]
With the possible exception of the plants you choose, there are few elements in the garden which offer quite so much scope for an expression of individuality as ornaments – and it is not just about what pieces you have. Using ornaments for dramatic effect – making them a dynamic, [...]
Balconies and flat roof spaces can offer a great opportunity to produce a really different sort of garden area and although they impose their own constraints on landscaping, with a little imagination, it is possible to create some quite extraordinary effects. As a true “outdoor room” these sorts of gardens [...]
For most landscaping projects, while the plants provide the colour and clothe the finished design, it is the elements of hard landscaping – the structures and surfaces – which provide the framework. Whether it is the privacy afforded by walls and fences, the shelter of trellis-work, or the practical access [...]
There are few gardens that will not benefit from some kind of pond or water feature and with today’s advanced range of liners and materials, coupled with the reliability and low-cost of modern pumps, building one has never been easier. Add to this the wide availability of ready-made fountains, ornaments, [...]
Whatever the size of a landscaping job – from simply redeveloping an uninspiring or under-used corner to planning a whole new garden from scratch – once you have decided on the general features and layout, it’s time to think about picking your plants. For most gardeners this is probably top [...]
