It’s time for enjoying gardening!!  Make the most of sitting out in the garden too, even if only for a few moments to enjoy the late spring.  May also signals the beginning of the show season, kicking off with the Chelsea Flower Show  on 21^st – 25^th May – always a source of inspiration and encouragement, and sure to be extra special in this its centenary year.  Chelsea is followed by BBC Gardeners World Live in June, and Hampton Court in early July.  Take your pick and book your tickets now!

But to keep you busy until those show days come around, here are our top tips for May and June.  In particular, note the advice on not planting container plants and annuals out too early.  Remember we are still liable, in this delightful country of ours, to get late frosts in May!

May

• Try and stay on top of the weeds – not always an easy task at this time of year.  If possible, remove them before they flower and set seed (weed seeds live for a long time in the soil)
• Prepare annuals and vegetables for planting
• This is a good month for planting late summer flowering perennials, and those ever-so-slightly tender shrubs, Lavenders, hardy Fuchsias, Hebe and Santolina for example.
• Fertilise borders with a slow release fertiliser, giving them a head start before plants have grown too much.
• Check rose and climber support structures and repair/replace if required.  Install staking systems for tall perennials before they get too big.
• Watch out for pests, and remove, or spray (if you wish to, and with great care)
• Plant up containers – but remember, if cold weather is forecast, it’s best to wait until late in the month.

June

• Finish planting up containers now the frosts are gone for good (well, until the autumn anyway…)
• Mowing / weeding / watering / tying in – it’s that time of year!
• Dying spring bulb foliage looks unsightly, but don’t remove the dying leaves until they are brown / falling off.  (Aside: dwarf bulbs die much more ‘tidily’ in this respect – possibly something to consider when buying/planting your next lot of bulbs!)
• Dead head roses to keep them flowering; they can also be given a mini prune at the same time if you like to help them stay neat and tidy.
• Remove rose suckers.  Many cultivated roses are grafted onto a hardier (often wild) rose root.  Suckers will grow from beneath the graft, normally with leaves that are smaller than the cultivated variety.  They will not bloom, but will sap energy from the plant (and can eventually completely overrun it).  They should be pulled/twisted/torn off right at the root (cutting with secateurs seems to encourage more suckers); you may need to remove some soil to get to them.
• Late June & July is the time to prune shrubs that have flowered in May and June on current season’s wood.  To give you some examples – Ceanothus (but don’t prune into old wood), Philadelphus, Deutzia, Lilac, Clematis Montana.

Enjoy!   And as usual, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or call us on 0118 934 2958.

photo credits: Karen Roe, T.Kiya, wlcutler.

The post Jobs for the garden in May and June appeared first on ALDA Landscapes.

This post aims to outline the what, why, how and when for some of the more common lawn care activities.

Scarifying

What: Scarifying removes thatch (old grass cuttings & debris) and moss that builds up in the lawn, especially at soil level.

Why: Allows grass more space to grow, improves drainage and air circulation around grass, and hence reduces fungal diseases.

How: Scarifying can be done with a lawn rake, but it is hard work!  For those looking for a slightly easier option, manually operated and powered machines are commonly available.

When: Normally once a year in May is enough, although you may wish to lightly scarify in September too.  It is a vigorous process, and lawns can look a bit bare & thin afterwards (if you use a machine, you may end up with many bag loads of moss and thatch – you will be amazed!), so fertilising the lawn afterwards can help the lawn bulk up again more quickly.  Always ensure you scarify before top dressing, oversowing or fertilising!

Top Dressing

What: the process of adding material to the surface of the lawn – normally loam, sand, organic matter or a combination of these.

Why: Smooths the lawn surface, helps control thatch, improves the soil, and is particularly helpful when over sowing.  Also protects the grass over the winter.

How: You should apply the top dressing when the grass is relatively dry.  The dressing is normally worked in using the back of a rake or a stiff brush.  Don’t apply too much dressing – the grass should be visible once you’ve finished!  Water the lawn after applying, but do not mow immediately.  At ALDA Landscapes, we like to do a combi top dress / over seed (see below) by mixing lawn seed with a small amount of sharp sand and some compost, applying this mix to sparse areas of grass.

When: Usually late spring and/or early autumn – May and September.

Over Seeding (Over Sowing)

What: Over seeding (or over sowing) is where grass seeds are sown on top of an existing lawn.

Why: Over seeding is normally done for one of two main reasons – either to patch up/bolster any sparse areas of grass, or where seeds from a different variety of grass are scattered over the existing lawn, to change the appearance/qualities of the lawn.

How: There are quite a few things to mention here, so rather than going into huge detail, we’ve given you a couple of links to comprehensive guides on over seeding:

• http://www.rolawndirect.co.uk/aftercare-overseeding.html
• http://www.lawnsmith.co.uk/enthusiast/lawn-scarifying-raking/how-to-over-sow-grass-seed

When: Usually late spring and/or early autumn – May and September.

Fertilising

What: Simply put, fertilising is feeding your lawn – giving it essential nutrients (usually nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in varying amounts).

Why: Fertilising your lawn will help strengthen roots, providing essential nutrients to help ensure  the grass can better combat heat/cold/drought/mowing/insects and all the other stresses and strains that come with being.… well, …. grass!

How: Fertilisers vary widely.  Importantly, there are special blends of fertilisers for the different seasons; at a very broad level, “lawn fertilisers” for spring/summer and “autumn fertilisers” for autumn.   It is important to apply the right fertiliser at the right time of year – don’t apply a spring/summer fertiliser, high in nitrogen, in autumn!  Doing so will encourage/feed lawn fungal diseases and discourage the grass from strengthening its roots over winter, ready for next year (instead, the lawn will grow strongly and become all lush and green – at the wrong time!)

It is important to apply fertiliser uniformly; this can be done by hand, with a rotary spreader, or with a drop spreader.  Always consult the packet for details on when and how to apply.

When: The answer to this one is…. it depends!  It depends on the weather, the garden location, the soil, and lots more.  If it is very wet for example, nutrients will rapidly be leached/washed out of the soil; if it is hot and wet, plants will be absorbing nutrients very quickly – and so in these cases, you may wish to fertilise more often.  In an ideal world, you should fertilise your lawn in spring, summer and autumn.

Rolling

What: As the name suggests – the process of rolling a heavy weight across the lawn!

Why: To smooth it, and, in the case of rolling after laying turf or seeding a new lawn (once established), to ensure contact between the seed/grass roots and the soil.

How: Remember that rolling can do more harm than good – the heavy weight can compact the soil (particularly if it is clay heavy soil), preventing the growth and spreading of roots.  It can also mean that water just runs over the surface of the lawn, washing away nutrients, rather than penetrating the soil.

That said, there are some circumstances when rolling is a good idea – after laying turf or seeding a new lawn for example (although not immediately after – wait until the lawn is established, and then see if rolling is really necessary.  Don’t drag a roller over newly laid turf!), and also if you’ve had problems with moles or other animals.  Always roll when the ground is damp (not dry, but not soaked either – just damp).  Use as light a roller as you can – this should limit damage to the grass roots.

When: As infrequently as is necessary!  Annually is probably too often.  Always roll in spring, when the grass roots are actively growing.

Hollow tine spiking / Aerating

What: Hollow tine spiking / aerating is the process of removing plugs of soil from the lawn

Why:  De-compacts the soil and improves drainage – can be particularly helpful on heavy clay soils

How:  The hollow tine aerator (which again can be a manual tool or a machine) is rolled over the grass to removes plugs of soil.  Normally sharp sand is then brushed into the holes, to hold them open.  Again, done manually, this task can be very hard physical work.

When: You shouldn’t need to hollow tine spike your lawn every year – once every couple of years should be plenty.  Always do this after the summer, around September time.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment of give us a call on 0118 934 2958.  And don’t forget to take a look at our blog post on how to look after your lawn.

Photo credits: victoriapeckham.

The post Lawn Care Activities: What, Why, How, When for Beginners appeared first on ALDA Landscapes.

Before we begin… a warning: most people do not follow this down to the last letter.  If you lead a busy life, it can be a struggle to keep up with mowing the lawn, let alone anything else!  So the aim of this is to provide a useful rule of thumb – you won’t necessarily do everything that’s on the list, but it’s a guide to what you should or could be doing and when.

You might also be interested to read out ‘what, why, how, when’ blog post on some of the most common lawn care activities – fertilising, scarifying, hollow tine spiking, etc.  And if you have a particular problem identifying and/or knowing how to fix a particular lawn problem, we suggest you take a look at this handy section on the Rolawn website.

If you’d like to get regular, seasonal tips on what to do in the garden and when, just pop your email address in the box to the right (or below on mobiles).

December / January / February

• Keep off the lawn if possible during wet or frosty weather, or when the lawn is covered with snow
• Keep free from leaves and debris
• Aerate in January if the weather is suitable
• Cut on a high setting in February if possible (call it a ‘New Year’ hair-cut!)  – to keep things tidy

March

• Lightly roll
• Start mowing in earnest and gradually reduce the mowing height.  Use a grass box.
• Remove debris
• Apply spring/summer fertiliser (if in doubt, check packet instructions!)

April

• Depending on the weather and the type of fertiliser you use, you may wish to re-apply fertiliser in April.
• Apply weed and moss killer if needed
• At this time of year, you may need to mow more frequently, as the grass starts growing more rapidly.

May

• Scarify to remove thatch (dead grass lying at the base of the grass).
• Over seed and top dress lawn if required, to bolster any sparse areas of grass
• Continue mowing.
• Roll and fertilise if required

June/July/August

• Continue mowing.
• If you must keep the grass green at all times, water during dry spells.  However, do note that lawns are very resilient and will recover no matter how brown they turn in a drought.  Since water is a scarce resource, watering lawns simply to keep them green is actually quite the opposite of green, particularly given that they will recover all on their own over time.
• Continue routine clearing, raking to clear cut grass clippings, rolling
• Apply final summer fertiliser in August

September

• The lawn should begin to need less mowing; gradually raise the height of cut.
• Hollow tine spike the lawn if the ground is compacted, and over seed and top dress as necessary.
• Scarify lightly.
• Apply autumn feed.

October

• Regular mowing slowly turns into mowing when necessary.
• Keep the lawn free from leaves and debris.

November

• Perhaps the odd last cut or two.
• Last opportunity to apply autumn fertiliser.

Phew; whoever would think that a patch of grass involved so much work!  Don’t forget – this is a rule of thumb, not ‘if you don’t do all of the above, your lawn will die’.  Remember to find time to enjoy your lawn as well as work on it!

If you require further information, the RHS website (www.rhs.org.uk) has plenty of advice, as do the websites of some of the main turf suppliers (e.g. Rolawn, Inturf, Spooners).

If you have any queries, don’t hesitate to call us on 0118 934 2958.

Photo credits: victoriapeckham, hummyhummy.

The post Lawn Calendar: How to look after your lawn appeared first on ALDA Landscapes.

As I sit here writing the May / June calendar (watch this space, due to be published at the beginning of May), it occurs to me that it has been so cold, and plants are all so late shooting this year, that there is still time to do many of the tasks normally covered off in March and April – pruning, mulching, and fertilising for example.

Likewise, some jobs have just not been possible yet – weeding for example has proved particularly difficult thus far, as the weeds are only just beginning to appear (not such a bad problem to have methinks, although I’m sure they will be in full swing by the time May comes around!)

Lawns have had a tough winter and the rain will have washed a lot of nutrients out of the soil, so even if you don’t normally bother with a spring feed of your lawn and borders, it might be a good idea this year, just to give them an extra helping hand.

Despite all the rain, we have also had periods of cold drying winds, so a gentle fork over of the soil will help to remove the surface “pan”, and improve soil structure and drainage.

Photo credits: timo_w2s, Daveybot

The post Some seasonal advice after a long, cold and wet winter appeared first on ALDA Landscapes.

[Aside]
This time of year is one of our busiest for ‘blitz garden maintenance’, as clients wake up and find their garden has, almost overnight, spiralled out of control!  It can be a rather daunting couple of months for gardeners, as weeds appear from nowhere, and seem to grow faster than the garden plants!  This, combined with the need to get the garden tidied up, spruced up and pruned ready for the summer ahead.  Contact us in plenty of time if you would like a hand with the jobs we’ve listed below!

March

Weeding

Do try and keep up with the weeding to prevent those nasty creatures outcompeting the garden plants for nutrients, space and light.  Weeds are best dug or hoed out to remove their roots… i.e. don’t just pull the top bit off!

Pruning

In our opinion, March is the main pruning month of the year.  Many shrubs will benefit from a light prune in spring, to keep the shrub within bounds, in shape and tidy, and to encourage new growth.  Remove any winter damaged stems and dead or overcrowded shoots.  Others can be hard pruned – see below.

So what exactly should you prune now?

• Small evergreen shrubs such as Lavenders and some Hebes.
• Late summer / autumn flower deciduous shrubs (i.e. those which flower on the current years’ growth) – e.g. Fuchsias, Caryopteris, Ceratostigma, and Indigofera can all be hard pruned.  Also Buddlejas, and climbers such as the Group 3 Clematis (eg Clematis Viticella varieties)
• Roses
• Cornus / Dogwoods – those grown for their colourful stems – these can be hard pruned

March is also a good time to hard prune perennials like Penstemons.  We normally recommend partially cutting Penstemons down in late autumn, to tidy them, but to leave hard pruning them until spring, when you should be able to see new growth appearing near the base of the plants.  We suggest pruning Verbena Bonariensis in a similar way, although we don’t usually prune it as hard as Penstemons.

Do bear in mind though, that not all plants are best pruned at this time of year (nothing is simple!), and with many, there is some flexibility as to when you prune.  Late spring / early summer flowering shrubs for example, flower on last years’ growth, and so are best pruned just after they have finished flowering.  Weigela, Ceanothus, Philadelphus are three examples.

Tidying & sprucing up

• Tidy up / cut down perennials if this wasn’t done late last autumn / early winter.

• Borders will benefit from being fertilised.  A general purpose balanced fertiliser, applied at the manufacturer’s recommended rate, is normally all that is necessary.

• Redefine the lawn edges – it is amazing what a big different this can make visually!

• If you are using mulches, now is a good time to top them up

• Pressure wash patios and paths (have a look at our post on patio maintenance)

• Clear the netting from ponds and set up pumps and associated equipment.

• Consider aerating the lawn.  If it has been mild and the lawn has been growing well, consider cutting the lawn, but keep the blades set high.

• And after all that sprucing up…

It’s time to think of planting!

• Until around the end of March, you can still plant bare root shrubs & trees, move existing plants and divide perennials

• March is a good time for planting fruit trees

• As the news season’s container grown plants come on stream, you can start planting those new borders, and of course…

• It’s time to start sowing veggies and annuals.  Bear in mind though that tender annuals will need sowing under glass.

April

April is really a continuation of March, but the emphasis turns more to growing and nurturing growing plants rather than tidying up after winter.

• Keep weeding, weeding, weeding (sorry!)

• It’s a big month for lawns, as the regular cutting regime gets going.  Lawns will also benefit from a weed and feed.  More information on looking after your new lawn here.

• April is a great month for planting new plants, and for sowing seeds, ready for the year ahead.

• Fertilise roses – and start spraying (if you wish to do so)

• Check and adjust tree ties

• Train climbers onto their supports

• Remove the dead heads of spring flowering bulbs.

And finally….keep an eye on the weather.  Things may be warming up, but frosts are still possible.  More importantly, keep young plants well watered.  Recent springs have been very dry – just what plants don’t need when they are growing fast.  So keep an eye on them, and give them a helping drink if they need it.

Have I missed anything?  Let me know in the comments below & I’ll add it into the list!  If any of the above needs further explanation, please get in touch.

Happy Gardening!

The post Jobs for the garden in March and April appeared first on ALDA Landscapes.

But really, all that is required is a big bundle of common sense, combined with a little bit of plant knowledge.  This article should help you get started with that.

Most plants are pretty robust.  BUT, most plants do need:

Watering

It is difficult to say precisely how much water to give a plant (they all vary!), but during the first growing season, you need to give plants enough water to get down to the plant’s root system.  This applies even to plants that will, when established, thrive in dry conditions.

When it is very hot, it is usually advisable to water early in the morning or later in the day, to avoid losing water to evaporating.

With big plants with large root balls, it take a lot of water to get the moisture down to the roots.  One option is to install a vertical plastic pipe into the soil alongside the plant (this is best done at planting time), so that water can be directed more effectively to the roots.

As a general rule, it is better to water thoroughly, and then let soil become drier before watering again, rather than watering little and often (where much of the water will be wasted).

You may wish to make your life easier by installing some form of irrigation system (even if it is a temporarily rigged up leaky pipe system!)

A couple of things to bear in mind:

• There is a balance to be struck between watering well and turning your garden into a swamp.  Do the latter, and you’ll find your plants are so wet that they just put on lots of green lanky growth, or worse still, rot.

• Keep an eye on your new plants if they were planted in the autumn.  Whilst plants don’t normally need much water in winter, a long spell of cold dry winds can dry out plants completely.

Weeding

Keep the ground around the new plants as free from weeds as best as possible.  Weeds are the world’s greatest competitors and will out-compete the plants for light, space, water and soil nutrients.  And besides, it is nice to be able to see your new plants!

Mulching

Mulching, e.g. with bark, might be helpful in terms of limiting weed growth and conserving moisture.  However, mulch does need to be used with care.  The mulch itself needs to be well rotted to prevent damage to delicate stems, and so that the mulch does not take nitrogen out of the soil.

Plants that like free draining soil conditions won’t like sitting through a cold wet winter up their necks in soggy bark.  Hebes, Lavenders, Phormiums, most “Mediterranean” plants and some herbaceous perennials fall into this category.

Pruning

New plants don’t normally need much pruning, although they may need a light trim to tidy after planting.

But it is important to establish a pruning regime in subsequent years (e.g. the following spring), and this is particularly the case for deciduous shrubs, which need hard pruning in spring.  It is much easier to keep plants a sensible size and shape if pruned correctly from the outset, rather than trying to hack back a giant shrub which may have been planted 5 years ago and never pruned!

Supports, stakes and ties

• Some perennials will need staking; this is best done early in their growing season.

• Climbers will need tying to their support structures as they grow.

• Tree stakes / ties will need checking and adjusting periodically.

Feeding and Fertilising

As with pruning, plants don’t usually need much feeding during their first growing season, normally because the soil will have been prepared and enriched prior to planting.  But the plants will benefit from a simple feed with a general and balanced fertiliser in subsequent years.

Deadheading

Ok, this is not essential, but some plants will give you a much better and longer flower display if they are regularly deadheaded – and you can do a bit of gentle pruning at the same time.  Roses are a good example here.

That’s it!  Anything we’ve missed?  If you have anything to add, or have a question about a specific plant, please leave a comment below.

The post How to look after your new plants appeared first on ALDA Landscapes.

Keeping your patio clean and tidy will not only prevent a build-up of moss and algae (which can make the patio very slippery), you’ll also find you’re much more inclined to use it on a regular basis when it looks good!

So after our recent post on designing a new patio and the addition of our patio gallery, here are a few tips for making sure your patio stays in tip top condition.

The Basics

The good news is that simply hosing the patio down with water, and sweeping regularly with a stiff brush, is often all that is required.

If you keep on top of this, and don’t let the condition of your patio deteriorate, you make life much simpler for yourself!

Jet/Pressure Washing

Jet or pressure washing the patio is a good way to spruce up the patio, normally in the spring after a cold, soggy winter.  Think of it as a spring clean for the patio, getting it ready for the long, sunny summer ahead.

HOWEVER…

• Be careful with concrete paving, as excess or overly strong jet washing can damage the paving slabs.  In extreme cases, the aggregate will be exposed.

• With older paving (hopefully not laid by us!), jet washing is likely to expose any failing pointing, so some repointing may be necessary.

• With block paving, jet washing will wash out a lot of the kiln dried sand in the joints, so re-sanding will be required.  In any event, the joints of block paved patios will need some re-sanding regularly to prevent the blocks themselves being eroded by rain, snow, frost etc.

Stains & Chemicals

Proprietary patio cleaners can be used, but should be applied with care and infrequently, as they can affect the durability of the paving.  Some may be toxic.  Check the label carefully.

Similarly, herbicides can be used, especially to kill weeds growing in block paving joints, but these can also be toxic and may stain the paving or blocks.  Try applying to a small, unobtrusive area of the patio first to check.

Some stains, from alcohol, barbecue fat, or chewing gum for example, may need special cleaning.  In extreme cases, you may need to ask a specialist cleaning company to assist.

Sealants

One of the most effective ways to maintain your new patio is to use a sealant.  This is best done soon after the patio has been laid.

Sealants fall into two categories: coatings and impregnators.  Coatings form a film on top of the paving; impregnators actually penetrate the stone.  In general, impregnators are longer lasting.

Many of the commonly available sealants impart a “wet look” to the paving (which customers tend to love or hate), although there are products which retain the natural colour of the stone.  In addition, it is also possible to use a colour enhancer to accentuate the colour of the paving and deepen the tone. The benefit of using a colour enhancer (rather than a wet look sealant) is that it can be applied one coat at a time until the desired colour tone is achieved, and then a “natural colour” sealant can be applied to protect the paving. With a wet look sealant, it is “all or nothing”.

When considering whether to use a sealant on your new patio, the following pros and cons should be borne in mind:

Pros:

• Sealants help to preserve the colour of paving, and can enhance it
• They prevent weathering, and therefore prolong the life of the paving
• They make cleaning of stains and dirt much easier (often just a sweep will do the job)
• Some sealants are specifically formulated for certain materials (e.g. slate), and / or to protect against specific hazards (e.g. oil)
• Many are available in matt or gloss / wet look or natural
• It is also possible to use joint stabilising sealants which harden and prolong paving joint life.

Cons:

• Many of the commonly available brands (especially those which are coatings as opposed to impregnators) need re-applying every year or two
• The sealants which are guaranteed to last longer can be expensive, especially if the patio is very large
• Applying a sealant does not mean that the patio won’t need cleaning!  It will just make it easier to do so.  Dirt particles will be less onerous to sweep off.

Nice to know

ALDA Landscapes co-owner, John Hill is a qualified and approved installer for Dry Treat, who supply a wide range of very high quality specialist sealant products.

So, if you need advice or assistance, please do get in touch.  Call us on 0118 934 2958.

The post How to look after your new patio appeared first on ALDA Landscapes.

Click on any of the photos below to enlarge and view details.

Contact us for more advice on designing and implementing your patio – 0118 934 2958.

The post Patio Design Photos appeared first on ALDA Landscapes.

As landscape designers (and hence, often, patio designers!), we frequently advise clients on some of the options and decisions to be made when creating a new patio.  We have pulled together some of the key areas to consider here.

All of the patios shown here have been designed and installed by ALDA’s in-house team.  If you need help designing your patio, please call on 0118 934 2958.

Purpose & Size

What is the new patio for?  This may seem an obvious first consideration, but it’s one that often gets forgotten in the excitement of choosing materials and furniture!

Is it to be just a cosy area for two people, a family eating and gathering space, or an ‘outdoor room’ for dinner parties and entertaining?

The answer to this question should help dictate the size of the patio – it needs to be large enough!

As a rule of thumb, 3m x 3m is a sensible size for a typical patio with a table big enough for 4 or maybe even 6 people.  You can get away with smaller if there are less people, or if the furniture is dainty.

You may also be able to keep the patio to a small size if you can overspill onto the lawn.  For this reason, beware of completely enclosing the patio with borders or walls and raised beds.

Position & Privacy

Does it have to go next to the house?  The area adjoining the house is normally the most convenient place for a patio – it makes life a whole lot easier when it comes to transporting food and drink to and from the kitchen.  It also saves you & your family/friends/guests traipsing across (possibly wet) grass.

But give some thought as to whether this is your best option, or whether there is scope for locating the patio elsewhere.  Often the area adjoining the house might not have the best aspect; remember a patio is usually somewhere for sitting/eating/socialising – so you want to be in the best position to sit back and relax in your surroundings!  A well thought out patio design can always include a weather-proof way to access the patio which integrates seamlessly into the garden as a whole.

Another consideration – is privacy an issue?  If so, this will very much contribute to your decision on the position of the patio – you may decide to locate the patio away from the house for this reason.  Or if that’s not possible, consider ways of making the patio more private – a trellis, pergola (see next section), and or course, plants.  Our earlier article on screening plants and ideas for confined spaces might be of interest here.

If you do decide to situate your patio adjoining the house, it’s often rather nice to have an additional, smaller patio and/or seating areas around the garden – the latter need only be large enough to house a chair or bench!

Most of our clients like to have somewhere (west facing) to sit in the sun on a summer’s evening – be it for a meal or just a quiet drink at the end of the working day (the ‘gin and tonic seat’).  You might also want somewhere to enjoy breakfast or a morning coffee.

Having a number of different areas to sit in the garden will often mean that the garden is better utilised, and provides garden designers like ourselves with an opportunity to introduce more flow and exploration into the garden.  Imagine wandering around the garden with a cup of coffee or glass of wine in hand from one seat or area of interest to another…

To Pergola or Not to Pergola, that is the question

Including some form of pergola on or at the edge of the patio can be beneficial in terms of providing shade if the area is very sunny.   It can also help provide privacy where necessary, and is a means of softening the area with planting at height.

If you’re planning to dine al-fresco, a pergola is also an unobtrusive way to incorporate down-lighting – particularly important if you are planning to eat outside a lot.

A word of caution – pergolas need careful planning to ensure that the posts are sited appropriately and don’t get in the way of your patio table and chairs.  This is particularly important for small patio areas, as they can easily gobble up valuable space!

Practicalities

Remember that if the patio is to be raised, there are safety issues to consider – you don’t want the embarrassment of having a friend falling off the edge of your patio and twisting their ankle when they leave the table at your al fresco dinner party!!

Other practicalities to consider:

• Drainage requirements – particularly important if your patio is large, or your garden is prone to water logging.

• Lighting – As mentioned above, a pergola can be useful if down-lighting is desired.  Alternatively, there are various forms of ground lighting that can work well in the absence of a pergola.  If you anticipate eating outside a lot, investing in the installation of electric lighting is often a worthwhile one.

• Awnings – particularly important to consider if you do a lot of entertaining outside and want to ensure you can continue outside whatever the weather!

Shape & Form

What shape should your patio be?  Many of our clients prefer soft flowing curves, and generous curvaceous lines can work well and look stunning.

On a practical note however, rectangular shapes tend to make more efficient use of space – an important factor in modern small gardens.  One option to consider is having a rectangular patio set amongst flowing, curvy borders. The shape of the borders will soften the harsh lines, as will any plants which are allowed to spill over onto the patio.

Materials

The decision you make here will probably have the biggest impact on the final appearance of your patio, so it can understandably seem a little daunting!  Particularly so, given the vast array of materials to choose from nowadays.  Gone are the days when the only choices were concrete paving, brick or very expensive natural stone; the introduction of relatively inexpensive imported sandstones and limestones (particularly those from India) means that there is now a huge and mind-boggling array of different materials and colours to choose from.

Concrete, sandstone, limestone, slate, granite, travertine, as well as gravel brick, block, setts, … the list goes on!  In addition, the natural stones can be plain hand cut, or tumbled, or sawn / honed.  And they come in a variety of different colours.  Indeed with Indian sandstone, there is a wide variety of shades and colours within each individual “colour”.

And of course, the different materials are often mixed for optimum effect – gravel areas within paving for example, or a brick edging.  Mind-boggling is not the word!

So how do you choose?

Our paving photos blog post shows a few examples and ideas for starters.

We would then suggest trawling through websites and online brochures of the various paving suppliers – such as:

• Bradstone
• Marshalls
• Natural Paving
• Brett
• Stonemarket

… to name just a few!  This should help you form some general ideas in your head as to what you do/don’t like.

Finally, we would then strongly recommend going to see some of the different types of paving actually laid in situ.  Some garden centres and builders / stone merchants have display areas where the paving can be seen (both wet and dry), and as landscapers we often find it is helpful to take clients to see some of our previous work when they are deciding what paving they would like. This is usually more useful than simply supplying samples – it gives a feel for how the materials can work when incorporated into an overall scheme.  It’s also particularly useful with materials like Indian sandstone, which has such wide colour variations.

In Conclusion

Phew… that’s a lot to consider!

It can seem a daunting task, but it’s worth spending the time getting it right – a patio is not something you want to replace every five minutes.

If you need a hand making the right decisions, or want to talk to us about incorporating a patio into an overall garden design, please get in touch – call us on 0118 934 2958.

And don’t forget to have a look at our paving photos blog post for some inspiration too.

The post Thinking about a new patio? Some tips from a patio designer… appeared first on ALDA Landscapes.

This is also a great time for actively not doing things in the garden if the conditions are poor!  Avoid walking on the lawn when it’s covered in snow or frost for example (but make sure you brush any snow from hedges, conifers and shrubs to prevent damage… and off your greenhouse too!)

But in case you thought you’d been let off the hook completely, on to the things that you can be doing, weather dependent of course:

• If the weather’s clement, it’s a good time for getting ready for the new season.  Clean and tidy greenhouse and sheds.  Prepare veggie beds.

• If the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged, now is the time to plant bare root roses, trees, hedges and shrubs.  Bare root plants are less expensive than their container grown equivalents.

• This is also a good time for moving existing trees and shrubs – but again, only if the soil isn’t frozen or waterlogged.
  
• Prune apples and pears, currant and gooseberry bushes, and also Wisteria.  Winter flowering shrubs, including heathers, may also be pruned once they have finished flowering.

• Prune evergreen hedges and overgrown deciduous ones.

• Remove any dead leaves on Hellebores

• Divide and plant snowdrops and other plants best planted “in the green”.

Lastly… February can be a fickle month.  Some years it can be very cold (as in early February 2012).  In other years it can be almost spring-like.  If it is very mild, you could start some activities normally undertaken in March – the main tranche of spring pruning for example (more details of this in due course!), or starting off seeds.  But beware, winter may not be over yet – don’t get carried away!

Have I missed anything?  Let me know in the comments below & I’ll add it into the list!  If any of the above needs further explanation, please get in touch.

photo credits: photojenni, Per Ola Wiberg ~ powi and llamnudds via photopin cc

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