You've created a fantastic home and now it
is time to turn your attention to the garden.
Before you begin, ask yourself
what's the garden for?
Do
your children or grandchildren play out in the garden, do
you want a high or low maintenance layout, are flowers
your passion or do you prefer crazy paving with the
occasional potted palm? The options are endless,
however, do not despair. Take your time and think about
what functions it needs to fulfil as well as the size of
your garden.
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Once you have planned your layout, if you choose to have
paths breaking up particular areas, remove some soil, cover
the pathway with hardcore then sand and place your paving
stones on top, cementing in between the joints to stop them
from moving. A barbecue and patio area are also made in this
way.
The soil you have removed whilst constructing the paths
can be built up to create a rockery which makes an
attractive feature with stone obtained from either a quarry
or garden centre. Add some alpines and dwarf bulbs and you
will have colour for several seasons. A water feature is a
nice addition to a rockery too.
If you would like a water feature, positioning is really
important. If your garden has trees, do not place a water
feature underneath them as falling leaves in autumn will be
a problem. Don't forget to make sure there is a solid base
for the water feature to be positioned on, securing it in
place with a silicone sealant. Most come with a pump and a
reservoir but if you are unsure about the wiring, ask an
electrician to do this for you. Periodically change the
water in your feature to prevent an algae build-up and you
will relax to the sound of running water for some
considerable time.
Keen gardeners will want flower beds as well. Remember
the seasons when planting –
spring is wonderful with
daffodil, crocus, tulip and azalea to name a few,
summer
bedding plants are a riot of colour but some particular
favourites such as dahlia will flower until the first frost.
Hardy plants, for example fuschia, hydrangea, phlox,
michaelmas daisies, camellias, hebes and roses are ideal as
are clematis when trained to climb a fence or wall.
The lawn can be as large or as small as you wish, but as
long as you prepare the ground correctly by rotating it to
remove any debris, rolling it to ensure it's completely
flat, carefully laying turf and thoroughly watering same
frequently your lawn will become another key feature of your
garden. It is possible to sow lawn seed but this takes a
little longer for the lawn to become established.
Your garden is complete, the steaks are prepared for the
barbecue and the family have arrived. The weather is
glorious and the kids want to know
which tent can I sleep in tonight in the garden? Enjoy.
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