GARDENS& LANDSCAPES

GARDENING GIFTS your mother WILL LOVE

THE DESIGNER’S GUIDE TO CREATING THE PERFECT GARDENMarch edition 2017

MONTHLY www.leicestershiregardendesign.co.uk

GARDENINGGIFTS YOUR MUMWILL LOVE

WE WON!! MARSHALLSAWARDS

WIN£100 worth of garden centre

vouchers

WE WON!! Marshalls Awards

THE VIEWFROM OURWINDOW

Dear Readers,

Often the people you surround yourself with can make you proud, and my team have done just that. I predicted in January that we would win an award at the Marshall’s regional awards and we were right.

The garden we built for Mr and Mrs Lewin won ‘Most Creative Use of Marshalls Products’ category, which is testament to Ross and Jeff’s design skills. At the time of writing we’ll be at the national awards where we’re hoping to add this to our collection.

In more general garden thoughts, one of the common problems with gardens in March is waterlogged beds and lawns. So this month we’ve covered this with practical advice on solving those problems and some tips to protect plants from root rot.

As well as this we have our usual competitions, a case study of our wonderful clients Mr and Mrs Goadby’s garden in Wigston, and some great gardening gifts perfect for Mother’s Day.

Enjoy the first signs of spring, and please get in touch with our team if you have any questions or want any advice.

Regards

Barry Randall

Editor’s Letter Contents

ON THE COVER

7. The view from our window

LEARN

4. Thoughts of our Garden Designer

6. Did you know?

8. Thank you for the recommendation

BE INSPIRED

3. The Goadby garden

5. We won! Marshalls awards

7. Gardening gifts for Mother’s Day

PLAY

6. Word Search

8. Spot the Difference Competition

LAUGH

2. Editor’s Letter

6. Menphys Annual Ball

AND THE REST...

4. How to protect your plants from flooding

8. Events

8. Coming up in the next edition

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2. GARDENS & LANDSCAPES

The view from our window

We won!

Beautifully drained lawn

The Goadby garden

Gardening gifts for Mother’s Day

The Goadbys’ lush green lawn

The challengeThe spacious garden of this modern property in Wigston, Leicestershire was fairly plain with a basic patio leading to a stretch of lawn.

Our clients asked if we could add some stylish features to the garden but, at the same time, ensure that each aspect of the design was easy to maintain.

The conceptFirst, we replaced the existing patio with new sandstone paving that flowed from the back of the house to sweep around the conservatory and offer access all the way around the garden and into the utility area by the side gate.

A new circular feature was cut into the main patio to create a focal point to the design. The circle was outlined with rumbled setts to define the shape and add style. A further eye-catching focal point was the addition of a rock water feature with a circular ring around it, which we installed to give life and sound to the garden.

More rumbled setts were used to create a pathway leading from the main patio to the seating area in the corner of the garden by the water feature. This breaks up the mass of paving and adds interest to the design.

The paving was grouted using a resin-based jointing compound to reduce weeds growing up through the stones. A drainage system was also installed along the back and side of the house, and this will be

piped into the existing water system to capture surface water running from the paving.

We also used block edging to define the paving shapes, seating areas, lawn and flowerbeds. New top soil was levelled across the garden in preparation for the lawn, which was then laid and cut into the edging strips.

A small flowerbed was inlaid into the edge of the circular patio to give space for sensory planting and to split the lawn from the wall to disguise the change in levels. A selection of evergreen shrubs and plants was added to the existing planting to give structure and year-round interest. We allowed some space along the front of the flowerbeds for personalising the garden with bulbs and bedding plants.

Next, new gravel areas were laid onto geotextile membrane to help prevent weeds growing through. We also planted 12 evergreen shrubs to provide cover and reduce maintenance in this section.

New feather-edge fencing was erected across the back and along the right and left-hand side of the garden, using concrete posts and gravel boards for easy maintenance and replacement of panels in the future.

THE GOADBY GARDEN

GARDENS & LANDSCAPES 3.

Beautiful babbling water feature

Easy to maintain with great patio space

3D Design

The pleasures of an easy maintenance garden

The conclusionOur clients were delighted with the simplicity of our classic design. As well as lots of sensory features to enjoy, there’s also plenty of room to sit and relax. And crucially, every aspect of this design means the garden requires very little upkeep.

With scheduled lawn ‘weed and feed’ treatments and a 12-month maintenance visit, we’ll ensure this garden remains a completely hassle-free environment for our clients and stays looking fantastic all year round.

Before

Location: Wigston, Leicestershire

How long did it take?20 days

When was it built?November 2016

Want to know how to add the WOW factor? Call us now on 0116 214 7076

March is one of my favourite months, the days are getting longer and warmer, my children want to play outside more (even in the April showers) and the spring bulbs will soon be flowering. Bulbs are a great way of incorporating colour into your garden most of the year and you won’t need to replace them every year. If you have any pictures of your garden in the spring that you want to show off, please send them in to us at editor@leicestershiregardendesign.co.uk.

Now, as the April showers are on the way, I want to help you protect your garden and plants from flooding. When I visit a garden, I always make sure I ask my customers how their garden deals with heavy rain to make sure that the garden I design for them will look great all year round and not cause any issues with the holding of water. We have some more great advice for you in this month’s magazine.

If you know someone who hates their waterlogged lawn, send them my way.

I’m dedicated to creating beautiful outdoor spaces,

Jeff Randall

Thoughts of ourGARDEN DESIGNER

4. GARDENS & LANDSCAPES

According to a strategic flood risk management report, published by the Public Accounts Committee, one in six UK homes are in danger of flooding; and climate change means the threat could increase.

In recent years, the rise in flood situations has been bad news for gardeners. If plants are exposed to standing water for extended periods of time, their roots can suffocate and die. Wet soil also encourages fungal growth.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can protect your plants from the risk of flooding.

Install drainage and create run-offsWhen it comes to large areas of paving such as drives, paths and patios, drainage channels need to be built in to allow water to flow into drains and not over your garden. Usually these channels can be directed to flow into existing drains. But if this isn’t possible, then new drains can be installed or existing ones repositioned.

Alternatively, you could dig a ditch or pond at the lowest section of your garden to take overflow water. This is a handy solution for larger outdoor spaces, as creating a run-off area can divert water to a lesser-used part of the garden.

Aerate your lawnGrass is generally pretty resilient but it can be killed by prolonged waterlogging. Damp conditions will also allow algae, lichens and moss to take over your lawn. If you know it’s going to flood, laying mulch over your grass will increase its absorbency. If there are parts of your lawn that regularly flood, you could cover these areas with a mixture of top soil and a little sand.

It’s also essential to make sure your lawn is well aerated and not compacted.

A common cause of flooding is when a compacted lawn prevents water from penetrating the soil. Aerating your lawn will also help oxygen to reach the roots of your grass, encouraging healthy growth.

Plant in raised bedsOne of the simplest ways to protect your plants is to raise the level of their root zone, and this is easily achieved in raised beds.

Raised beds are ideal for growing a wide range of plants, and they are an easy way of introducing different soil varieties into your garden. Soil type is a crucial consideration when it comes to drainage as sandy, gritty earth will drain much faster than heavy clay soil.

Improve your soil structureIn the long term, you can improve your soil structure by regular digging over and adding grit to improve drainage. Leaf mould can also be added once a year as this will help your soil to absorb and retain more water.

A combination of these actions should see a marked improvement in drainage the next time your garden is hit by a protracted downpour.

Protect your plants from flooding

Blooming spring bulbs

Drainage

Aerated lawn

Raised beds

Great soil structure

Another award for the trophy cabinet – Marshalls awards 2016/2017

GARDENS & LANDSCAPES 5.

I’m delighted to report that we won the ‘Most Creative Use of Marshalls Products’ category at the Marshalls Regional Awards for the East Midlands. Marshalls is the UK’s leading hard landscaping manufacturer, and their annual awards celebrate excellence in hard landscaping design and installation.

Our team were extremely proud to collect the award at an event held on Monday 16th January 2017 at the Nottingham Belfry Hotel. This is the second Marshalls award we’ve won in a row – not a bad achievement!

Our award-winning gardenWe won our award for the work we did on a large courtyard garden in Wanlip, Leicestershire, owned by Mr and Mrs Lewin.

The courtyard garden was in need of a complete renovation, and Jeff came up with a design that was big on style, low on maintenance and made the most of this unusual space.

The team set to work laying limestone paving to create a new patio with a circular design feature using rumbled setts to highlight the curves. We built a new raised seating area using reclaimed bricks to match the surrounding walls and installed an eye-catching natural rock water feature.

Quality and craftsmanshipMr and Mrs Lewin kindly agreed to appear in a short video showing their newly designed garden and one of the comments they made in the film was how impressed they were with the quality and craftsmanship of our garden landscaping. It was this craftsmanship that

also impressed our long-time suppliers, Marshalls, who asked if they could use pictures of the courtyard in their catalogues.

This gave us the idea to enter the Lewin garden into the Marshalls Annual Awards, and we’re so glad we did!

A fun team event As well as picking up our award, our designer Jeff also managed to score 101 with three darts in a bullseye-style game, which won another landscaping company £100 worth of vouchers and a crate of beer. They kindly let Jeff keep the beer, hence his smiling face!

As usual with Leicestershire Garden Design, it’s all about the team, and the Marshalls event was a great opportunity for us to let our hair down and celebrate our achievements together.

Our certificate and award

Collecting our award

Proud moment

Two of the pleased team

The garden that won us the awardThe garden before

The 3D Design

Another view of the garden after

Hyacinth

Winter aconite

Bluebell

Puschkinia

Pleione

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Full terms and conditions can be found at www.leicestershiregardendesign.co.uk/terms-and-conditions-2017

Q R Q S N O W D R O P Z R O I

R O T E S O A B T S B L G B H

H S H O L L A N D I C U M H Q

Y H B D I C R O C U S X R P G

A L F A L H C A R A N L B U P

C D X Y I C I H M E T Z E S W

I T B L U E B E L L U L R C K

N L D K B A I R H I L O A H P

T F A G W S C L S C I W D K I

H A W E T H G C A U P L A I A

G A Z P L E I O N E U L I N S

O I M D D D O W I T S H S I Q

T D A F F O D I L H L K I A P

L E H I C S Z N F L G W E R S

W I N T E R A C O N I T E K E

WIN Garden centre vouchers worth £100

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WRITE TO US ATLeicestershire Garden Design Co.Unit 11, The Warren, East Goscote, Leicester,Leicestershire LE7 3XA

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Did you know?

Bamboo is the fastest-growing woody plant in the world: it can grow 35 inches in a single day.

- bhg.com

6. GARDENS & LANDSCAPES

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Mercure Leicester The Grand Hotel, Granby Street, Leicester, LE1 6ES

3 course meal and drink on arrivalFull evening of entertainment

Saturday 10th February 20187pm arrival – carriages 12:30am

Dress code: Black Tie £50 per head (£15 non refundable deposit)Sponsorship opportunities available For details contact;tracey.morris@menphys.org.uk or call 01455 323013www.menphys.org.uk Reg charity no. 270700

AnnualBall

WORD SEARCHCan you spot the 10 spring flowering bulbs

Hollandicum

Crocus

Daffodil

Snowdrop

Tulip

Submit your entry to:Leicestershire Garden Design Co.Unit 11, The Warren, East Goscote,Leicester, Leicestershire LE7 3XA or email editor@leicestershiregardendesign.co.uk by 16th April 2017

THE VIEW from our window

SEND IN YOUR GARDEN PHOTOS by email to subscribe@leicestershiregardendesign.co.uk or write to us at Leicestershire Garden Design Co., Unit 11, The Warren, East Goscote, Leicester, Leicestershire LE7 3XA

GARDENS & LANDSCAPES 7.

1. This beautiful rose-printed garden apron and tool set can be personalised, a wonderful and appropriate gift for use in the garden. notonthehighstreet.com £39.95

2. You can personalise this lovely shabby chic cream watering can in a range of colours and styles. It’s a lovely addition to your kitchen windowsill. www.notonthehighstreet.com £25

3. This ‘Mummy’s Herbs’ steel planter is a lovely addition to a garden or windowsill. They come in a range of colours and you can personalise them to include a name or date. www.notonthehighstreet.com £39.95

4. This gift is perfect for those who love plants but don’t have the time to look after them. This heart succulent comes in a lovely ceramic pot which can be personalised. www.notonthehighstreet.com £27

5. Are you looking for a really special gift? We offer gift vouchers for garden designs. Our garden designs start at £1,200 including VAT which would be refunded if you chose to go ahead with the garden. Our 3D garden designs really bring your garden to life, creating that stunning dream garden your mum has always wished for!

GARDENING GIFTS YOUR mother will love

1. Rose printed apron and tool set

2. Personalised watering can

3. Mummy’s herbs steel planter4. Heart succulent5. LGD gift vouchers

GET IN TOUCH

Email us at editor@leicestershiregardendesign.co.ukWrite to us at Leicestershire Garden Design Co. Unit 11,The Warren, East Goscote, Leicester, Leicestershire LE7 3XA Call us on 0116 2147 076

Up and comingMARCH/APRIL EVENTS

COMING UP IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF...

GARDENS& LANDSCAPES

• National Gardening Week• Beautiful spring bulbs• View from our window

SPOT THEDIFFERENCE

Thank youFOR RECOMMENDING US!

Rare Plant Fair19th March, 10am – 4pmBishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset£5 non RHS members

Astronaut visit - National Space Centre 25th March, 9am – 3pm£14 - £50

National Gardening Week10th-13th AprilRHS Garden Hyde Hall, ChelmsfordFree admission

Submit your entry to:Leicestershire Garden Design Co.Unit 11, The Warren, East Goscote,Leicester, Leicestershire LE7 3XA or email editor@leicestershiregardendesign.co.uk by 16th April 2017

Full terms and conditions can be found at www.leicestershiregardendesign.co.uk/terms-and-conditions-2017

WIN Cinema vouchers worth £50

Your Name:

Age:

Address:

Phone Number:

With written consent from an adult

www.leicestershiregardendesign.co.uk

8. GARDENS & LANDSCAPES

Can you spot the differences between our two garden designs? Circle each difference for your chance

to win £50 worth of cinema vouchers!Top TipBulbs planted in containers or borders make a fine display, especially daffodils, snowdrops and tulips in spring. They are one of the easiest and most rewarding garden plants to grow.

- rhs.org.uk

Thank you to Mr & Mrs Lee from Birstall, Leicestershire who recommended Mr & Mrs Lewin to us. Mr & Mrs Lewin from Wanlip now have a fantastic low maintenance garden which all the family (and dogs) love. Their garden also won a Marshalls award for the ‘most creative use of Marshalls products’.

3D Design

After

Before