GARDENS& LANDSCAPES

Gardening Gifts FOR GREEN-FINGERED FATHERS

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

MONTHLY www.leicestershiregardendesign.co.uk

THE VIEW FROM OURWINDOW

CHATSWORTH FLOWERSHOW 2017

WINa mystery box

prize worth £100!

RHS CHATSWORTH FLOWER SHOW

GREEN FINGERED GIFTS FOR DAD

the highlights

The challengeThe owners of this unusual period property in Kibworth, Leicestershire asked us to completely redesign their rear garden.

The garden had been neglected over the years, and it had become difficult to navigate, with overgrown shrubs and broken paving slabs causing obstructions. The lawn had also seen better days and was in need of some care and attention.

The conceptOur first task was to remove existing paving, walling and sections of the lawn from this unkempt garden as we wanted to create a fresh design footprint. Next, we prepared the groundwork and drainage for new hard standings.

A central feature of our design was a large and spacious patio with a slightly raised seating area. For this, we used lightly coloured sandstone paving that blended harmoniously with the red brickwork of the house and garden walls.

Gentle curved steps flow around the entertainment area as we wanted to provide easy access to the stone seating and fire pit that we had constructed, as this would become the focal point for

socialising in the garden. In addition to the seating and fire pit, we also installed a raised bar that could be used for resting plates and glasses, so our clients could entertain friends and family with ease.

To protect this new dining space from the elements, we built a pressure-treated timber outdoor shelter with curved beams and cedar shingle roof. This roof not only covers the seating area, it also gives the garden extra dimensions with its height and shape.

As well as building the eye-catching roof, we also constructed retaining walls and raised beds using bricks that were carefully chosen to match the property’s existing brickwork. New top soil and compost was placed in all the raised beds to give plants a healthy growing environment.

The lawn was also in need of some attention, and we cut it into a new shape and laid fresh turf in certain sections. The grass will now receive regular lawn care treatments over the coming seasons.

Plenty of light was obviously needed to illuminate the new patio, and we also wanted to use up-lighting to highlight the raised beds and other points of interest around the garden. Our designer came

Dear Readers Interestingly I was asked to write an article for a landscape magazine recently on the importance of ethically sourced landscaping products. After a few seconds, I realised an ethically sourced product isn’t the first thing we think of when choosing suppliers and placing orders. It’s important but ultimately we want to give our clients what they want - within reason. I do, however, think we have a responsibility to use ethically sourced products. Personally, I believe we do anyway. We, usually, always suggest a Marshalls product – for this reason. I think there’s too much emphasis on us as contractors to educate the consumer and ultimately ‘convince’ them to purchase based on ethics, when the industry as a whole could do so much more. This isn’t a moral debate of ethical vs business, it just got me thinking about what else we can do. Anyway, this month we’ve brought you the case study of the wonderful Conboy family’s garden transformation, some advice on the use of raised beds plus some great Father’s Day present ideas! We hope you enjoy the content. Enjoy the sunshine! Barry Randall

P.S I’d really like to see some pictures of your gardens now the summer is approaching so we can use one or two for next month’s magazine. Send them to info@leicestershiregardendesign.co.uk we’ll enter the best pictures into a prize draw for afternoon tea for two at The Grange, Ashfordby.

Editor’s Letter Contents

ON THE COVER

7. The view from our window

LEARN

4. Thoughts of our Garden Designer

6. Did you know?

BE INSPIRED

3. Case study: the Conboy garden

5. Why raised beds are great for all

kinds of gardens and gardeners

7. Chatsworth Flower Show highlights

PLAY

6. Word Search

8. Garden Centre Spotlight

LAUGH

2. Editor’s Letter

6. Menphys Annual Ball

AND THE REST...

4. Gardening gifts for green- fingered fathers

8. Events

8. Coming up in the next edition

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2. GARDENS & LANDSCAPES GARDENS & LANDSCAPES 3.

The view from our window

Stunning raised bed

Green gift ideas for Father’s Day

Case study: the Conboy garden

Beautifully finished garden

Chatsworth Flower Show

3D Design

Before

A perfect present-day garden for a period property

THE CONBOY CASE STUDY

Location: Kibworth, Leicestershire

How long did it take?20 days

When was it built?April 2017

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

Issue feature garden

After

Finished to a very high standard

Beautiful patio

up with a practical lighting and electrical plan that caters for both essential and decorative lighting.

The conclusionLandscaping the grounds of this unique property was a challenge as our designer wanted to ensure the garden fitted in perfectly with the exterior of the house. Visually, the two needed to blend together seamlessly.

The result is an absolutely stunning garden that adds to the value and appeal of the original property. Needless to say, our clients were highly satisfied with the transformation and delighted that they can immediately begin to socialise in their outstanding new garden.

Thanks to the classic elements of this design and the high-quality, durable materials used, the garden will stay looking fantastic even though it will be heavily used all year round.

Hey, it’s Jeff here.

I want to talk about timber products this month.

Because timber is a natural product it means we have very little control over how it ages. The common things that may occur are twisting, cracking, swelling in wet weather and shrinkage in dry weather.

What does all this mean? Well, it means you need to consider the maintenanceof timber products in your new garden. We tend to keep the timber a natural colourand use a Cuprinol clear oil as a preservative. I’d also suggest applying this yearly. If you need any advice on timber work and it’s preservation please get in touch at info@leicestershiregardendesign.co.uk

Jeff Randall

Thoughts of ourGARDEN DESIGNER

4. GARDENS & LANDSCAPES GARDENS & LANDSCAPES 5.

If you want to introduce new growing environments into your garden, then raised beds give you the perfect opportunity.

They make it easy to cultivate a variety of different plants, and are especially good for fruit and vegetables as you can control the soil type.

Any height, any shapeTraditionally, gardeners would dig beds into rectangular or round raised mounds about one or two-foot high with sloping edges. Onions were planted around the sides with rows of carrots sown on the flat top.

Today, gardeners tend to use firm structures for their raised beds to avoid soil run-off during wet weather. And by using a solid frame, beds can be built much higher and into any shape. This means you take maximum advantage of every inch of your garden as raised beds can be constructed to fit in any corner or narrow angle.

Also, waist-high raised beds are ideal for those with restricted mobility as they eliminate the need for strenuous bending down.

The benefits of raised bedsAs well as being perfect for allowing disabled or elderly gardeners to still enjoy their gardens, there are a number of other benefits to using raised beds.

By introducing new types of soil into your bed, you can create the ideal environment

Father’s Day is coming up on Sunday 18th June, and it’s your chance to show Dad how much you appreciate him.

To help you, we’ve come up with a range of gardening gift ideas that will go down a treat with green-fingered fathers everywhere.

Comfy kneeling padsIf there’s one item that’s a must for every gardener, it’s a cushioned kneeling pad. It makes all the difference to your knees when you’re weeding, sowing seeds or planting bulbs.

Instead of the usual basic foam block, why not treat your Dad to a super-comfortable kneeling pad with a shock absorbing memory foam cushion. The Burgon & Ball Kneeler provides the ultimate comfort for your joints with its deep layer of shock-absorbing EVA memory foam. And to keep it clean, all you need to do is to wipe the quick-dry neoprene waterproof casing.

Good quality gardening glovesAnother essential gardening item are gloves to keep hands protected while at work.

For something a little more luxurious than the usual workman’s gloves, Kew Gardens has created high-quality, durable handmade leather gloves lined with fleece that are ideal for everyday gardening.

And the Royal Horticultural Society has endorsed water-resistant Jayco Dry Touch gloves. Made of fine-grain leather, these soft, pliable gloves are fully lined for extra comfort, warmth and a high level of dexterity.

Help Dad create a wildlife gardenIf your Dad likes wildlife, there is a variety of gifts designed to entice all sorts of creatures into the garden.

Bird tables and feeding stations will attract birds – and the more types

of food you put out, the greater the diversity of species that will appear. Robins love mealworms while blue tits enjoy peanuts and sunflower hearts, and the beautiful goldfinch will happily feast on niger seeds.

Bird baths also make a perfect present as it’s great fun to watch small birds splashing around in the water; nesting boxes are ideal for gardeners who want to encourage birds to reside in their garden.

As well as nesting boxes, you can also buy habitats for other creatures including bee hotels, insect towers, hedgehog houses, and ceramic frog and toad homes.

Patio pots and garden ornamentsA colourful summer patio pot is always welcome, either on its own or filled with flowers or herbs. There is a variety of terracotta and ceramic designs to choose from, and you can also pick up some spectacular pre-filled hanging baskets from garden centres.

As well as planters, pots and troughs, there are some beautiful garden ornaments available such as sundials, ceramic orbs, clay urns and water features.

Cascading water features and tranquil poolsWith so many different water features to choose from, it should be easy to find one that’s just right for your Dad’s garden.

A cascading waterfall feature will add sound and motion as water can be directed to fall onto natural stones or pebbles. Or an ornamental pool can be positioned near the patio with a gentle stream of water as its central feature.

We hope these gardening gift ideas have given you some food for thought and will inspire you to find the perfect present for your Dad this Father’s Day.

Timber covered BBQ area

for all sorts of plants that wouldn’t necessary flourish if you grew them directly in the ground. The protection of the walls and the higher level of the bed means the soil warms up faster in spring, and your gardening season can start earlier.

With raised beds, you can bring in soil that will allow for free drainage – an essential factor for the health of many plants, especially those that don’t like having their roots waterlogged for long periods of time in wet climates.

Plus, if your bed is high enough, it will be inaccessible to certain types of small mammals that routinely damage plants.

Positioning your raised bedRaised beds can be constructed from sleepers, pressure-treated timber, stone, brick, concrete blocks and other materials, as long as the structure is sturdy enough to hold the amount of soil required to fill the bed.

Once you decide how big you would like your raised bed to be, you can choose where to position it. You will also need to allow for plenty of access. To avoid having to walk over the raised bed, its width should be less than 1.5m to give easy access from all sides.

The routes around your beds should be wide enough to accommodate a wheelbarrow or, if necessary, a wheelchair.

Creating new growing environmentsRaised beds allow you to create different growing environments. For instance, if you’re planning to grow vegetables then try filling the raised bed with two-thirds potting compost and one third garden soil. It may be expensive to begin with, but your bed will only need the occasional compost top-up.

General purpose potting compost can be used on its own, although you may want to add some body by incorporating garden soil as this will give support to taller plants. If you plan to plant bulbs, three parts topsoil, one part sharp sand or horticultural grit and one part fine chipped bark makes an ideal mix.

A final point to remember. Plants in raised beds can become dehydrated more quickly due to better drainage, so make sure you water regularly in dry conditions.

Why raised beds are great for all kinds of gardens and gardeners

Gardening Gifts FOR GREEN-FINGERED FATHERS

Wooden raised bed

Brick raised bed

Another example of a brick raised bed

Stunning raised bed

Raised bed around a seating area

WORD SEARCHCan you spot the 10 flowering trees

Dogwoods

Cherry

Magnolia

Crab apple

Eastern redbud

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 July 2017

Mimosa tree

Chaste tree

Fringe tree

Witch hazel

Crape myrtle

Your Name:

Address:

Email:

Phone Number:

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

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R O S M S O A B T Q B L G T P

S G C A C R A P E M Y R T L E

A W J G I F G A O I A X W W A

L O G N L F K C O T K L I I S

V O E O I S K K D B J Z T F T

I D D L V D N B P R F L C S E

A S R I S T A R I I T D H J R

H C R A B A P P L E I C H M N

B A H E O S T C V U A H A F R

G F R I N G E T R E E L Z D E

K H O A O D O G N T S C E O D

T D V L S T A R L I N G L F B

A H E C H A S T E T R E E R U

B M I M O S A T R E E R E G D

WIN a mystery box fullof goodies worth £100

THE VIEW from our window

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Did you know?

Samuel Ryder, founder of golf’s Ryder Cup, made his fortune selling packets of garden seeds

- express.co.uk

6. GARDENS & LANDSCAPES

Subscribe to Gardens & Landscapes Monthly today and receive your copy every month, delivered direct to your door.

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

RHS are welcoming the latest addition to the RHS Flower Show calendar. The first RHS Chatsworth Flower Show, which will take place on the picturesque 1,000-acre parkland of the Chatsworth Estate, is set in the heart of the rolling Derbyshire countryside.

Sponsored by Wedgwood, the theme of the show is ‘Design Revolutionaries’, celebrating creative people who, through their foresight and innovation, have changed the way we think about gardens and garden design. Wedgwood will work with up-and-coming designer Sam Ovens, known for his contemporary, innovative and environmentally sustainable designs, to create a Show Garden.

Nick Mattingley, RHS Director of Shows, says: “We have been focusing on creating an exciting, life-enhancing, vibrant show that is different from any other.”

The RHS Garden for a Changing ClimateThe RHS show feature is RHS Garden for a Changing Climate by Andy Clayden and Dr Ross Cameron of Sheffield University and RHS Scientist Eleanor Webster. Built by Killingley, their design presents a small suburban garden ‘now’ and the ‘future’, and will highlight the RHS report Gardening in a Changing Climate. There will also be details of the plants that will be able to cope with this new environment.

Along with the release of the report, we’re running a competition for universities to create model-based gardens on the theme of Gardening in a Changing Climate. Designers will create a model garden for 2100, predicting future technology and gardening techniques and how our changing climate will influence what plants we can grow and the way we garden and use our outdoor spaces. We’re expecting great things as there are no limits to what can be designed.

Show GardensThe gardens will include Moveable

RHS CHATSWORTH FLOWER SHOWHighlights

Feast, by Tanya Batkin, a mobile garden designed for a couple living the letting lifestyle.

IQ Quarry Garden, by Paul Hervey-Brookes, is a garden inspired by the life-cycle of a quarry, drawing attention to the habitat created by quarry sites.

Cruse Bereavement Care: A time for everything, by Neil Sutcliffe, will reflect his personal experience of terminal illness, in a garden that uses materials to convey that life never really slows.

Experience Peak District and Derbyshire Garden is a garden by Lee Bestall which is inspired by, and will promote, the historic houses and gardens of the Peak District and Derbyshire.

Visit www.rhs.org.uk for more information about the show and to buy tickets.

rhs.org.uk

Garden for a Changing Climate

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 comingJUNE/JULY EVENTS

COMING UP IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF...

GARDENS& LANDSCAPES

• Wistow maze opening design• Feature case study• View from our window

Leicester Riverside Festival3rd - 4th June, starts at 12pmBede Park, Western Boulevard, Leicester, LE2 7HN

Summer Hanging Basket Workshop4th June, 12pm - 4pmBelgrave Hall & Gardens, Church Road, Leicester LE4 5PE£17.50 per person all materials provided.

Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom9th - 10th JuneDe Montfort Hall, Granville RoadLeicester LE1 7RUFor tickets visitwww.demontforthall.co.uk

Foxton Locks Festival17th - 18th JuneGumley Road, Foxton,Market Harborough,Leicestershire, LE16 7RAFestival entry £7.00 per adult per day and accompanied children are free!

Clarendon Park Summer Fair18th June, 11am - 5pmAdmittance is free.

www.leicestershiregardendesign.co.uk

8. GARDENS & LANDSCAPES

Where did we begin and where are we now?

It began, all those years ago, on a small allotment on the edge of Leicester. George Palmer and his wife Julia grew fruit, vegetables and flower crops to sell to the local community. Five years later George and a friend bought a six acre field in Narborough, at auction. They planned to have half each, and tossed a coin to see who had which half, then planted a hedge down the middle to divide it up. George’s three acres became a flourishing nursery which then grew into Palmers Garden Centre.

In the 1960s, son Harold Palmer and grandson Brian Palmer created a retail nursery and the transition to garden centre was made.

Palmers is now in the hands of an incredibly proud fourth generation of the Palmer family: Caroline Palmer and her brother Robert Palmer, Great grandchildren of the founder.

Caroline is our Managing Director. She moved from a busy life in London back to Leicester in the late 1990s. She had a vision to develop the garden centre and make it more than the ‘traditional ideal’ of what a garden centre should be.

Palmers is a place to take the family for a day out: a leisurely walk amongst the beautiful flower displays followed by homemade, delicious goodies in the cafe.

Palmers now sells all you need for garden and home: plants, gardening accessories, gifts, homeware, furniture and outdoor features. There’s something for everyone.

The loyalty of our customers, and dedication of our staff, have brought success to Palmers for 100 years. We have retained our reputation for unrivalled quality in the Leicestershire area and we are extremely proud of this.

We aim to provide a first class service to all of our customers through staff attentiveness, advice and assistance. Many of our staff have been with us for a number of years and our customers have come to rely on them for their consistency of advice and customer service.

We hope that you enjoy your visit to Palmers Garden Centre, and we look forward to seeing you!

www.palmersgardencentre.co.ukenderby - 0116 286 3323ullesthorpe - 01455 202 144

Garden Centre SPOTLIGHT

Outdoor seating area at Palmers