Buckinghamshire Landscape Gardeners

How to make your garden more Bee Friendly

1/23/2021

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Bees are remarkable flying insects found on every continent except Antarctica. Closely related to wasps and ants these widespread insects include an amazing 16,000 species worldwide.

Bees are probably most famous for their importance in pollination and this cannot be underestimated.

Bees actually pollinate 40% of the food we eat along with countless wild plants and trees. In the UK alone without the presence of bees the lack of pollination would cost farmers over 1.8 billion a year.

Sometimes humans assume we are separate from the wider, global food chain and the ecology of the planet. However our ability to maintain our current dominance over nature is on borrowed time.

Bee species have plummeted both locally and globally with a large percentage in danger of extinction. As high bee populations are a direct indicator of healthy environments the trends are truly worrying.

The good thing is bee friendly gardens now provide an oasis for these remarkable and vital insects. It is not actually very difficult to make your garden a haven for bees. If you want to make your garden more bee friendly there are a few things you can do.

This includes planning your garden correctly, providing food, water, shelter and including suitable habitat.

Not all bees are the same; some are solitary, some social and some nest under the ground. Therefore you must cater for a broad spectrum of bee types to create the perfect garden environment.

Types of garden bee

Honey bees

These highly social bees can live in colonies as big as 60,000 individuals and are favoured for honey production.

Bumble bees

These represent around 250 different types with the UK having around 26. These social bees are physically larger than honey bees but live in much smaller colonies.

Solitary bees

These as their name suggest are not social living a solitary existence. Also great pollinators these bees burrow in soil, wood and hollow materials to lay their eggs.

All three of these garden bees are extremely beneficial to our gardens! Below we have listed the top 19 tips and methods to make your garden more bee friendly!

Create sheltered microclimates

Bees love warm, sunny and sheltered places with little wind to fly and forage for food. Very much like humans we like settled, environments which are comfortable to move about in. It is therefore not really taxing to create a sheltered place for bees in the garden.

Try to provide open areas which are sunny and warm places to be. Prune excess overhanging trees and shrubs to allow for more sunlight. If your garden suffers from cold winds try to block these out with screening and barriers. Try to create warm micro-climates that maximise south facing aspects and reflect light as much as possible.

Create bee hotels

Bee hotels usually comprise of hollow nooks and crannies arranged tightly together to create shelter for bees. These are more commonly made from open, timber boxes filled tightly with cut bamboo canes. Some have larger compartments covered with mesh and filled with old pine cones for larger gaps.

These are now readily available in garden centres and online and can look very attractive. These bee hotel structures are more aimed towards solitary bees.

Solitary bees need long, narrow, tube like cavities in which to lay their eggs and complete their life cycles. However you do not need to go out and buy a bee hotel you can make your own.

Using recycled rubbish and building materials you can create even larger and more elaborate examples. One of the simplest ways to do this is drill holes of varying diameter into garden walls and features.

There are also some good bee hotels available on Amazon here.

Make bee nests

One of the reasons bee numbers are declining so dramatically is the reduction in suitable nest sites. In the case of honey bees we have provided them with plenty of manmade fortresses so we can benefit from their honey. This is not so the case with bumble bees however who regularly nest in underground burrows.

Naturally relying on decaying trees and undisturbed ground this species has seen a dramatic decline in numbers.

One of the best ways to provide a suitable nest site for them is to make a bee nest. In their simplest form these are a hidden cavity with a long, tube like entrance. The best way to replicate this is to half bury a 10cm clay pot full of hay or straw.

Cut a 30cm length of hose pipe which feeds into the cavity. Then backfill the soil around the pot and make sure the entrance tube is open flush with the soil.

Ensure this is not in low lying ground that will flood in heavy rain. Before long a young queen should have taken up residence and start laying a new colony.

Mow less

A common problem for bees is they lack enough flowering wild plants rich in pollen to feed. Plants like dandelion, yarrow and clover regularly inhabit lawns and are a staple food source for bees.

The problem is lawns are mown at such a high frequency they rarely allow these plants to flower. This is especially problematic in spring when the bees emerge from their burrows and need early nectar.

Try to leave your lawn longer over the winter, this way in early spring wild plants can put their flowers out earlier. Try to mow less regularly so wild plants have a chance to bloom more often.

Create a wildflower meadow

Before the days of industrialised agriculture 100 years ago a great percentage of land was wild meadows. These were grown to provide food and bedding for livestock during the winter months.

This allowed for tens of thousands of acres of flowering, wild plants to cover our countryside. These wild meadows were a sea of flowers for bees and provided an endless supply of food. These wild flower meadows were rarely ploughed providing burrowing bees safe places to nest.

Wild flowers and grasses found in meadows are particularly important for native bee species. To create a wildflower meadow in your garden you have a few options. Try to select nutrient poor soil like an existing lawn which has had no nutrients added.

This can be turned and broken up into fine topsoil then seeded with wildflower seeds. Alternatively you can lay wildflower turf or plant wildflower plug plants into an existing lawn.

Weed less often

The truth is weeds are just wildflowers which have the ability to readily colonise new ground. These pioneering wild plants are always some of the most beneficial to local ecology. Try to allow some of these weeds to grow from time to time.

If you really cannot handle weeds growing in your flower borders why not let one corner of the garden grow wild? Flowering weeds can be a lifeline especially for very specialised, solitary bee species.

Provide linear features in the landscape

Bees can forage up to three miles away from their nests and burrows for food. It has been revealed during studies of their movements they like to travel along linear landscape features.

Try to provide lines in your landscaping to encourage bees to travel along them. This could be done with long, flowering hedges or planting flowing lines of flowering plants in your borders.

Grow plants bees love

Without doubt one of the best ways to make your garden bee friendly is to grow plants they love. Perhaps more accurately it is the flowers of these plants that bees love.

Flowers provide the nectar and pollen which is so crucial for bees to feed. This very ancient symbiosis where food is exchanged for pollination has existed for millions of years.

Some of the best flowers for bees are ones which have not been too over bred. Over the years people have selectively bred flowers for more petals and blooms.

This has led to flowers which are more difficult for bees to forage or with less pollen and nectar. This is why wild plants or plants closer to their natural relatives are much more beneficial for bees.

When it comes to bee plants it’s not just the type of flower but when it flowers which is also important. Bees prefer flowers which bloom in succession throughout the season so there is a continuous supply of food.

Furthermore there are specific times of the year where bees need an extra boost for survival. This is in late winter when bees are just starting to emerge from hibernation and starving. Also autumn is an important feeding time when bees are trying to build up reserves for the winter.

Mainly due to peoples preferences gardens are planted with plants which flower in summer. Therefore it is vital you provide plants which will also flower during these crucial times of the year. Below we have listed the best plants for bees and separated them into their flowering seasons.

Late winter flowering

Mahonia

Clematis armandii

Almonds & Peaches

Fruit trees

Primrose

Willow

Hawthorn

Strawberry tree

Hellebores

Crocus

Snowdrops

Daffodils

Wild garlic

Summer flowering

Comfrey

Borage

Cotoneaster

Sea holly

Cardoons

St Johns Wort

Scabious

Clover

Sunflowers

Lupins

Beans

Squash

Echinacea

Foxglove

Holly hock

Thyme

Lavender

Cat mint

Penstemon

Verbascum

Autumn flowering

Ivy

Aster

Japanese Anemone

Verbena

Sedum

Dahlia

Salvia

Buddleja

Hebe

Grow vertically

It has been shown that bees particularly like flower borders with flowers layered at varying heights. This allows them to forage up and down the layers at will. This is good way to maximise their feeding and provide screening to unsightly areas, why not try grow vertically in your garden?

This can easily be done with trellis or climbers can be trained up walls with cables. You can go even further by drilling holes for solitary bees or by fixing bee hotels to vertical features.

There are now green wall systems on the market which can support small amounts of soil. Drought resistant plants bees love can be planted in these such as thyme and sedums.

Provide block planting

When bees forage for pollen and nectar they like to concentrate on one species at a time. Therefore it is beneficial to group the same flowering plants together. This can be done in block planting or drifts which can look very effective.

If doing this over a large area try to integrate plants which flower at varying times of the season. This is beneficial to bees for a successional feeding and allows your borders to look great all year.

Do not use chemicals

One of the biggest problems in modern gardening is our love affair with using chemicals. Every year millions of people spray a deadly concoction of herbicides and insecticides onto their gardens. The main problem with insecticides is they are indiscriminate.

This means as well as killing the various insects which eat your plants they also kill bees too! The insanity of this is these chemicals also kill other beneficial creatures which feed on pests. The result is a downward spiral of more and more pests with no garden based predators to control them.

In a broader sense we don’t actually know just how long these chemicals last in our soil and ecosystems. This means we could be storing up many problems for ourselves into the future. If you want to make your garden bee friendly avoid these chemicals at all cost!

Create a wildlife pond

One of the things people don’t acknowledge is all wildlife is part of a complex web of life. Sometimes we think we can pick what wildlife we do like and eliminate the ones we don’t.

The reality of course could not be further from the truth. One of the best ways to make your garden more bee friendly is to boost local ecology. There is simply nothing better you can do to achieve this than build a wildlife pond.

In a more bee specific sense all bees are very thirsty insects! Honey bees work particularly hard in the hot sun all day to produce honey for their colony. In summer bees can be seen swarming on the edge of ponds drinking and collecting water.

Many solitary bees actually require wet mud to build sealed cavities to lay their eggs. This means it is beneficial to have ponds with sloping edges and muddy banks. If you cannot go the whole way and install a wildlife pond in your garden a simple bird bath will do.

Make a soil bank

Bare ground and soil banks are a much underestimated habitat for some solitary bees and bumble bees. In nature fallen trees, erosion and landslides create bare embankments of earth.

These bare soil habitats are colonised by some specialised species including burrowing bees. These can be formed during garden excavations such as digging ponds or ground re-levelling projects. You can take this a step further and create buried cavities with tubes and rubble to encourage bees to nest.

Build dry stone walls

If you are considering installing retaining features in your garden why not build a dry stone wall? These can be used to create rockeries, raised beds and even boundaries in the garden.

As these are typically built with no mortar their gaps and cracks are perfect places for bees to burrow. Buying in natural stone rocks is the most effective but can also be expensive. Dry stone walls can also be built with broken paving stacked in a 'backward lean' against the ground.

If you want to take this even further you can actually build hollows into the wall to create nesting sites.

Build hibernacula’s

Hibernacula’s are quite simply a series of organic materials including stone, rubble, wood, dead plants and soil heaped together to create shelter for wildlife. Depending how these are made they can be excellent hibernation sites for insects, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

These rugged heaps in the landscape can actually be quite beautiful! The complex labyrinths of layered materials create perfect places for solitary bees in particular to over winter and lay their eggs. Below is an image of a hibernacula we built for an ecological mitigation project in London.

Don’t be afraid of bees

Many people fall into the trap of panicking when bees hover near them. The ever present fear of being stung by anything wasp like is a panic shared by many. Bees and in particular bumble bees are wired to check out everything they come across.

If a bee is hovering facing you it is simply checking out if you have flowers on you. The worst thing you can do is flail your arms violently making the bee think it is under attack. Bees do have the ability to sting but rarely do!

Only honey bees will die when they sting but this is always a last resort. If a bee comes near you ignore it and if it is persistent calmly walk away. Bees are naturally curious but not aggressive; do not be afraid of them!

Learn to identify bees

One of the most interactive ways of making your garden more bee friendly is to study them. There is simply so much to learn about bees and still so much we don’t know.

By learning to identify your garden bees you will begin to develop a mental list of the species that visit you.

Nothing can describe the feeling when you discover a rare treasure has taken up residence. Learning to identify your bees is the first step to really becoming a proactive expert in bee conservation.

Start bee keeping

If you really want to take attracting bees to the next level why not consider bee keeping?

This delightful hobby is becoming more and more popular and even in built up locations. Bee keeping is an intensive activity that will take some commitment and initial investment.

However your hard work and commitment will not be without reward! If you want to start bee keeping it is advised you start reading up on the subject first, There is a good book on the subject here. Join your local bee keeping association and get a taste for if it is right for you.

Taking care of one of nature’s most fascinating insects and producing your own, organic honey will be a sheer delight!

Ready to start making your garden a bee paradise? Why not check out our resource page or recommended landscaping tools page here.

If you require a landscaper, landscape gardening services or garden design why not contact Paul and his team. Our landscape services cover Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire Hertfordshire and the Chiltern region.

Some of our typical project locations include; Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Berkhamsted, Chalfont, Chesham, Gerard's Cross, Great Missenden, High Wycombe, Princes Risborough and Wendover.

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50 Best Garden Plants for Low Maintenance

1/22/2021

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This article contains affiliate links

A beautiful garden full with interesting and colourful plants is the ambition of many. However having flower borders bursting with seasonal interest and low maintenance do not really go hand in hand.

Most gardeners today do not have endless amounts of time to tend to garden borders. This means gardens are becoming ever more sterile and sometimes completely bare. However gardeners should be aware that with careful species selection a low maintenance garden is possible.

A typical problem with gardens is people plant shrubs which are too prolific and grow too large. This results in continuous cutting and trimming throughout the season. Consequently borders become filled with a series of large, clipped rectangles which shade everything else out.

The key to achieving low maintenance borders is understanding the scale of your site relative to individual plants. By choosing plants that will reach a climax of vegetation without growing too large is essential.

These low maintenance plants will maintain their form without growing out of control. This means less cutting and trimming resulting in less work and better looking borders. The best low maintenance plants fall into three main categories; shrubs, perennials and climbers.

We have listed and described 50 low maintenance plants below for better looking and more manageable planting schemes below.

Shrubs

Cotinus coggygria

Sometimes known as the European smoke bush, Cotinus is a very striking, medium shaped shrub. It very rarely gets any larger than two meters tall meaning it will not get too big. A traditional favourite is the ‘Royal Purple’ variety which has striking dark, purple, foliage. This shrub is perfect for adding contrast to your borders.

Spirea japonica

This small and compact little shrub is famous for its radiant seasonal colour which seems to slowly change throughout the season. Early spring greens seamlessly change to yellow, darks browns and then reds during the autumn. Never really growing more than a metre this shrub is a perfect, low maintenance plant.

Hydrandgea macrophylla

This medium sized shrub is a favourite of many gardeners with its circular form and large flowers. Originally native to Japan, this shrub never gets much over 2 metres with blooms of white, pink, purple and blue. If you ever want to regenerate the bush simply coppice or cut it to a few inches above the soil.

Mahonia aquifolium

Sometimes referred to as the Oregon grape, this hardy shrub is from the Pacific Northwest of the USA. It has a vertical growing habit with shiny and serrated purple tinted leaves. It bears attractive, yellow flowers followed by dark purple, grape like fruits. This shrub never gets much bigger than a metre and can even tolerate shady conditions.

Hamamelis mollis

More traditionally known as Witch hazel this interesting shrub has a restricted growing habit and spectacular autumn colour. Thought of as a medicinal plant this shrub is very low maintenance not growing much more than 5 metres. Sometimes thought of more as a small tree it has striking and scented, ribbon like blooms in February.

Daphne odora

Native to East Asia this small shrub is an extremely attractive, shade loving plant that never grows more that 1.5 metres. In spring it bears beautiful, small, white flowers with exceptional fragrance which can fill an area. This shrub is hardy down to around -10 and prefers a slightly acidic soil in part shade.

Pieris japonica

Grown for its early spring flowers, Pieris japonica is a good looking shrub which will never gets out of control. It is evergreen so will still look good in winter and has an arching growing habit. This shrub is slow growing and will keep its attractive form without bushing up too much. Pieris very rarely ever get over three metres in height.

Fatsia Japonica

Fatsia Japonica is an evergreen shrub which typically grows no more than three metres. It has a vertical growing habit and combined with its tropical looking leaves looks almost palm like. Due to its growing habit this plant rarely loses its form making it perfect for low maintenance borders.

Phormium tenax

Originally from New Zealand this unusual shrub looks somewhere between a palm and a grass. Its leathery, evergreen foliage can come in a wide range of colours making it very aesthetic. This shrub generally gets no larger than 2.5 metres tall, however there are many dwarf varieties which are much smaller. The great thing about this shrub is it will never lose its shape making it a perfect low maintenance plant for the garden.

Cotoneaster horizontalis

This very common landscaping plant has an ability to put up with very challenging conditions. Its autumn berries provide seasonal interest and is much loved by both birds and bees. This shrub has a low, horizontal growing habit making it a great ground cover plant.

Camellia japonica

Also known as Japanese Camellia this extremely beautiful shrub is famous for its dazzling, rose like flowers. The flowers bloom during the winter time making them even more valuable! Some Camellias can grow very large but most garden varieties don’t get more than two metres tall. Preferring acid soil these slow growing shrubs will hardly ever require any form of pruning.

Lavandula

More typically referred to as lavender this is a well known, small shrub from the Mediterranean. This plant maintains a tight growing form with an attractive blue, grey foliage. In summer lavender produces very charming blue or purple flowers which bees love. The foliage has a classic lavender aroma and is tolerant of both drought and low nutrient soil.

Salvia officinalis

Better known as sage this culinary herb is also an aesthetically pleasing plant in the flower border. These now come in a varied range foliage colours from greens to silver and also purple. Its low spreading habit makes it perfect as a ground cover plant. It never grows much more than 400mm making a perfect low maintenance plant.

Euonymus fortunei

This small and low growing evergreen shrub has striking variegated foliage and is native to South East Asia. Being very tolerant of difficult growing conditions this plant has become a perfect low maintenance species for commercial landscaping. It is typically grown in blocks to form a dense ground cover.

Aucuba japonica

With its dark green and speckled foliage this tropical looking shrub is compact and striking. A favourite in tropical garden schemes this pant is actually very cold hardy. They rarely grow over 2.5 metres meaning they are easy to maintain. They produce masses of small, purple flowers followed by bright red fruit.

Yucca Gloriosa

Growing to a maximum height of 2.5 metres this spiky Yucca plant is extremely drought tolerant and pleasing to the eye. Its palm like decorative foliage is perfect for Mediterranean of tropical garden themes. Every summer it throws up a tall central spear which explodes in stunning white flowers. This native to the Eastern USA is slow growing and maintains an attractive shape all year.

Fargesia Nitida

Fargesia is an evergreen bamboo with extremely soft, feather like foliage and stems. Also known as Chinese fountain bamboo when established its stems are large and arching. This can produce a dramatic effect and its fine textured leaves make a great back drop to other stunning plants. Unlike other, more aggressive bamboos Fargesia is easy to control and very compact.

Miscanthus sinensis gracillimus

This very popular grass originally from China is actually a perennial and not a shrub. I am however placing it in the shrub section due to its large size and all year round interest. Every season this grass throws up new, deep, green foliage which dances in the breeze. In late summer it throws up decorative seed heads which are tinted purple. In autumn the dead, golden foliage can be left to stand for winter interest.

Festuca glauca

Festuca glauca is a small, clump forming grass with amazing blue, grey foliage. This low growing grass never gets very tall but easily spreads outwards. This makes it perfect for creating a soft carpet of light that crowds out the weeds. This grass is perfect for a low maintenance flower border or a decorative ground cover.

Arundo donax

This tall, reed like grass is not small by any stretch of the imagination. However it is generally easy to keep restrained and looks great with very little maintenance. Like Miscanthus its dead stems can be left for winter interest and cleared away in spring. To keep it from spreading it can be grown in raised beds or pots. It is extremely drought tolerant and the variegated variety is exceptionally attractive.

Heuchera villosa

This small, evergreen plant native to the USA is tolerant of most growing conditions including the cold. It forms need and low growing clumps perfect for the front of a flower border. This attractive plant can come in a range of foliage colours from very light green to purple. Commonly grown as a groundcover it maintains a neat form and never gets out of control.

Bergenia

Native to Asia this rhizomatous and clump forming plant has a tropical look to it. Similar to Heuchera it will spread outwards instead of growing bushy. This makes it easy to maintain and help to keep encroaching weeds at bay. Their foliage provides dense thickets of moist leaves which are perfect for sheltering amphibians.

Ophiopogon planiscapus nigrescens

More commonly known as ‘Black Mondo Grass’ this clump forming, attractive plant can literally create a sea of black. This is perfect for block planting and creating contrast with hard landscaping elements. Like Festuca it can crowd out weeds and never gets out of control, a perfect low maintenance plant for the flower border.

Euphorbia

Euphobias are a very broad group of plants which vary tremendously. One of the most common garden varieties is euphorbia cyparissias. Originally native to coastal areas and grasslands of Europe it is both tough and drought tolerant. Growing no more than 40cm’s tall this decorative plant has light, green foliage and bright yellow flowers.

Trachycarpus fortunei

Typically known as the Chinese windmill palm this robust, tropical looking plant is perfect for a tropical border. With its architectural form and slow growing nature it is the perfect low maintenance specimen. Unlike most palms it will tolerate cold weather making it a much loved focal point in temperate regions.

Laurus nobilis

Laurus nobilis is an evergreen, aromatic shrub widely used in cooking and more commonly known as bay. Bay trees are attractive small trees with pleasant, dark green, glossy foliage. Originally from the Mediterranean region it loves full sun and a well drained soil. Bay trees can be easily kept small and even pruned into low growing hedges.

Thymus serpyllum

There are very few who will not be familiar with this aromatic herb. It is often the case however that many to do appreciate it as a landscaping plant. This small, clumping herb is very tolerant of drought and can form a dense, ground cover plant.

Creeping varieties of thyme can also be planted in dry stone walls and rockery gardens. The low spreading nature of this species means it is a perfect low maintenance plant for the garden. The bees love the flowers and you can even use it in your kitchen!

Rosmarinus officinalis

Rosemary, like thyme is an extremely well know herb used in cooking. However in the right conditions can be the perfect accompaniment to the garden border. This small shrub will usually grow to a height and spread of around 1.5 metres. However due to its prolific harvesting usually remains much smaller. Rosemary has attractive, evergreen foliage and also radiant flowers in summer.

Calicarpus

This small shrub is famous for its almost metallic like, purple berries in autumn time. Originally from Asia this interesting shrub is both compact and tolerant of most conditions. It is deciduous in temperate regions but will never grow to very large proportions. Its reserved nature and delicate form makes it perfect for low maintenance gardens.

Hakonechloa macra

This small, clump forming grass is originally from the mountain forests of Japan. It has an upright, weeping habit and very slowly increases in circumference. Its long blades are thick but delicate giving it a soft look. This very aesthetic grass grows to a maximum of 60cm making it ideal for a low maintenance scheme.

Perennials

Lupinus

More commonly known as Lupins these attractive perennials are leguminous meaning they add nitrogen to the soil. They have vertical clusters of bean like flowers and come in a wide variety of colours.

Crocosmia

Crocosmia are a very popular summer flowering bulb with blade like foliage. Originally from South Africa they come up every year and have striking red, orange flowers.

Helleborus

These herbaceous perennials are native to the woodlands of Europe and tolerate shady environments. They flower in late winter which is a welcome site at this dormant time of the season.

Paeony

Native to Eurasia and North America these perennial plants have the most spectacular blooms. The flowers are somewhere between a rose and carnation with superb colour.

Aster

These plants have a vertical growing habit which is typically restricted to a few stems. They grow to around a metre tall and have blue, daisy like flowers. These will divide at the base every season.

Hosta

Hosta’s are an absolute delight in the garden, it’s just a shame the slugs think so too! These tropical looking plants come up every season and will tolerate a shady position, these benefit from a good layer of mulch.

Matteuccia struthiopteris

Commonly known as Ostrich fern or 'fiddle heads' these majestic ferns work well in a shady position. Once established this hardy fern will grow to between one and two metres in height.

Sedum herbstfreude

Sedum herbstfrude is a robust perennial which is a type of succulent. It has fleshy leaves which store water in hot, dry conditions. This makes them perfect for areas which suffer from drought and come autumn they have large, attractive flowers.

Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus

Native to Eurasia this perennial is well known for its Lilly like flowers which open in the late afternoon. Also known as the 'Daylily' it forms spreading clumps and has grass like foliage. It can be used as a flowering and fragrant ground cover in a full sun position.

Penstemon

Famous for their ability to put up with extreme cold these flowering plants originate from near arctic regions. There are many different types all with individually beautiful flowers which bloom in late summer.

Solidago

Also known as ‘Golden Rod’ this hardy perennial has tall, vertical stems which grow around a metre tall. It is very closely related to aster and like aster spreads at the base and is very hardy. In summer its golden, yellow flowers inject sprays of colour to flower borders.

Phalaris arundinacea

This perennial clump forming grass is widespread in the northern hemisphere and can thrive in a variety of environments. This striking, variegated grass also known as ‘Reed Canary Grass’ looks dramatic in low maintenance planting schemes.

Echinacea

The 'Coneflower' is a herbaceous perennial famous for its large, hypnotising, purple flowers. Native to North America it freely inhabits both woodlands and open prairies. A low maintenance plant, it is tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions.

Rheum rhabarbarum

Not generally thought of as one for the flower border rhubarb is a delicious vegetable usually enjoyed in crumbles. This robust perennial has, attractive, large leaves and looks great in the flower border. Plus you get crumble!

Cynara scolymus

Leading on from one perennial vegetable to another, Globe artichokes are amongst some of the most beautiful plants there are! With their architectural form and silver foliage they can look great planted anywhere. Even if you find harvesting them a fiddle they are a great low maintenance specimen for the garden.

Climbers

Clematis armandii

Clematis almandii is a beautiful, winter flowering climber which also has dark evergreen foliage. It is not as prolific as more robust climbers making for a more low maintenance option. During the month of February it erupts into bloom with fragrant, white flowers.

Lonicera periclymenum

More commonly known as Honeysuckle this delicate but hardy climber is a native to Eurasia. Naturally occurring in deciduous woodlands this climber can thrive in shady conditions. During the summer it opens its fragrant and tubular flowers which are strikingly beautiful!

Trachelospermum jasminoides

This radiant, evergreen climber is originally from Southeast Asia and is commonly known as the 'Star jasmine'. When given fertile, well drained soil and full sun it will reward you with its scented, jasmine like flowers. Not growing much taller than 5 metres it is a great climber for low maintenance situations.

Hydrangea petiolaris

This climbing hydrangea is originally from the far east of Russia. It can therefore take extremely cold conditions and put up with shady, north facing walls. Not only does this make it extremely useful in difficult situations it also has extremely attractive blooms. This climber has large, hydrangea like flowers and happily grows up any wall with some support. Thought of more as a climbing shrub it is not aggressive making it low maintenance.

Vitis vinifera

Known more to everyone as the 'Common grape' this climbing, fruit producing vine has been cultivated for thousands of years. With its multitude of varieties its fruit can range in suitability for deserts or winemaking. Grapevines are quick to establish but not aggressive climbers and easy to keep under control.

They can look extremely attractive especially climbing over pergolas. In some varieties the vines are bred just for large leaves which are edible and can be stuffed. In ornamental varieties such as coignetiae their foliage has the most radiant autumn colour which is difficult to match!

Bulbs

In regard to planting low maintenance plants I do believe bulbs require quick a mention. Bulbs by their very nature are extremely low maintenance plants. These can either be winter; spring or summer flowering and pretty much take care of themselves once planted.

Over time bulbs can divide and evolve denser, growing communities. These can be lifted, divided or given to wanting friends and family. Some bulbs such as daffodils do benefit from tying up their spent foliage neatly but generally bulbs are very low maintenance indeed.

For further reading on some of the best low maintenance plants for your garden borders check out this great book below:

50 High Impact Low Care garden plants

Thinking of building your low maintenance garden yourself? Why not visit our resource page or recommended landscaping tools article here.

If you require a landscaper, landscape gardening or garden design services why not contact Paul and his team. Our landscape services cover Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire Hertfordshire and the Chiltern region.

Some of our typical project locations include; Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Berkhamsted, Chalfont, Chesham, Gerard's Cross, Great Missenden, High Wycombe, Princes Risborough and Wendover.

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How to make a Mediterranean garden

1/21/2021

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This article contains affiliate links

The Mediterranean garden style is a combination of landscape features which are typical of the gardens of southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

This garden style has evolved from the characteristics of these climates and local, cultural traditions. Mediterranean climates have hot, dry summers with cool or mild winters.

This makes them dry and arid in the summer but almost temperate during the winter months. This Mediterranean climate is particularly good for growing fruits such as oranges, peaches and figs. The climate promotes a laid back style of outside living which is also evident in these gardens.

Mediterranean gardens have become the ultimate model for low maintenance and high impact landscaping. These gardens celebrate simplicity and appreciate the properties of individual elements without chaos or clutter.

Mediterranean gardens are those which provide a warm and sunny sanctuary. A place to talk with friends, a place for family meals or a place to daydream with your favourite drink!

Design

For anyone who has had a holiday in Morocco, Italy, Spain, Greece or Turkey, creating a Mediterranean garden at home may seem like a favourable but unachievable dream. However these gardens are much easier to create in cooler climates than some people may think.

Typically plants from the Med can tolerate cold weather and are more affected by excessive wet than cold. Therefore with careful planning and design creating a Mediterranean garden is well within the reach for any region.

One beneficial thing to do when designing such a scheme is searching for image examples of Mediterranean gardens you like. These 'precedent images' will provide you with plenty of inspirational ideas for your project. For a more varied scope of styles search individual countries gardens from the Mediterranean regions.

For example Moroccan gardens have a style all of their own and use bold colours with a classic Islamic feel! These are some of the most artistic of the Mediterranean gardens. Italy incorporates more formality while Greece has more rusticity and food growing in their gardens.

When you have precedent images of garden elements you like think about how they can be incorporated into your garden. Take pictures of your site from different angles and print them out. Overlay tracing paper and sketch out ideas over individual images.

It is important not to rush this process, keep going back and develop your sketches and ideas. It is surprising how much inspiration can just appear from nowhere when you go through this process.

Make sure you resolve the, functional aspects of your design first. Be sure to think about where the sun is during the day and how you will move around the site! With your precedent images and sketches you can now begin to sketch out your new garden design on a plan.

Aspect

One of the most important design elements for Mediterranean gardens is aspect. This is particularly so in cooler climates! You will need to maximise all available sunlight to make your garden as warm and vibrant as possible.

You cannot do much about the orientation of your existing garden. Some gardens are west facing and some are east facing, South facing is thought to be the best in the Northern hemisphere.

For instance if the sun is always at the back of your garden (north facing) you may wish to consider moving your patio to the rear of the garden. Don’t forget traditionally Mediterranean's build their seating areas in the shade, this is to avoid the strong sun of the day.

By painting fences and walls a lighter colour you can also maximise available light. Not only will this make your site lighter it will create a warmer microclimate.

Microclimate

Micro climate is a climate which varies from its local or regional climate due to specific conditions of a particular site.

This could be due to excessive shelter or a particular geology which warms up in the sun. Micro climate is the perfect tool in Mediterranean garden design to make your garden warmer.

As discussed above by maximising sunlight through reflection you can make your garden both warmer and lighter. You can also aim to block out cold, prevailing wind. For instance in the UK freezing north and easterly winds are always the culprit for tender plant damage early in the season.

Using screening and high evergreen planting you can attempt to block out cold winds.
However the best way to enhance warm microclimates in your garden is with hard surfaces.

Materials such as walls, paving and gravels can absorb the suns heat and reflect it.
In cities this is known as the ‘heat island effect’ and why towns are always much warmer than the surrounding countryside.

If your walls, paving and gravels are light coloured they will reflect the suns light even more. Microclimate will enable to you to design for more sunlight and warmth within your Mediterranean garden.

Texture

One of the things Mediterranean gardens do so well is create visual texture. This is generally due to extensive use of hard materials.

From fine gravels to rustic buildings and dry stone walls these gardens celebrate texture.
Even on large, extensive surfaces texture is usually added in the form of mosaics or patterning on paved surfaces.

Mass plantings of fine leaved plants like lavender and rosemary also add extra texture. The rustic nature of Mediterranean gardens means rough textures can be included with ease.

Contrast

A great thing about Mediterranean gardens is they are easy to create juxtaposition and contrast. Alive with visual textures it is easy to evoke emotional responses from bold contrasts. Architectural planting can cast intricate shadows in the afternoon sun.

Light materials can also be contrasted against bold colours as they are in Morocco. Rendered white walls can host the perfect backdrop for a blood red coloured climbing roses. Amongst the dry, arid look of Mediterranean gardens contrast can be added to create drama and dazzle the senses.

Outside living

One of the things which define Mediterranean gardens more than anything is the sense of outside living! This can be attributed to the people just as much as the climate and landscape. Being of Greek Cypriot origin myself I have learnt Mediterranean’s seem to enjoy the simple things in life.

The sun coming down of an evening, a light lunch or a coffee with friends! It has to be said that if you are going to create such a garden it should be one that is lived in and not just for show. This function as an outside gathering space is crucial!

When I was a boy I remember my cousin Theodosia reaching up and picking a fresh lemon from the tree above. Sitting outside eating together in rural Cyprus was a true example of this idea of outside living. Mediterranean gardens should also be a place of functional abundance with fruit, nuts and herbs fresh for the taking!

Create a scene

If there is one thing they do best in the Mediterranean it is enjoying a great view. This is probably much easier on an Italian hillside or Spanish terrace but can be enjoyed in any garden.

Creating an enjoyable scene in your slice of paradise does not have to be a majestic, mountain view. Just an attractive arrangement of terracotta pots up against a wall with your favourite flowers is just as effective. My wife and I created an amazing dry, rockery garden full of succulents.

This small garden gets the afternoon and evening sun, perfect for a glass of red wine and an evening meal.

We love watching the lowering sun cast shadows across the gravels and rocks. Hours can be spent simply watching this scene and enjoying nature! This is what Mediterranean gardens should be all about!

Dry gardens

Dry gardens replicate hot and arid climates with drought resistant plants, rocks and gravels. These gardens typically contain plants such as succulents, palms and grasses. These extremely beautiful gardens can come in a range of forms and variations.

Dry gardens are traditionally combined with raised rockeries in cooler climates. These raised gardens are much better drained than surrounding soils; this makes them perfect for dry loving plants.

From raised rockeries to gravel borders and dry river beds, these are perfect accompaniments to a Mediterranean garden theme.

Soil

Plants from the Mediterranean do not typically require really rich soils. This is due to the fact they have free draining ground where nutrients are easily washed away. However it is important to note that not all plants have to be from the Mediterranean to work in a Mediterranean garden.

Especially in cooler climates hardy, tropical looking plants such as palms can also be used. Therefore it is good to try to make your soil well drained but fertile. This way you can encourage a wider scope of planting types in your scheme.

To prepare your garden soil try to add lots of grit and organic matter. This will help to add oxygen and allow water to drain more easily. Mediterranean plants like good drainage! It is therefore good to build raised beds and also grow in terracotta pots.

Mediterranean garden plants

For a climatic region which takes up such a small amount of the world’s surface their plants are extremely tolerant. This is because Mediterranean regions sit geographically half way between the equator and the poles.

This gives them some exposure to both cold and hot conditions meaning they can tolerate a wide scope of conditions. Generally in colder climates Mediterranean plants will rot in wet, boggy soil. Therefore all you have to do is provide well drained, soil conditions.

Generally plants with plenty of good form and architectural foliage fit best in Mediterranean gardens. Fruit and nut trees also work exceptionally well providing tasty edibles. Mediterranean gardens also benefit from colourful flowers and, fragrant blooms. These are perfect for providing evening scent and especially around outside, dining spaces.

21 Mediterranean garden plants

Olive trees

If there had to be one tree at the top of the list then here it is, olives. Olive trees are endemic to Mediterranean regions and will easily grow in cooler climates. Although almost imposable to crop successfully without the Mediterranean sun they process very attractive foliage and form. These drought tolerant trees are perfect for large pots and add height to a patio space. Their grey, blue foliage is extremely effective in both modern and traditional garden styles.

Fig trees

Figs are a tropical looking, small tree but extremely common in the Mediterranean region. With their forked foliage they are extremely aesthetic and can also be trained as a climbing shrub. These are typically grown for their delicious fruit which has a rich syrup like taste. In cooler climates they can be fruited well on a south facing wall. They like root restriction in order to fruit well so good for a large pot.

Citrus

What Mediterranean garden would be complete without some sort of citrus tree? Lemons and Oranges are a typical favourite in these garden styles. These are not as difficult to grow in cooler climates but do need long sunny days in order to fruit well. The best option for these is to grow them in large pots and put them in a greenhouse for the winter months.

Almonds

Almonds and also peaches which are genetically very similar are perfect for Mediterranean gardens. These small trees rarely grow above three metres tall and are extremely attractive. If grown in a suitable microclimate fruit well but their spring blossom alone is sublime.

Quince

These small fruit trees are typical of the Mediterranean and also very ornamental. They have very large, delicate, white flowers which are unusual for a fruit tree. Their yellow, pear like fruits are perfect for jams, jellies and preserves.

Bay tree

Bay trees are well known for their aromatic foliage commonly used in cooking. They do also have very attractive foliage and a restrained growing habit. Bay trees can be trained into lolly pop shapes and even low hedges. These can be a great way to inject some evergreen foliage into a Mediterranean border.

Fan palm

The Hardy Fan Palm or Trachycarpus fortuni is a hardy palm which can make any garden look more exotic. Originally from China this palm can take exceptionally cold conditions and grow to impressive sizes. This makes them perfect for that Mediterranean look even in colder climates. Just give them a sunny well drained position and they will reward you year after year.

Yucca gloriosa

Yucca gloriosa is a very attractive shrub that looks just like an indoor yucca plant. This extremely hardy yucca will live happily outside in temperate climates and even in part shade. Every year it throws up dramatic flower spikes full of dazzling white flowers. Be cautious if you have young children its leaves have very sharp spikes.

Callistemon

Also known as the bottle brush plant this attractive shrub is perfect for Mediterranean gardens. Originally from Australia this shrub has large and attractive red, bottle brush like flowers. In some ways its foliage resembles that of an olive tree. It can be easily pruned into various forms and is very drought tolerant. This shrub also does well in pots and is hardy to -5 degrees Celsius.

Agave

Agaves are extremely impressive plants which very much look like cacti. These are in fact very large succulents and can tolerate quite cold conditions. Traditionally from the Americas some agaves are hardy down to -10; however they do need good drainage! As they look so much like cacti like they are very effective in Mediterranean gardens.

Rosemary

Rosemary is a very well known for its culinary uses but it is also a very attractive evergreen shrub. These useful herbs are great for Mediterranean gardens and can even be clipped into hedges. Releasing a powerful aroma when you brush past, this plant actually smells of the Mediterranean!

Thyme

Another aromatic herb associated with the Mediterranean thyme both looks good and is useful in the kitchen. This plant is great as a ground cover forming large clumps of evergreen foliage. In summer it blooms with carpets of small flowers loved by the bees. This drought tolerant herb is perfect for rockeries or raised planters.

Sage

As well as being used in the kitchen sage also has other beneficial qualities! Sage comes in a range of foliage colours from white to tinted purple. This makes its evergreen foliage very beneficial. Sage also attracts bees, has beautiful flowers and smells wonderful.

Lavender

There are very few who do not appreciate the wonderful aroma of lavender. This small, evergreen shrub is a typical Mediterranean delight. As well as smelling amazing its light, grey foliage is so captivating especially when it dances in the breeze. In summer lavender is covered with striking purple flowers which the bees absolutely love.

Alchemilla mollis

Also known as ladies mantle this low growing, herbaceous perennial is native to southern Europe. It has wonderful, light green foliage which almost looks yellow. This small plant is effectively used as a ground cover in Mediterranean gardens and is extremely hardy.

Arundo donax

If you have ever spent much time in the Mediterranean you are sure to have seen this tall, bamboo like grass. Also known as 'Spanish Cane' this robust reed can reach up to 6 metres in height. This hardy plant naturally survives in lowland areas and marginal areas which completely dry out in the summer. This makes it extremely drought tolerant and hardy.

Pennisetum

These small grasses are very effective in garden borders and are famous for their large, spiky seed heads. Their foliage and seed stems dance in the breeze providing movement and drama. They can be mass planted to create ground cover and have a grey, green foliage.

Euphorbia

Euphorbias are a very large group of plants which have very distinctive, jagged foliage. These interesting plants are generally native to hot climates but are very widespread and hardy. Their foliage displays shades of grey, green through to light yellow. Their general drought tolerance makes them perfect for Mediterranean gardens.

Sedums

Sedums are another wide ranging plant species spanning from large perennials to tiny rock dwelling plants. Sedums are very much like succulents storing water in their leaves. This makes them perfect for dry, arid conditions. Some favourites of this garden theme are sedums like Sedum Herbsfreude ‘Autumn Joy’.

Agapanthus

Agapanthus is actually a very close relation of the onion family. Also known as ‘Lilly of the Nile’ this species is actually native to South Africa and loves warm, sunny conditions. Every summer they throw up magnificent flowering spikes with circular clusters of impressive flower blooms. These look fantastic in Mediterranean planting schemes and even do well in pots.

Artichokes

Artichokes are often more thought of as a vegetable but they are actually extremely attractive, perennial plants. Native to the Mediterranean these very architectural perennials have striking, silver foliage and magnificent blue flowers. That is if you don’t want to harvest them when they are young that is. Their close relative, 'Cardoons' are also very effective in a Mediterranean borders.

Mediterranean garden elements

If you are designing a Mediterranean garden there are some elements which are typical of these gardens. We have listed and described some of these common elements here to help inspire your own Mediterranean garden.

Dry stone walls

Dry stone walls are traditional of Mediterranean regions as rocks are readily available. These aesthetic and rustic features in the landscape are used to contain animals and reinforce boundaries. These can also be very effective in 'Gabions' which are metal cages containing evenly graded rocks. Not only do these look great they can also create micro climates and shelter for wildlife.

Raised beds

Raised beds are particularly good to create well drained planting areas if you have more moisture retentive soil. This is vital in cooler climates as Mediterranean plants can easily rot during the winter months. Raised beds give you the opportunity to choose your own soil type. Typically good quality topsoil with added grit for drainage is perfect. Raised beds can be built with large timbers such as sleepers or masonry. Beds built out of brick and concrete can be painted or surfaced with cladding or tiles.

Pots

Pots are a great way to add extra planting to your garden. They also allow you to raise planting areas up exposing them to more sunlight. Soil inside pots is always better drained than in the ground. Especially if you live in an area with high rainfall pots can provide you with better conditions for drought tolerant plants. They are great for populating warm patios without having to excavate out planting beds.

Gravels

Mediterranean climates don’t really have lawns due to their lack of rainfall. Therefore gravels are a more common surfacing material and can be a good lawn alternative. In cooler climates gravels can be a much cheaper method of surfacing large areas.

The loose gravels can help to lighten up areas and enhance a gardens micro climate. Gravel areas can almost look like miniature deserts and are very effective with plants like palms and succulents. This helps to create that Mediterranean feel and provides extra seating opportunities beyond the patio.

Rockeries

Rockeries are a great way to create miniature, mountainous, outcrops in your garden. A good way to save money when excavating a pond or patio is to mound up the soil to create a rockery. The deeper sub-soils in your garden can bake hard in the sun which works really well with rocks.

This effect if done properly can make a very effective garden feature. The well drained crevices between rocks are perfect places to plant succulents and sedums. You can go even further and create sandy hollows in the hope of attracting small reptiles.

Patios

Most gardens have some form of patio or seating area. However in Mediterranean gardens they have that little bit more importance. In order to embrace the outside living, lifestyle your garden really needs a generous patio space.

This is so you can host fabulous gatherings with friends and family impressing them with your hospitality. Stone patios in particular help to increase your gardens urban heat island effect making them warmer. Natural stones also help to replicate the natural rusticity of authentic, Mediterranean gardens.

Mosaics

Mosaics are an art which date back thousands of years to the Mediterranean region. Ancient Greeks and Romans would put hours of labour into creating these masterpieces.

Some impressive examples of these can be seen in Greek monasteries and Roman settlements like Pompeii. A full sized patio created from Mosaic may be a push for the average garden project. However small mosaics are attainable by using small 'off cuts' of tiles with external adhesive.

Outside ovens

Outside ovens are typical of small, Greek gardens and open spaces throughout the Mediterranean. These spherical ovens are capable of reaching exceptional temperatures and can cook multiple dishes at once. My family in Cyprus would heat up their garden oven the night before a social gathering. Foods such as stews and meats would be covered and slow cooked over night.

The next day the food would be cooked perfectly! No rushing about, no work, no panic just full glasses, happy faces and of course happy tummies. There are now similar ovens on the market you can purchase including large pizza ovens. These can also double up as patio heaters, creating heat traps if you utilise good, garden design and planning.

Pergolas

Traditional Mediterranean gardens regularly use pergolas of all shapes and sizes. These are not simply aesthetic features but have a more functional aspect. During the summer months the intense heat of the sun would make patios unbearable.

Pergolas with climbing plants like grapes would provide much needed shade as well as fruit. In the autumn the vines would shed their leaves allowing patios to warm in the winter sun. This genius landscape planning can be seen across the Mediterranean and is both functional and aesthetic. Pergolas are a great way to create height and shade in your very own garden project.

Lighting

Landscaping with garden lighting is generally more common in the Mediterranean. Particularly in summer night time temperatures are much more favourable. This is probably one of the reasons gatherings go on late into the night! When planning a Mediterranean garden lighting can be an essential ingredient to give your scheme the whole package. As well as providing lighting to seating areas, lights can illuminate focal points, architectural plants and pathways.

Herb gardens

A typical function of traditional Mediterranean gardens is to act as an extension of the kitchen. Herbs for making salads, seasoning food and even herbal teas are a functional delight. Try to adorn your seating areas with the smell of fresh and fragrant herbs. Not only do they look great their scent can be very mood enhancing and appetite enticing! Herbs such as Greek oregano and mint are especially effective and perfect picked fresh from the patio!

Water

Due to water being a scarce resource in hot, Mediterranean climates it is no wonder it is celebrated in gardens. This is more so the case in regions with more Arab influences such as North Africa and Spain. Water is always a good accompaniment to arid style gardens and can represent the fragility of life.

There are many ways of effectively integrating water into your garden space. It can be a simple water feature in the centre of a dry garden or a more elaborate pond. The visual and acoustic effect of water in Mediterranean gardens can be both effective and culturally significant.

For more information and inspiration on Mediterranean gardens I recommend: Create a Mediterranean Garden

Create a Mediterranean Garden

I hope you have enjoyed reading my article on how to make a Mediterranean garden. If you want to share your project with us please feel free to send us images. If you need help designing or building a Mediterranean please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thinking of creating your very own Mediterranean garden? Why not visit our Resource page or recommended landscaping tools article here.

Our landscape services cover Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire Hertfordshire and the Chiltern region.

Some of our typical project locations include; Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Berkhamsted, Chalfont, Chesham, Gerard's Cross, Great Missenden, High Wycombe, Princes Risborough and Wendover.

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32 Essential Landscaping Tools & Their Uses

1/17/2021

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This article contains affiliate links

Landscaping is both a trade and past time carried out by thousands of people every year. From DIY, garden make over’s to professional outfits no trade is as wide ranging and varied as landscaping.

Hard and soft landscaping is carried out over incredibly varying scales. Projects can range from large, commercial landscaping to smaller, garden installations. Due to intense physical, activity and working with nature landscapers are some of the fittest and happiest people in the workforce.

This is not to mask the fact however that landscaping is hard work. Being at the mercy of both weather and the seasons landscaping is logistical and sometimes brutal. Therefore it is essential that every landscaper works as efficiently as possible when conditions are favourable.

The biggest part of this equation is having the right tool for the right job. If you are a weekend garden builder, new to landscaping or seasoned professional, I have listed the best and essential landscaping tools and their uses here.

All tools displayed below are featured on Amazon and I have linked to them with monetised affiliate links. This means if you buy any product through these links I will receive a small commission.

Ground working

Ground working is a fundamental and staple activity for landscapers. Ground working involves the excavation, shaping and transportation of soil which is essential in most projects.

Although large quantities of soil are preferred to be moved with excavators a landscaper always needs to carry out more detailed digging work by hand. Add to the fact excavators do not always have easy access to project locations.

Excavators can also cause a lot of damage to existing landscaping features especially in damp conditions. Consequently landscapers regularly need to be skilled and physically conditioned to work the ground in all weathers.

This includes excavating to consistent depths, levels and soil finishes. This includes perfectly graded and levelled ground in preparation for seeding and turfing. Below we have listed the most essential landscaping tools for ground working.

Spades

Spades are generally about a metre long with a square blade at the end and a handle at the other. This tool is a landscaping staple particularly used for digging neat and consistent sections of ground. Here is a typical landscaping spade available on Amazon

Long handled shovel

Shovels generally are similar in shape to spades but with a larger working blade. Used more for scooping up loose materials shovels have a slightly, more angled body. However long, handled shovels are far superior in my opinion. Their extra length makes for more mechanical leverage which is easier on the lower back. There is a link to the example below here on Amazon.

Mattock

Most people unfamiliar with landscaping tools think this a 'pickaxe' at first glance. Pick axes working parts are longer, narrower and rely more on mechanical leverage. Although pick axes are good for penetrating compacted substrates mattocks are generally better for breaking up soil.

With their wider, shorter and thicker blades they can break up much larger sections of soil. There alternate vertical blade is also extremely effective at cutting through thick roots. The Mattock at the bottom left is available on Amazon here.

Graft

Grafts consist of a long, 2 metre metal pole with a narrow and robust spade forged to the end. An absolute essential tool of fencers it is extremely good at loosening compacted, deep soil.

This spear like tool can be thrust deeply cutting through roots and dislodging buried concrete. The graft is also excellent at loosening the top 6 inches of soil with a vertical spearing and levering action. This graft is perfect for horizontal excavations such as digging out patios and can be found on Amazon here.

Post hole digger

These are two, long handled spades with the base of each blade connected via a strong hinge. This enables the landscaper to thrust downward into deep holes to collect loose material. This can then be lifted out and removed the deeper you dig. These are essential tools for landscapers who regularly excavate post holes. The post diggers below can be found on Amazon.

Wheel barrow

The humble wheel barrow is one of the most essential landscaping tools, most landscapers could not operate without them. These simple contraptions consist of a metal vessel mounted onto a frame with handles and a single wheel.

Barrows allow you to carry full loads of soil and aggregates for considerable distances with relative ease. A typical wheel barrow will carry 80 kg of hard aggregates such as sand and hardcore when full. Barrows also are extremely convenient for hand mixing mortar mixes. This popular barrow can be purchased on Amazon here.

Landscaping rake

Landscaping rakes are much more robust than typical gardening rakes. These generally consist of a long, robust wooden handle and a wide head. The rake head has thick, tubular 'tines' or teeth which can be used to rake out beds of loose soil and aggregates. This landscaping rake below is available on amazon here.

Setting out

Setting out is an essential part of landscaping. More often than not a landscaper is either working to a garden design drawing or specific specifications. When dealing with materials simply digging an extra 2cm depth over a large area can lead to significant quantities.

When considering modern waste and material costs poor setting out can break a projects budget. Therefore setting out precise measurements and quantifying levels is an essential landscaping skill.

In order for a landscaper to be effective in setting out he will also require some tools. These essential setting out landscaping tools have been listed and described below.

String line

String lines are one of the only true definitive ways of creating a physical line from one feature to another.

This makes them invaluable for building straight edges and landscape installations. Being one of the most crucial landscaping tools they are also one of the most simplest. These generally consist of a flexible cord of string with a metal pin at each end.

The pins can be used to hammer each pin securely into surfaces to anchor them. Setting up string lines correctly can take some practice! It is important to keep testing your strings position as you work so you don’t accidently drift off target. To access the string line and pins below find them on Amazon here.

Long spirit levels

Long levels the kind of which bricklayers use are extremely effective landscaping tools. These enable you to check levels and falls spanning wider distances which is crucial in landscaping.

These levels are commonly used for ‘pegging out’ particularly when excavating patios. Pegs are driven in to the ‘finished height’ of a surface. A long spirit level is then used to drive more pegs into the ground at the same level. This enables you to accurately excavate large areas to the same level. This professional Stanley level can be found on Amazon here.

Set square

Set squares are large, right angled set squares which enable you to accurately set out right angles. These are perfect for making sure new paths and borders are 90 degrees from the building. Typically landscaping set squares are made from thin metal slats with rivets. This means they can be folded out and locked into a triangle, then folded back for easy storage. The one below can be found on Amazon here.

Laser level

Laser levels are small lasers which are typically mounted up on an extendable tripod. The laser mount has an adjustable, spirit level meaning you can project an accurate level over great distances. These are especially useful for larger, commercial landscaping projects and this professional Dewalt example is sold on Amazon here.

Tape measure

As landscaping requires accurate measuring over long and short distances tape measures are essential landscaping tools. Landscapers typically will have two types of these; 10 metre, Cased tape measures and 50 metre Open reel tape measures for longer distances. This 100 metre tape is available on Amazon here.

Masonry

Masonry work is the typical type of skill carried out by landscapers on a regular basis. Covering work such as brickwork, paving, rendering, cladding and dry stone walling, masonry projects require their own array of equipment.

Masonry materials are extremely durable and hard wearing generally requiring concrete foundations and cement based mortars. Consequently masonry work requires a whole new array of specific skills and landscaping tools. These have been listed and described below.

Brick layers trowel

A brick layers trowel is a large, flat trowel used for laying bricks but can also be used for a whole range of tasks. In landscaping these can be used to help lay concrete foundations, paving and stone work. However brick and block laying in general is a very common landscaping activity. The Marshalltown trowel below is typically used by professional bricklayers and can be found on Amazon here.

Pointing trowel

Pointing trowels very much resemble brick laying trowels but are much smaller. These can come in a few shape variations for specific pointing and cement finishing. The most common kind used in landscaping is a rounded end. This is the perfect trowel for smoothing out mortar fillets and jointing, we have linked to this popular Hogard trowel below.

Rubber mallet

Sometimes humorously referred to in the trade as a ‘persuader’ rubber mallets are ideal tampers. These are commonly used to tamp down paving onto wet mortar without cracking the pavers. Rubber mallets can also be used to move other heavy materials on mortar without causing surface trauma. The Maxpower rubber mallet below is a popular choice and is available on Amazon.

Spirit level

Spirit levels come in a variety of sizes and lengths. As discussed earlier spirit levels comprise of a straight edge with a levelling gauge. The gauge consists of a cavity filled with fluid and a single air bubble. The transparent compartment which encases the fluid has two parallel lines on the casing.

When the straight edge of the unit is held completely level the bubble sits perfectly within the two lines. Spirit levels also have a vertical gauge which levels the vertical plane or plumb. Spirit levels are essential landscaping tools and crucial for a wide range of external installations. Below is a classic example of a popular brand of spirit level, Stabila.

Club hammer

Club hammers are short, heavy, hammers with a large striking head. They allow for short, powerful blows to masonry and other robust, heavy materials. Club hammers however are traditionally used in partnership with bolsters. This stanley club hammer is available on Amazon here.

Bolster

Bolsters are a type of short and robust masonry chisel with a wide contact blade. These are traditionally used to cut bricks and blocks neatly in half. They are also effective at prizing open cracks, separating attached materials and chipping off protruding nuggets of cement. We have linked to this popular bolster brand below.

Timber work

Timber is an extremely versatile material which is both strong and flexible. Coming in a wide variety densities, grades and finishes it is no wonder it’s a popular landscaping material.

From raised planters, pergolas, decking, fencing to edging it has many garden uses. Consequently there are many landscaping tools which are specifically required for timber work. These range from heavy duty cutting tools to fixing and joining.

Circular saw

Circular saws are hand held electrical cutters suitable for cutting a wide range of timber. These small but powerful saws allow you cut timber quickly and efficiently. These are perfect for landscaping projects such as decking and custom built pergolas. This Makita circular saw is a very popular saw for general timber work.

Carpenters square

Very much like set squares these are effective for the marking and cutting of right angles. In timberwork this is extremely important for the precise cutting and joining. Below is a very popular carpenters square for landscaping timber work.

Jig saw

In landscaping jigsaws are particularly useful for the creation of formwork. Commonly known as shuttering formwork requires thin and flexible timber such as ply. This can be cut and fixed into shapes for moulding materials like concrete. Jigsaws are also useful for more intricate cutting of thin timber such as deck boards and fencing panels. This Bosch jigsaw is a very popular choice and available on Amazon here.

Chainsaw

Chainsaws are not the most common landscaping tools but most landscapers do own one. This is due to the fact they are unmatched when it comes to cutting very thick timbers. For example timber sleepers are more than a handful for most electric saws.

In order to achieve a clean, right, angle cut however they are best used with a 'Handy saw horse'. Chain saws are also good at cutting logs and creating rustic sculpture. These are however are extremely dangerous and should only be operated by trained professionals. Stihl chainsaws like the one below are the professionals chainsaw of choice.

Cordless drill

Cordless drills are essential for the quick drilling and fixing of timber in those awkward spaces. These are effective at fixing joist work especially on high up pergolas or awkward decking joists. Every landscaper is pretty much guaranteed to own one and can be used for a variety of other projects. The Makita combi cordless drill below is very popular with landscapers and available onAmazon here.

Extension cable

Not really thought of as a landscaping tool but every landscaper would be lost without a long and robust extension cable. These reels generally host 4 standard plug sockets and provide you with electrical power even in the largest of gardens.

Landscaping power tools

Landscaping requires physical effort but for most projects man power alone is simply not enough. Some of the most effective landscaping tools are power tools, some of which you simply can’t do without. From demolition to mixing mortar to cutting and compaction I have listed the top landscaping power tools below.

Breakers

Breakers come in a variety of sizes and grades and are usually either electric or hydraulic. Most of the time a landscaper doesn’t really need to own a heavy duty breaker. If encountering strong concrete more than 100mm it is probably best to hire a larger machine. Most of the time smaller, hand held breakers are good value and are enough for most landscaping projects. This hand held VonHaus breaker is a good example and is available on Amazon here.

Grinders

Grinders come in three common sizes; 12inch, 9inch and 4.5inch. The smallest of these are less effective for landscaping in general but good for chasing out pointing. Both 9inch and 12inch are more typically used and fitted with a diamond blade. These are perfect for cutting paving and to create a clean edge to stone or concrete surfaces. This 9 inch Makita grinder is a very effective all-round landscaping power tool.

Power drills

Power drills provide just that extra clout that cordless drills lack. SDS drills in particular are more suitable for heavy duty landscaping tasks. They have a more robust attachment grip between the drills shaft and the working attachments. This makes them less likely to slip during high, velocity tasks. These also have a hammer and chisel setting providing a wide range of uses. This JCB power drill is a popular choice and available here.

Pressure washers

Not only are pressure washers effective at revamping old surfaces they are perfect landscaping tools. This is mainly for the task of cleaning a project after completion. Typically wheel barrows and footfall during bad weather can compact dirt and materials into surfaces. Pressure washers enable you to clean a project thoroughly before you leave which always leads to happy clients.

Compacter plate

Compactor plates are heavy machines which vibrate at a high velocity. This makes them perfect for compacting base aggregates and in particular MOT Type 1. Commonly known as 'whackers' these landscaping tools utilise an action called vibro compaction. This is where angular particles vibrate together so violently they almost bind together in dense compaction. These are most commonly used in surfacing projects such as paving. This Hyundai petrol compaction plate is perfect for compacting sub bases for a multitude of surfaces and is available on Amazon here.

Cement mixer

Cement mixers are quite simply a staple landscaping tool with very few professional projects not requiring one. For this reason it is unlikely a landscaper would not own their own. Cement mixers are particularly valued for landscapers who undertake a lot of brickwork and paving. You can purchase either electric or gasoline cement mixers to suit your preference. This electric portable cement mixer is available on Amazon here.

Generator

Generators can be vital landscaping tools for landscapers who regularly find themselves off grid. This is commonly the case on larger, commercial, landscaping projects or in rural locations. Generators can be a great way to move power around with you on large sites with no threat of severing cables. Generators are always a good thing to have just in case there is a prolonged power cut. This portable, petrol, Parker brand generator is great for working off grid and is available here.

Tiller

It is very common for landscapers to prepare planting beds or areas to be turfed or seeded. One of the best ways to work the soil to a loose and crumbly texture is to use a tiller. These powerful machines have rotating blades which cut deeply and turn the ground. This breaks up clods of soil and makes it easy to work to a fine tilth. These come in a range of sizes but the larger, more powerful gasoline machines are even more effective. ThisHyundai petrol tiller is perfect for heavy duty landscaping and turfing projects.

Thank you for reading our article on best landscaping tools. What do you think? Did we miss anything? Is there a particular landscaping tool you think is worthy of our list?

If you require landscape gardening or garden design services why not contact Paul and his team. Our landscape services cover Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire Hertfordshire and the Chiltern region.

Some of our typical project locations include; Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Berkhamsted, Chalfont, Chesham, Gerard's Cross, Great Missenden, High Wycombe, Princes Risborough and Wendover.

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How to revamp a patio

1/16/2021

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This article contains affiliate links

Patios are typically the transition point from the house into the garden. They can be created in a variety of methods, materials and styles.

Most often garden patios are created in two main ways; with in-situ concrete and concrete pavers or natural stone pavers. In this article we will cover how to revamp both types of patio.

Unlike wearing surfaces of the home, patios are constantly exposed to the rigours of the outside environment. Intense UV rays, freezing temperate, excessive damp, abrasion, biological stains, grease, and beverages all degrade a patios colour and condition.

The question is how to revamp a patio? Well the answer to that question will depend on what material your patio is and what has caused its degradation. It has to be said that ‘generally’ natural stone is easier to clean and revamp to good standard. However this will depend on its permeability and durability.

In-situ concrete and concrete paving with colour dyes are usually more troublesome to get to a high standard. This is because over time the acid within rain erodes the top wearing surface exposing the aggregate. The suns UV light also bleaches the concrete dyes leading to a grey, pasty, colour.

How to revamp a concrete patio?

Even though it’s difficult to revamp a concrete patio to its original state, there are many ways of improving it. This is the case for both in-situ concrete (expansive areas of wet mixed concrete) and paving. Below we have described the preparation, cleaning and re-colouration methods of revamping a concrete patio.

Discolouration of concrete

When concrete pavers or wet mixes are set they form a dense, 'sealed layer' on the surface called the cream. This is where high densities of hydrated cement rise above the aggregate mix on the surface. It is this strong, top layer where riven patterns and textures are moulded onto paving slabs.

Over time this strong, impervious layer breaks down as acid rain attacks the calcium within the concrete. This leads to an open textured surface which will now absorb surface water. This absorbance leads to the acceptance of stains and the formation of algae. Algae blooms can result in dark and even black stains which form deep within the concretes structure.

This action combined with fading concrete dye leads to extremely dirty looking and unattractive colouration. There are a few ways this can be solved however the first approach will be to clean the concrete.

Pressure washing

The best way to begin going about cleaning your concrete is to use a high power pressure washer. These typically plug into the mains power and also connect to an external tap. The high power water blasts deeply into the structure of the concrete.

This blasts out fine dust, dirt and algae blooms. Generally this method will dramatically change the appearance of the concrete to a lighter and cleaner tone. If so you may wish to simply leave it at that, or you could go further and seal it or stain it and then seal it. These will be discussed in coming paragraphs.

For powerful cleaning we recommend the Karcher Home Pressure Washer.

Brush cleaning

Although pressure washing is usually enough to clean concrete occasionally you may have to put in some elbow grease. If your concrete still looks stained or dirty you may have to try brushing in detergents for a deeper clean.

Generally for greases and oils household detergents such as washing up liquid and warm water are adequate. You can also add a couple of cups of ammonia and then brush this into the surface with a stiff brush.

You should try to use a vertical then horizontal motion or brush in a circles. After you have brushed over the whole area it ideally will be pressure washed. Now if you wish you can take things further by revamping you’re paving with colour.

How to colour an existing concrete patio?

Concrete paint

Concrete paint is a remarkably effective way of making tired concrete patios look as good as new. These come in a range of colours and can make cleaning and maintenance much easier.

To apply concrete paint make sure your patio has been cleaned thoroughly as described in the previous section. It is important that your patio has dried out completely before applying the paint. This is best done in summer so the paint seeps deeply into the concretes upper layer.

This will prevent scuffs taking off the top layer or surface flaking later. Even though concrete floor paint can dramatically change the look of a patio I find it does look painted! Even new concrete paving has different shades which makes it look more natural than a consistent, painted surface.

Such concrete floor paints are available on Amazon here.

The concrete dye method

Another way to colour your concrete patio is to use something called the dye method. This is a method which I theorised and tested in the images below. It works on the concept of staining the concrete with high strength, wet cement with added concrete dyes.

This is simply painted onto the concrete staining it the colour of the dye. Concrete dyes can be purchased in powder form and traditionally come in the limited colours of buffs, oranges, charcoals and reds.

This does give you some limitation in colour choice however these can be lightened by using white cement within the staining mix. The main benefit of this method is it seeps into the surface maintaining existing shade variations in the patio. This is particularly beneficial when staining old pavers which had some colour or shade variation.

Before

After

What you will need

Concrete dye

Traditionally sold in powder form in 1 kg cylinders these are available from most builder’s merchants or hardware suppliers. You will need around 1kg per 20metres squared of patio depending on how porous the surface is.

Cement dye

Cement

For lighter applications use white cement such as Snowcrete. Regular cement however is more than sufficient and is used in the example images below. Typically you will need 2kg of powdered cement for every 20metres squared of paving.

General purpose cement

5 gallon bucket

For mixing

Builders bucket

Pointing trowel

For mixing

pointing trowel

Heavy duty paint brush

For application

Masonry paint brushes

Dust mask

To prevent the inhalation of dust

Dust mask

Water proof gloves

To prevent concrete burns and staining to skin

Rubber elbow length gloves

Step 1: Preparation

Make sure the surface of your patio has been cleaned as described above with a pressure washer or brush cleaned. The surface of the concrete must be dry and able to absorb the wet, dye mix thoroughly. Consequently application should be carried out during the summer months. Application should take place just before night time so curing takes place slowly during cooler, night temperatures.

Step 2: Mixing

Firstly apply the dust mask so it makes a tight seal with your face, also apply your safety gloves. Mix the cement powder with the dye powder well in the gallon bucket. For a 20 square metre patio you will need 2 kg of cement powder to 1 kg of dye powder. Slowly apply water and mix thoroughly until the mix forms a single, cream like consistency.

Step 3: Application

Using the paint brush, brush the creamy mixture over the patios surface until it is stained. Keep working in the mixture so it has a consistent viscosity as over time the bottom may thicken. Keep going mixing more where necessary until the whole patio is covered.

Step4: Curing

Preferably the paving will be left to cure overnight away from direct sunlight. The paving should not be walked on if at all possible. The patio should be left to cure for no less than 24 hours.

Step 5: Washing

After 24 hours the patio can be given a thorough wash. This is to clean off any remaining residue from the staining mix. The result should be a beautifully revamped patio with a new bright colour tone.

Before

After

How to revamp a natural stone patio

Natural stone is generally easier to revamp if it is merely suffering with the effects of age. Staining from cements and other chemicals is a whole other subject matter. As natural stone paving is made up fully of its own materials its colours do not fade like concrete. Typically a robust pressure wash and clean is 'usually' all that is required to revamp them.

Pressure washing

As with concrete paving simply pressure wash the surface well with a high pressure, pressure washer. This is usually enough to blast out any staining, discolouration or absorbed dirt. Heavy duty pressure washers are available to rent from most tool, rental stores.

Brush cleaning

As with concrete, brushing in household detergents is usually enough to clean off oils and greases from natural paving. For deeper biological stains a squirt of bleach can also be effective. Before using any cleaning detergents and especially bleach make sure you trial a small area first.

Do this in an inconspicuous part of the patio to make sure it does not react with the material. Patio cleaners containing strong acids should also be avoided especially with sandstones and black limestones. These can cause chemical reactions and severe discolouration. Most of the time a good brush clean with suitable patio cleaners is enough to revamp natural paving.

Polishing

This is a process where hard surfaces, typically concrete are polished with a series of abrasive pads. These pads, usually textured with granite or diamond particles grind down the existing surface.

The polishing pads come in grades which can smooth concrete and stone to a smooth, glass like finish. Generally this method is not optimum for patios as it can make an external surface slippery. Also the heavy duty polishing machines can flip loose paving and not access tight corners. Polishing is generally a more common treatment for in-situ concrete than paving.

Sand blasting

Sandblasting also known as abrasive blasting and is the process of blasting sand at high pressure onto surfaces. This abrasive action can be used to smooth rough stone or erode top layers of stone and concrete. Such blasting can lead to a desirable, egg shell, textured surface especially in natural stone. Blasting can revamp patios but due to its cost only worth doing on well laid, good quality, materials.

Jointing

Most of the time revamping a patio will also involve re-jointing. Jointing or pointing is the most common defect with patios. This is typically due to the fact the jointing has been done incorrectly. Jointing will also fail if the paving has been incorrectly laid or the wrong materials used. Jointing is prone to freeze and thaw action as well as dissolving in acid rain over time.

How to re-joint a patio

If a part of your patio revamp also requires re-jointing then this is what you must do:

Remove all existing pointing from the patio, this can be done by cutting them out with a grinder or hammer and bolster.

Check none of the paving slabs move when walked upon if they do they will need to be relayed on a ‘consistent 1:4 wet mortar mix bed’. This will then need to be left to cure for 24hours. It is then essential to remove any fine dust or debris from the jointing gaps. This can be done with a heavy duty blower or pressure jet.

You need to wait for a dry day with ‘no rain in the forecast for 12 hours after the completed jointing. All paving and gaps must be bone dry before starting. With a bucket measure out a 3:1 jointing mix with one part cement and 3 parts plastering or Leighton Buzzard sand. Mix this dry until you reach a consistent colour. In a bucket mix water with some kind of mortar sealant, you can also usePVA.

Slowly add small amounts of the water to the dry mortar and mix it in. Be cautious here, if you put in too much water you will ruin the mix! The mix must be damp just enough to get a sealed finish but dry enough it does not smudge on the paving.

This is an art in its own right and you must take your time. Work the mix until it has a loose, granary, brown sugar like consistency. Using a pointing trowel scoop the mixture into the gaps and compact it with the edge of the trowel.

Make sure it is well compact particularly in the corners of the paving, using a jointing iron or hose pipe push down onto the mix and along the joint to make a neat, sealed finish. Brush excess mortar away and into the open gaps that are yet to be jointed. It is very important a very soft bristled hand brush is used here; (Large paint brush) otherwise you will brush lines in the jointing.

Repeat the process until the whole patio is complete. Because this is a strong mix it may start to dry out after a couple of hours. Consequently you can flick small amounts of water into the mortar as you go and remix it thoroughly.

Sealing a patio

Sealing involves applying a thin layer of an impervious substances to prevent water contacting and seeping into the subject. In this case patio sealers are generally made from chemicals which seep into the paving’s surface. This creates a waterproof layer which prevents penetrating damp and staining.

When revamping a patio using any methods described in this article it is a good idea to apply a sealant. This helps to preserve the patios, new, clean state and prevents it degrading further in the future.

There are plenty of good quality sealants on the market and some are now material specific, some of these have colour enhancing qualities.

Some natural stone paving such as sandstone actually looks better when it is damp. Some sealants are formulated to replicate dampness therefore improving its overall appearance.

To seal a patio firstly you must make sure your patio is clean of all debris and dust. On a warm, dry, day simply apply the sealant using either a large paintbrush or roller. Sealing is the best way to finalise your patio so it looks good for years to come.

Thompsons Patio & Block Paving Seal

Resiblock Indian Sandstone Sealer

Undertaking a new landscaping project yourself? Why not visit our helpful resource page and recommended landscaping tools article here.

If you need assistance in relaying or re-vamping a patio please do not hesitate to contact us.

Some of our typical, local project locations include; Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Berkhamsted, Chalfont, Chesham, Gerard's Cross, Great Missenden, High Wycombe, Princes Risborough and Wendover.

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12 ways to make your garden hedgehog friendly

1/13/2021

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How to make your garden hedgehog friendly

This article contains affiliate links

Hedgehogs are small woodland mammals famous for their spiky backs and ability to roll into a ball to avoid predators. These charismatic creatures are nocturnal spending most nights patrolling their territory feeding. Feeding on pest species such as slugs, snails, and insects hedgehogs are a welcome guest in our gardens.

However in the past 50 years, hedgehog numbers have crashed by somewhere in the region of 80%. These dramatic and depressing figures are due to a number of human induced factors. Minimalistic landscaping, pesticide usage, habitat loss, road fatalities, power tool injuries, lack of nest sites, aggressive pets, reduced access and reduced water sources are all to blame for this.

Hedgehogs have an extremely important role in our gardens providing much needed ecological pest control. Traditionally a mammal which inhabited woodlands, gardens used to provide havens for this species. However gardens have become hazardous places to be, extensive lawns, pesticides, power tools and less untidy spaces to hide.

If you want to make your garden more hedgehog friendly you have come to the right place! With some very simple installations and more intensive landscaping you can make your backyard a hedgehog paradise forever more!

1. Grow more plants

One of the biggest problems for hedgehogs in modern gardens is a lack of cover. Generally people today have less, spare time available to practice gardening duties. Busy work schedules and digital forms of entertainment have led to the ‘low maintenance age’.

Gardens have become laden with artificial lawns and paved surfaces leading to a reduction in hedgehog habitat. Hedgehogs need shelter and security in a garden with places to rest and forage for food.

The best way to start growing more plants is to create a garden border. Hedgehogs prefer dense and low growing vegetation so small shrubs are best. Try to grow native plants where you can and avoid plants with poisonous berries.

2. Provide a hedgehog home

In natural environments such as woodland hedgehogs can nest in small burrows, dense vegetation or the hollows of fallen trees.

Gardens have the added threat of aggressive pets such as dogs and cats so robust sheltering sites are essential. Nesting boxes are a perfect way to do this and ensure hedgehogs have suitable locations to safely rear their young.

The best way you can do this is to construct a solid, nesting box with concrete or brickwork. These can be integrated into landscape features such as walls or made to look like natural burrows.

However one of the most effective ways to provide a hedgehog home is to buy one pre-made. These Hedgehog homes come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and materials.

3. Create feeding stations

One of a hedgehog’s major challenges is food availability. In natural environments hedgehogs typically eat worms, insects, slugs and snails. However with gardens containing less and less of these hedgehogs can find it difficult to feed.

A good way to combat this is by creating a hedgehog, feeding station. This can simply be an upturned box or specific location you leave out food. Try to locate your feeding station somewhere hedgehogs do not need to break cover to get to. The idea is to create an accessible and safe location for them to feed.

Hedgehogs particularly like dog or cat food but stay away from fish. Chicken is best with jelly being better than gravy. Cat and dog biscuits are ok and there is now specialised hedgehog food you can purchase from wildlife suppliers.

Do not give them milk as hedgehogs are lactose intolerant and it can upset a hedgehog’s digestive system.

4. Provide safe access

In order to forage enough food and locate others, hedgehogs need room and access to roam. Remarkably hedgehog territories can be as much as 20 square hectares as they can roam up to 2 kilometres in a single night.

That’s a staggering distance which becomes extremely prohibited by walls and garden fences. It is therefore imperative for access to be given to hedgehogs either through or under these boundaries. Cut a hole 130mm in diameter at the bottom of your fence or leave out one slat.

Make sure your provide access to each garden boundary and persuade your neighbours to do the same. These access points will also benefit other local ecology within the local area.

5. Provide clean drinking water

Like all other forms of wildlife, fresh, clean and regular drinking water is essential. This will certainly make your garden more wildlife friendly especially in the dry summer months. Try to fill generous containers that will not easy be blown away easily with water.

Try not to use anything a hedgehog can become stuck inside. Once you have started providing drinking water make sure you keep it up. Hedgehogs have a mental map of all drinking spots in their territory and will come to rely upon them.

6. Make hibernacula’s

Hedgehogs need to hibernate for the winter and to do so require warm and sheltered places. In order to keep hedgehogs protected from the cold these need to be dry and sheltered with lots of soft bedding.

One of the most common causes for hedgehogs being killed is leaf piles being cleared and bonfires being lit. Bonfire piles are perfect places for hedgehogs to create a hibernation den. If you do have to start a fire keep you’re burning materials in a separate location, this way hedgehogs can escape when you start constructing the bonfire.

The best thing you can do to make your garden hedgehog friendly is to build a hibernacula. These are dense piles of brush and organic material deliberately constructed for hibernating hedgehogs. Try to make the bottom cosy with plenty of large gaps and bedding material. The top can be layered with branches, twigs and even garden soil.

7. Replace lawns with meadow

Before the days of petrol lawn mowers and commercial livestock feeds many landscapes were managed as wild meadows. These were kept to provide winter bedding and feed for grazing animals during the winter. These long, dense, grasslands were rich in wild plants and insects.

This made them perfect habitats for small mammals such as hedgehogs. One of the ways you could consider making your garden more hedgehog friendly is to create a wildflower meadow. Even by just leaving one part of your lawn to grow wild can be a massive benefit.

To create a meadow from existing lawn plant plug wildflowers, seed with a wild meadow seed or lay meadow turf.

8. Don’t use chemicals

A big problem with gardeners today is they readily use chemicals to get rid of things they don’t like. Herbicides, and insecticides may get rid of unwanted weeds and pests but they also poison the environment.

Even if these chemicals don’t kill smaller creatures outright they are consequently eaten by larger predators like hedgehogs. This can lead to poisoning and even death. By far the biggest chemical threat to hedgehogs is slug pellets. These common and readily available pellets are ingested by slugs and snails poisoning them. The result is dying slugs left in the open where hedgehogs feed on them.

This can result in poisoned hedgehogs which can easily become fatal. If you want to make your garden attractive to hedgehogs all chemicals should be avoided and slug pellets in particular should be out of bounds.

9. Boost local ecology

When trying to encourage any one species of wildlife it is important to know all life is a part of an ecosystem. The rich and more diverse your garden is the better for all forms of wildlife. Hedgehogs in particular need gardens rich in grubs, insects, beetles, slugs and worms.

These favourite foods will only be available in number if your garden has good, varied habitats. To increase ecology and wildlife habitats encourage natural decay, native plants and places for wildlife to shelter.

To boost soil ecology try to mix in plenty of organic matter to your borders. This will not only boost soil ecology it will also help to grow healthier plants. With larger numbers of prey species and rich habitats hedgehogs will soon be visiting your garden regularly.

10. Build a wildlife pond

There is probably nothing better you can do for hedgehogs than create a wildlife pond. This is really because a wildlife pond can provide such a boost to local ecology. Wildlife ponds can provide drinking water for hedgehogs but also encourage a whole range of new prey species.

Many aquatic insects visit ponds to lay their eggs and complete their lifecycles. This means they have a lure for small creatures within the local food chain. These can become an extra food source for hungry, foraging, hedgehogs. Always make sure your pond has sloping slides so hedgehogs and other wildlife can escape if they fall in.

11. Remove hazards

Hedgehogs can find themselves in a great deal of danger as most gardens contain significant hazards to them. If you want to attract hedgehogs into your garden you will have to minimise these as much as possible.

Before using power tools such as brush cutters and mowers make sure you check for resting hedgehogs. Similarly try to put sharp tools in a safe and secure place to stop them cutting themselves.

Hedgehogs are naturally wired to explore dark hollows. This makes them particularly liable to falling into deep holes and getting stuck in pipes. Make sure you repair broken manholes and cover over exposed pipes with gauze. Also cover over any ongoing excavation work or trenches.

Even if your garden is generally free of litter keep an eye open for stray litter and especially plastic. During windy weather or the day after a family gathering it is easy for litter to escape into the garden. With the added allure of the smell of food hedgehogs can easily become trapped or choke.

12. Build a compost heap

Compost heaps are a great way to recycle garden materials and produce organic compost. They are also great ways to attract hedgehogs to your garden.

Decomposing plant material within composters can become a hive of activity for worms, slugs and insect life. All three of these are also some of the hedgehog’s most favourite foods. Try to compost in open heaps instead of plastic bins.

This will enable hedgehogs to forage through the material seeking out prey. Larger more permanent composting heaps with woodier materials can even become warm places for hedgehogs to hibernate.

To encourage hedgehogs into your garden you will need to provide; access, food, shelter, water, and a healthy, garden ecosystem. By creating wildlife habitats such as log piles, meadows and dense vegetation they will have somewhere to feed, hibernate and raise their young.

Planning on creating a Hedgehog friendly garden yourself? Then why not visit our resource page and recommended landscaping tools article here.

If you require landscaping services or want to create a wildlife garden for hedgehogs feel free to contact us. We cover Buckinghamshire as well as the broader Chiltern area. We also cover Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire Bedfordshire as well as London.

Some of our typical, local project locations include; Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Berkhamsted, Chalfont, Chesham, Gerard's Cross, Great Missenden, High Wycombe, Princes Risborough and Wendover.

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How to make your garden more bird friendly

1/12/2021

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How to make your garden more bird friendly

This article contains affiliate links

Of all the creatures to grace our gardens birds have a charm which seems to be contagiously universal. Birds have the ability to bring atmosphere to a space with their singing evoking feelings of serenity and happiness. A vibrant bird population is an indicator of a healthy environment and one that is highly favoured.

Every year we spend millions on attracting birds to our gardens by feeding them and providing sanctuary. Their ability to fly and cover large distances means we can easily encourage them to feed in specific locations. This is an extremely beneficial way to bring the magic of nature into towns or for the less mobile.

Birds have the ability to thrill and excite us but they are also great at reducing garden pests.

However, every year for decades has seen consistent declines in wild bird numbers. Unfortunately this trend has continued to accelerate leading to an uncertain future. Large commercial, agriculture practices combined with over development and habitat loss all take the blame for this.

The good thing is our gardens continue to provide an invaluable source of food and shelter during these ecologically turbulent times. The dense patchwork of garden habitats have given birds the perfect places to feed, rest and in some cases reproduce.

With gardens being so important for modern birds the question is, How to make your garden more bird friendly? In this article I will describe all the things you can do to make your garden as preferential for wild birds as possible.

Provide a water source

One of the most important things you can do to help your garden birds is to provide water. Not only is clean water essential for them to drink it is also vital for washing. Birds bathe in water to keep their feathers in perfect condition to fly and keep themselves warm.

Water can be provided with a bird bath, a pond or simply in a large vessel. It is however important to point out that birds are at their most vulnerable to predators when bathing. Therefore it is best to purchase a raised bird bath or hanging bird bath which can easily be filled up regularly.

Provide bird feeders

One of the best ways to make your garden more bird friendly is to provide bird feeders. These are particularly important during the winter months when natural food sources are scarce. Bird feeders come in a wide variety of types, shapes and sizes. Some of these are better for certain species so providing variety is always a good idea.

Larger, wire net feeders are perfect for larger beaks and filled typically with peanuts. Dispenser feeders are ideal for loose seeds and benefit smaller birds, Fat balls are also a rich food source for smaller birds during the winter months.

If you want to encourage larger birds perhaps a high up feeding table or platform is a good option. However these can attract vermin and can easily be raided by squirrels. If you have problems with squirrels on your feeders read my article on how to get rid of squirrels here.

Do hard wood cutting in autumn

If you want to encourage birds to feed, shelter and nest in your garden you must disturb them as less as possible. Every spring and summer thousands of nest sites are either disturbed or destroyed during hedge cutting and garden clearances.

This can lead to the loss of a whole seasons generation of young birds! If you do need to carry out hard wood cutting it is best left until autumn when young birds have flown the nest.

Provide diverse wildlife habitat

Birds just like any other wildlife are connected through a diverse food web or ecosystem. As humans we sometimes we like to pick and choose what wildlife we want. This is not really how nature works and in order to encourage more birds we must accept to open our gardens to all wildlife.

By providing as many different diverse habitats as possible you will encourage other species which birds feed upon. By allowing our gardens to grow wilder we provide more opportunities for birds to feed, nest and hide from predators.

Provide nest building materials

Birds are expert nest builders! If you have ever found an old birds nest you can appreciate just what intricate and amazing structures there are. Commonly made up of fine twigs, feathers, grasses, soil and sometimes fabric bird nests are nature’s duvets.

The materials are painstakingly woven into a tight cup like structure providing a warm, snug compartment for incubation. The problem with most gardens is they are too tidy! Make sure you have plenty of organic debris around your garden so birds can find the materials they need to make good nests.

Large grasses such pampas grass has perfect fluffy seeds to create warm bedding for chicks. Trees with long, thin and flexible stems such as birch are perfect for weaving a nests outer shell. Alternatively you can rake up moss from your lawn or leave out old pieces of wool. You can also buy fabric balls or coconut fibre specifically made to provide birds with nesting materials.

Install nest boxes

A lack of suitable nest sites is one of the main reasons for dramatic reductions in our bird populations. Historically birds would use hollow cavities in old trees or build nests in dense sheltered thickets such as hedgerows.

Both of these have become increasingly rare in the past 100 years, hence nest boxes can become vital nesting sites. There are a variety of these on the market varying in size and material. Some bird species require a specific sized hole while others require a specific height from the ground.

Therefore it is important to do your research before mounting a specific nesting box. If you are feeling adventurous there are now live camera systems which can film the birds feeding their young.

Become a bird watcher

Bird watching is a thrilling and even addictive past time which indirectly will encourage birds to your garden. The more you learn to identify local birds and increase your knowledge the more likely you are keep feeders topped up and create more habitats.

You can never predict when a new species will occupy your garden or just visit seasonally. There are literally hundreds of species of birds which could visit your garden. The more you encourage them the more chance you have of being able to both spot them and identify them.

By slowly learning what bird species you have you will soon become an expert. The RSPB Pocket Guide to British Birds is a great resource for identifying local birds.

Plant more trees and shrubs

Birds by their very nature like to perch up high in dense vegetation. This helps them to stay up and out of the way of ground dwelling predators and camouflaged from areal predators.

Therefore the more trees and shrubs you have in your garden the better. Some birds like the wren appreciate low hedges which are densely vegetated while some prefer to perch higher up.

By providing a diverse variety of trees and shrubs the wider the range of bird species you will attract. If planting trees make sure they will not grow too big for your garden! If you have a small garden read our article on the best trees for small gardens here.

Create a hedge

Hedges have always been havens for garden birds, even in historical times. After the clearing of primeval forests to make way for agriculture hedgerows were planted to separate fields.

These green corridors helped to support nesting and feeding birds which once survived in woodlands. Hedges create dense and hidden thickets of vegetation which are perfect places for birds to feed and nest.

Hedges are also typically planted with species that provide food such as hawthorn or hazel. Gardens can be the perfect place to grow an edible hedge by planting species such as plums and chestnuts.

Provide plants which fruit all year

One of the best ways to make your garden bird friendly is grow plants which produce food all year. Climbers like ivy fruit late in winter when there’s not much other food around.

You can also grow small fruit trees like medlar whose fruit doesn’t ripen until mid winter. By planting fruiting trees and shrubs that produce throughout the year your garden will soon become prime, bird habitat.

Grow more climbers

Climbing plants have an amazing ability to colonise some of the most challenging of vertical surfaces. Typically most gardens vertical features such as fences and walls are left bare.

However by growing climbers up these you can encourage birds to both feed and nest amongst their foliage. If you do not wish climbers to grow up a boundary why not screen out bad views with trellis. These are perfect for growing fruiting climbers such as grapes or even figs.

Plant native species where you can

Today we all have a vast array of trees, shrubs and plants we can grow in our gardens. However the best species for local birds are species that are naturally occurring in your area. These native plants are more accustomed to the local environment and soil conditions.

Some bird species may have specific interactions with a certain, regional, plant species that are crucial to their survival. Try to research what plants are native to your area and include them where you can.

Install a green roof

Green roofs are becoming a more consistent feature within our urban environments. Typically included within planning applications for ecological mitigation these can benefit birds greatly.

Green roofs help to slow down surface run-off, insulate buildings and provide valuable wildlife habitat. These roofs are particularly useful to birds as they are up and away from ground dwelling predators. In some inner city examples rare birds have actually nested and reared young on green roofs.

Living roofs can easily be installed on top of any garden roof including sheds, garages, offices and even log stores. These can boost local biodiversity and help to increase bird numbers in your garden.

Replace your lawn with meadow

Garden lawns are one of the most common garden surfaces! They are reasonably easy to maintain, free draining and can host many garden activities. They are also however extremely unbeneficial to wildlife and local ecology. Lawns are also very energy intensive and polluting making them an unsustainable landscape feature.

Historically grasslands were managed more as wild meadows; this was to produce hay to feed livestock during the winter months. These hay meadows were rich in wild flowers and their dense, foliage was a rich habitat for insects. The numerous insects and flower seeds created a bountiful supply of food for local birds.

Wildflower meadows are becoming popular in gardens again once more and very beneficial to birds. To create a new meadow out of existing lawn plant wild flower plugs. Alternatively you can re-seed your lawn with native grasses and wildflowers.

Make an insect hotel

Insects are an integral part of a gardens ecological food chain. These small creatures are also extremely important for birds as they are an important source of dietary protein. It is a fact that the more insects you can attract in your garden the better it will be for encouraging birds.

One of the best ways to attract more insects to your garden is to create an insect hotel. These weird and wonderful structures can provide shelter and nesting opportunities for insects. These can be made from old pallets, logs or waste garden materials. Wall mountable insect hotels can also be purchased online.

Deter cats

There is much hatred put on cats by bird lovers but it’s important to remember it’s not the cats fault. Cats have a natural instinct to hunt; it is actually human development which makes it easier for cats to hunt birds.

Fences, low branches and dense vegetation all make gardens perfect places for cats to ambush birdlife. Try to place bird feeders, bathes, and bird boxes high up and away from cats.

If you want to repel cats put them off with smells they don’t like such as citrus. It is not fair, ethical or legal to harm a cat! If they consistently hunt birds in your garden try squirting them with a water pistol to scare them off.

Avoid using chemicals

An important thing to remember when making your garden more bird friendly is not use chemicals. Birds prey upon other smaller garden creatures such as slugs and insects. Both of these creatures are also targeted with chemical sprays and pellet poisons.

Even if garden chemicals do not kill garden creatures outright they can build up inside their bodies. Herbicides, insecticides and animal poisons can enter the cells of smaller creatures which then become food for birds.

This can lead to birds being poisoned and dying prematurely. It is extremely important if we want to encourage birds we must champion a clean environment. Practice organic principles where you can and do not use chemicals in your garden.

To make your garden more bird friendly you must provide good bird habitat. This involves an abundance of fruiting trees and shrubs for birds to perch safely and feed, Clean, fresh water to drink and bathe in, an ecologically rich environment full of diverse habitats and plenty of nesting opportunities. With some added installations such as bird feeders and nesting boxes your garden will become a haven for local birdlife throughout the year.

Thinking of making your garden more bird friendly yourself? Why not visit our resource page and recommended landscaping tools article here.

If you need assistance in designing or building a garden which is bird friendly please do not hesitate to contact us.

Our landscape gardeners serve The Chilterns including Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and West London.

Some of our typical, local project locations include; Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Berkhamsted, Chalfont, Chesham, Gerard's Cross, Great Missenden, High Wycombe, Princes Risborough and Wendover.

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How to make a cottage garden

1/11/2021

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This article contains affiliate links

There is probably nothing more picturesque than a traditional, English, cottage garden on a summer’s day. The cottage garden style has become famous over the years featuring in rural paintings and country magazines.

With their floral displays and rustic charm these gardens have a somewhat overgrown or wild nature. Flower borders are typically planted with tall perennials or annuals which self seed freely. This leads to flowerbeds with a ‘wild meadow’ effect and can also be very beneficial to wildlife.

Traditionally cottage gardens are set upon a backdrop of traditional English cottages. These rural, stone buildings with their thatched roofs can be centuries old. Their charming character has led to a compete romanticism around the style of cottage gardens.

However there is one thing about cottage gardens which make them truly versatile. Their theme and elements seems to be incorporated into almost any other situation, from small, urban gardens to contemporary garden design and modern courtyards.

Historically Cottage gardens were established out of necessity by farming peasants. These gardens were for growing fruits and vegetables as well as medicinal herbs and cut flowers. Consequently food growing is still an integral part of many modern, cottage gardens.

Back in the 1700’s there was a particular love of vibrant flowers. This combined with long, laborious, working hours led to the extensive use of perennials and self seeding annuals. Such flower borders require less intensive maintenance and almost form a dense meadow like thicket. These crowded out weeds and led to a sea of seasonal colour.

If you want to create your own cottage garden in this article we have broken down their typical elements. This will help you to plan, design and implement your very own traditional, cottage garden paradise.

Design

When designing your cottage garden or any garden you should always consider function first. What are the sites strengths and weaknesses? List these down on a piece of paper in separate columns.

Draw out a separate, existing plan of your garden and sketch out ideas on overlays of tracing paper. Try to maximise your sites strengths and design out its weaknesses. Perhaps you want to create a larger seating area in a sunnier part of the garden?

One of the most important design elements of any new garden is circulation. Think about how you currently move around your garden and how this can be improved. For example if you have a herb growing area this is best positioned within close access to the kitchen.

Cottage gardens are well known for their informal pathways, plan a circulatory path which will serve your movements well.

The most exciting part of designing your cottage garden is by exploring precedent images. Look at examples of cottage gardens online and collect ideas you like. These can include planting combinations, garden layouts or hard materials.

Take pictures of various angles and scenes of your existing garden. Using tracing paper, sketch out ideas over the top of your garden images. Eventually your sketches will start to evolve into hard proposals. These can now be sketched out onto a large scale plan of your garden.

Designing any garden can be daunting if you have no previous experience. However this process can be a lot of fun! By finding precedent images of cottage gardens you like you can be sure to sketch out exactly what you want. Below we have added some cottage garden elements you may wish to include in your cottage garden.

For more specific information on cottage garden design I recommend: Designing and Creating a Cottage Garden.

Wide borders

Cottage gardens are famous for their large, wide borders full of flowers. As beautiful as these are creating them can be a daunting experience. When creating wide borders you may have to accept they may look bare until your plants become established.

Hence it is a good idea to dig over the borders well and then apply mulch to the soils surface. This will stop weeds from competing with your young plants. When choosing your plants try to go for hardy perennials and summer flowering bulbs. These will come up every year and divide freely helping you to fill up your borders quickly.

Cottage garden plants

When most people think of cottage gardens they think of crowded beds with fountains of colour. Although this is typical there is a vast array of choice available that will work with this theme. There are even examples of Mediterranean plants such as palms and succulents which can work well in cottage gardens.

As a guide I would say try not to grow large, bushy shrubs and stick with things that are easy to maintain. Plants that maintain their natural form such as artichokes and grasses work well. Try to include plants with contrasting foliage and ones which flower at different times of the year. This will enable you to include as much seasonal interest as possible.

If you want to replicate traditional, cottage, garden, flower borders concentrate on planting flowers that come up every year. Summer flowering bulbs and perennial flowers such as Rudbeckia are perfect for such cottage garden borders.

Also include self seeding annuals like poppies which will dazzle the garden with colour every summer. Try to think about colour combinations that work well when planning cottage garden borders. For example reds and whites, yellow and blues and pinks and purples always work well together.

Herbs

Herb gardens have a typical affiliation with cottage gardens and also have a functional element. Traditionally positioned next to the kitchen of the home, herb gardens can also become central features. Raised beds of herbs can be planted next to pathways or at the front of flower borders. Herbs can be organised spatially for specific uses such as medicinal herbs, herbs for teas and seasoning meats.

Fruit trees

As cottage gardens were always places of productivity it is very common to have the odd fruit tree. If you have a small garden you can grow a variety on a dwarf rootstock. Many old cottage gardens would make use of a sunny south facing wall to train figs or even peaches. In addition to providing a seasonal crop fruit trees also produce glorious spring blossom!

Soil

Cottage gardens have a reputation of having extremely fertile soil full of nutrients. This is because historically cottage gardens were a place to recycle household waste. Manure from livestock, kitchen scraps and ashes from the fire were continuously spread upon flower borders. This made them extremely nutrient rich resulting in beds full of healthy, robust plants full of flowers. When creating your cottage garden make sure new borders are dug deeply with plenty of manure.

Little lawn

Although most cottage gardens can have lawn areas grass is not something which is necessary. Most cottage gardens boast larger planting areas with wide, generous paths and gravelled surfaces. If you want to make a cottage garden perhaps consider not having a lawn. A great alternative to lawn could be a wild flower meadow. This can attract wildlife and only needs to be cut once a year!

Fragrance

Using fragrant plants is typical of cottage gardens and can add a real boost to the senses. This is commonly done with rose gardens which line pathways or surround seating areas. Of course there are many other great, scented plants such as Jasmine, Honeysuckle and Viburnum which are also effective.

Gravels

Gravels are a typical surface for cottage gardens and are cheap, free draining and effective! The best gravels for cottage gardens are generally light or buff colours which give surfaces a lift. One of the most typical gravels used is 10mm or 20mm pea gravel. Cotswold stone, Oxfordshire shingle and free binding gravels such as Breedon is also very effective.

Paving

Natural stone paving has always been effective in Cottage gardens and is usually contextual. For example in Wales slate is used or Cotswold stone in the Southwest. However a wide range of materials can work in a cottage garden especially if you go for a contemporary look. I find that buff Indian sandstone on the market today isn’t a bad substitute for old York stone. This paving is typically very good value for natural stone and works very well in cottage gardens.

Brick

Bricks are a truly English tradition and come in a wide range of shades and textures. Made from fired, clay excavated from deep in the ground these take on varying characteristics depending on where they were quarried.

This gives bricks a contextual element with them commonly being used in cottage style gardens. Bricks can acquire more character as they age adding to the rustic cottage aesthetic. Typically bricks are laid into cottage garden paths using a basket weave or herringbone pattern.

Recycling

Recycling has always been a theme of cottage gardens which adds to their quirky nature. Generally gardens of agricultural peasants resourceful landscaping has always been a feature of cottage landscaping. Some examples of these include using old baths for raised beds and making sculpture from rusty waste metal. Perhaps you also have some ideas for some cool recycling in your own cottage themed garden?

Statues

Very typical of classical and English gardens statues are also elegant accompaniments to cottage gardens. From stone animals to religious figures, statues are a great way to create a focal point in a space.

Pergolas

Pergolas are a great way to add height and a vertical line to garden spaces. These can provide shade in very sunny parts of the garden as well as support for grape vines and scented climbers. Pergolas can be custom built from external grade timber or bought in kit form. These can range from simple structures to more elaborate extensive canopies. All are very effective in cottage gardens.

Quirky decor

There is something about cottage gardens which just make them accommodating to all kinds of unusual decor. This allows you to celebrate more personal, garden elements which would be more of a stretch with other design themes. From plaques with funny gardening quotes to unusual ornaments the opportunities are endless.

Cottage gardens for wildlife

Due to the dense plantings and informal nature of cottage gardens they lend themselves very well to wildlife gardening. Full flower borders provide plenty of food and cover for invertebrates, insects, amphibians, reptiles and small mammals.

Adding extra wildlife habitat to cottage gardens can be as simple as digging a pond or seeding a wild meadow. There are also many smaller installations which can attract extra wildlife to your project. Some of these include; bird boxes, bat boxes, feeding platforms, bug hotels and hedgehog homes.

Making a cottage garden can be a fulfilling and rewarding way to landscape your garden. You don’t have to live in a thatched cottage in the heart of England to do so either. With a combination of good design, planting and hard landscaping you can make the perfect cottage garden which works for you.

Cottage gardens can easily work well with other garden design themes and architectural styles. By integrating elements in this article you can have the perfect, personalised cottage garden even if you live in the centre of a busy town.

For more cottage garden inspiration I recommend: Cottage Gardens a Celebration of Britain's most Beautiful Cottage Gardens.

Thinking of designing and building your own cottage garden? Why not visit our useful resource page and recommended landscaping tools article here.

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How to improve your garden soil

1/10/2021

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This article contains affiliate links

Improving your gardens soil is the key to more successful gardening and growing robust, healthy plants.

One of the reasons gardeners struggle improving their soil is failing to understand it is a living breathing, entity. Topsoil is a resource which takes millions of years of erosion and biological process to form. Healthy topsoil is a complex, ecosystem of organic matter, minerals, rock dust, bacteria, fungi and invertebrates.

The problem is, human impacts on the ground such as synthetic fertilisers, chemical contamination, compaction and excessive digging can lead to soil degradation. This is where nutrients leach away or soil life perishes due to a lack of organic matter, compaction or excessive disturbance.

The key to improving your garden soil is rebalancing its ingredients and ecosystems. This intern will improve its structure, workability, drainage and fertility.

Diagnosing your soil type

All soils are different; this is because all localities share varying bedrock and vegetation types. The latter are for the most part what soils are made up of. If for instance you live in a river basin which has clay soil it is due to years of sedimentary deposits.

Clay soils are generally made up of eroded particles of shale rocks. These fine and dense particles absorb moisture readily and can compact densely over time.

This is why many gardeners dislike clay soil as it can become sodden and difficult to work. Similarly sandy soils form from the erosion and accumulation of sandstone particles. All soil composition is a direct result of its geographical location.

However this is not to say all soil is destined to be either good or bad for gardening. There are pros and cons of all soil types. The key to improving your particular garden soil is to work to its strengths! Through gradual amelioration your soil can become the very best, regardless of its current properties.

Clay

One of the most notorious soil types you hear gardeners complaining about is clay. This is because clay compacts easily especially when wet, during warm summers it dries out and bakes hard like rock. This makes it extremely laborious to work and for plants roots to penetrate. The positive aspect of clay soil is it retains both nutrients and moisture very well.

How to improve clay soil

To improve clay soils workability, texture and drainage you must deny its ability to clod and stick together. This will enable water to drain better and allow oxygen to penetrate the soils particles.

The best way to do this is add course, organic material. Material such pine needles, wood chips and broken down sticks will not just dissolve and allow clods to fall apart. By working in such material overtime organic soil life will start to multiply.

This will add gasses into the particles helping to break them apart. As invertebrates such as worms become greater in number their air chambers will help to oxygenate the soil. Improving clay soil relies upon a continuous system of adding such organic material every season. Grit and gypsum can also be added to help break clay soil apart.

Sandy

Just as clay soil is too heavy, sandy soil is light, free draining and finds it difficult to retain nutrients. On the plus side sandy soils are easy to work and warm up quickly during the spring time. Plants find it easy for their roots to penetrate deeply, the challenge is getting enough sustained fertility within its structure without it leaching away. It is good to remember some plants do thrive in these soils naturally.

How to improve sandy soil

If you have sandy soil it is important to remember that the freest draining, larger sand particles will be near the surface. Therefore it is beneficial to test dig the soil to see what its composition is like further down.

It is common to find a denser, cloggier, powdery soil much deeper down. This can be mixed into the top layers with a system of double digging. Then by mixing in plenty of course organic matter and manure you can boost moisture retention and fertility.

As with clay soil this needs to be a continuous annual process. However by doing this every few years will make a significant improvement to your sandy soil.

Loamy

By far one of the best soil types going is a loamy soil. This generally has a combination of the attributes of both sandy and clay soils. These soils are easy to dig but still have a clump forming nature.

This makes it easy for roots to penetrate but easy for both nutrients and moisture to be retained. If you have a loose, crumbly soil which you can form a ball in your hand it is most certainly a loam.

As there is not really any need to change the texture of these soils a regular amelioration schedule will be adequate. Aim at boosting soil ecology by adding plenty of organic material and manure.

PH

Soil PH is the measurement of either how acidic or alkali your soil is. The PH scale which measures this metric spans from 1-14, 1 being the most extreme end of acidity and 14 being the highest level of alkali.

Most garden plants prefer a neutral PH hence around 6 or 7. When contemplating improving your garden soil it is advantageous to find out what PH your soil sits at. This will govern what types of plants you are able to grow successfully.

Generally the majority of plants prefer neutral or slightly alkali soil. If you do have acidic soil you can add more calcareous materials such as lime and chalk. These will help to neutralise acidic conditions and create a more alkali soil.

There are now digital soil testers which can measure your soils acidity at the touch of a button.

Essential components of healthy soil:

All soil needs a good balance of healthy components in order for plants to thrive. If you find it challenging to get plants to grow well in your garden, chances are your soil lacks some of these essential components.

The best way to approach improving your soil is to begin to familiarise yourself with these healthy components listed below. By identifying possible deficiencies in these and gradually working them into the soil is sure to bring effective results.

Organic matter

One of the most common reasons for bad soil is the lack of organic matter present. This is no real surprise as in nature organic matter is continuously replaced. Fallen leaves, dead plants and animals all are a continuous source of organic matter to the soil. This keeps micro-organisms fed leading to vibrant soil ecology. Modern gardening typically aims to clear up fallen leaves and throw away dead or dying pants. This leads to a slow reduction of organic matter hence nutrients from the soil.

Free draining particles

Free draining particles can be a characteristic of the soils original bedrock, for example sandy soils are incredibly permeable. Generally free draining particles are ones which allow for small air gaps within the soils structure. This enables water to pass through freely and is most commonly attributed to organic matter.

Moisture retaining particles

A soils moisture content is extremely important for healthy plant growth. Having consistent moisture not too wet or not too dry is optimum. Not only is this beneficial for the plants themselves but also for abundant soil life. This helps bacteria, fungi and invertebrates to thrive breaking down organic particles and producing fertility. Moisture retaining particles can be attributed to absorbent soil articles such as clay and organic material.

Minerals

Soil minerals are generally derived from the weathered rock particles which originally formed the soil. Some of the most mineral rich soils on the planet are within the geographical reach of volcanic eruptions. This historical layering of ash and larva results in high levels of trace minerals. Mineral rock dusts can be bought in powder form and worked into the soil or added during composting.

Nitrogen

Nitrogen is a nutrient absolutely essential for plant growth! It helps the plant to grow its cells and carry out essential biological functions. A nitrogen deficiency in the soil will usually translate into stunted growth and premature death in plants. Nitrogen is a nutrient which needs to be replenished constantly hence it is a component part of most seasonal fertilisers. The best way to add nitrogen to your soil is mix in green organic matter, compost and manure.

Phosphates

Phosphorous is an extremely important plant nutrient and has an integral role helping the plant feed itself. It has a key importance in the metabolism of sugars, energy transfer and cell division for the vital process of photosynthesis in plants. In nature phosphorous is added to the soil by dead animals and droppings. This can be replicated by adding bone meal to your soil.

Potassium

Potassium commonly referred to as potash is a plant nutrient that particularly helps to induce flowering and fruiting. This makes it especially important for fruit and vegetable gardeners. This nutrient also helps plants to utilise available water and resist drought conditions. Potassium is commonly added to the soil by mixing in ashes from burnt, woody materials. However potassium like nitrogen and phosphorous can be added with a good quality organic fertiliser.

Oxygen

Oxygen is essential for good drainage and healthy soil life. If your garden soil is currently compacted make sure you dig it well and mix in plenty of organic matter. Over time soil life will help to keep consistent oxygen levels within the soil structure.

Water

Soil needs to be moisture retentive but at the same time well drained. Too much water will starve out oxygen and there is a risk the soil will become either stagnant or compacted. If you live in a naturally boggy area build raised beds to make your soil more free draining. During the summer months keeping your soil well irrigated is also vital to keep soil life hydrated and healthy.

Soil life

Soil life’s importance is generally underrated but a vital, component part of all healthy soil. To improve your gardens soil you must take steps to boost soil ecosystems.

This can be done by digging the soil as little as possible. This prevents sunlight and extreme temperatures killing submerged microorganisms. Organic matter can be added regularly preferably by mulching from the top as happens in nature.

This is the best way to encourage soil dwelling invertebrates, insects, bacteria and fungi. All of which are essential for healthy plants and soil.

Working the soil

If your soil has not been worked in a very long while it is probably nutrient poor and compacted. The only way to begin to solve this is by digging over the soil. Digging and turning the ground adds oxygen and begins to break up clotted particles. This gives it a loose structure so it can begin to except nutrients and moisture. There are two main ways of doing this; by hand or by mechanical methods such as tilling.

Hyundai Petrol Garden Tiller

Double digging

Most of the time when starting to dig over a new piece of soil gardeners will do a single dig. This is simply the depth of one spade or a spit. This is a good start to start working the soil to a loose structure.

However double digging is a much more effective method of working your garden soil. This is especially the case if the ground has not been worked in a very long time. Not only does digging two spits down provide a greater depth it can break through the underlying hardpan.

The hardpan is a compacted layer of ground which lies just under the top 30cm of soil. Breaking through this enables plants roots to reach much deeper depths and makes for better drainage. Typically a linear trench is dug two spades deep and fresh manure is laid in the bottom. The trench is then backfilled and the process is repeated.

Tilling

A great way to prepare extensive areas of ground is by tilling or rotivating. This is traditionally done by a mechanical tiller. These machines come in a range of sizes and have rotivating blades which cut into the soil. These machines do come in a wide range of capability levels. If your ground is extremely compacted it may need to be loosened by hand first. Tilling is a great way to work large areas of ground to a fine, friable texture.

Building raised beds

One certain way to improve your garden soil is to build raised beds. This can be done in a number of ways and with varying materials. Raised beds enable you to buy in good quality, humus, rich soil and heap this up on top of the existing ground.

This allows for a large root run and is an effective way to tackle poor garden soil. Raised beds are particularly effective if you have a high water table and want soil that drains well. The main drawback of building raised beds is it is laborious and therefore very expensive. Why not check out our article on building raised beds here.

No dig gardening

No dig gardening works on the idea of not turning the soil hence promoting healthy soil ecology. Organic mulch is continually added to the soils surface as would happen in nature. Eventually a robust soil ecosystem is encouraged leading to a healthy growing medium for plants. There is no doubt ‘no dig gardening’ is a sound way to build soil. However If you are starting with very hungry and compacted ground I would advise an initial dig before mulching.

Composting

One of the best ways to start improving your garden soil is to start composting. This allows you to harvest organic waste from your site and use it to enrich the soil. Lawn cuttings, hedge trimmings, weeds and dead plants can all be heaped up seasonally and composted.

Composting will allow you to recycle nutrients and slowly build your soils fertility. Vegetable scraps, untreated cardboard and paper can also be added to your composting regime. There are many different methods of composting including compost bins, tumblers and rollers.

Manures

In nature animal droppings deposited over time replenish the soils fertility. Your garden is not that much different other than the fact your garden borders are probably very nutrient demanding.

For this reason adding manure is an effective way of improving your gardens soil. Manure is high in nitrogen which is a nutritious food for plants. If applying fresh manure it is preferable to make sure it is rotted down first. This is so the high nitrogen content does not burn young plants. Some of the best manures for your garden are cow, horse and chicken manure.

Green Manures

Green manures are fast growing plants which cover the ground quickly. These are typically legumes meaning they fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and store it in their roots. These plants can then be dug into the soils surface while still green.

This adds fertility and helps to improve the soils structure. Usually a method used in crop rotation and vegetable gardening green manures offer an ecological way to improve your garden soil. Some crops such as broad beans can also be treated as green manures. When beans are harvested the dead plants can then be worked back into the soil.

Seed mixes of green manures can be purchased online.

If you want to improve your garden soil it is important to realise it is an ongoing process. Be prepared for some hard work in the beginning alleviating compaction and adding ameliorants.

Start recycling nutrients with composting and mulching. This will develop a rich soil ecosystem and a perfect growing medium that will reward you year after year.

If you are planning on improving your soil yourself, why not visit our helpful resource page or recommended landscaping tools article here.

If you need landscaping services do not hesitate to contact us. Some of our typical operational areas include: Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Berkhamsted, Chalfont, Chesham, Gerard's Cross, Great Missenden, High Wycombe, Princes Risborough and Wendover.

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How to make a woodland garden

1/10/2021

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This article contains affiliate links

A woodland garden is a garden which mimics forest environments within natural ecosystems. Woodland gardens do not even have to have large trees but will incorporate woodland species within a garden setting. These can be a shady area planted with shade loving shrubs, perennials, annuals and bulbs.

Woodland gardens can be both exciting and relaxing places to enjoy nature. It has been shown that naturalistic environments like woodlands can reduce stress and make us feel good. Planting a forest in your garden may be out of the question!

However woodland gardens are well within the realm of possibility for most gardens even very small ones. These can become a haven to escape the stresses of everyday life, a place to relax with your family and reconnect with nature.

Why make a woodland garden?

A typical scenario where you would want to create a woodland garden is where you already have established trees. These could be in your own garden or in surrounding gardens which cast shade on your site. This ‘borrowed landscape’ can be a way of making use of unwanted shade or boosting local wildlife habitat.

Woodlands are nature’s way of harvesting the suns energy in an efficient ecosystem. The varying canopies of vegetation create a lush, green environment rich in wildlife and seasonal delights. Do not be fooled by most typical woodlands in our countryside today. These plantations all contain trees the same age all with a single level canopy.

A good example of a completely natural, temperate forest is the Bialowieza Forest in Eastern Poland. This forest has never been cut and has varying canopy levels rich in biodiversity.

A well managed woodland garden can become a green oasis layered with vegetation and seasonal transformations. These can be planted with much smaller garden trees and plants to create thickets of colour.

You may want to plant a woodland scheme that encourages local birds! You may want an edible woodland, orchard or food forest creating layers of edible fruit, nuts, berries, mushrooms and tubers.

With woodland gardens quite possibly the opportunities are endless.

Designing your woodland garden

Whether you already have established trees or are starting from scratch you need a vision! Sometimes visualising a completed outcome in your mind is extremely challenging.

This is where you may need some precedent images to interpret what you want. By using visual search engines there are plenty of examples of effective woodland gardens. These can give you some great extra ideas as well as visualise your own project.

Take pictures of your garden from multiple angles. These can be printed out in black and white and sketched over using tracing paper. This can get the whole family involved in the planning process. Individual ideas and scenes from precedent images can also be overlaid onto images of your garden.

When you have physical proposals for your garden zones map them out on a sketch garden plan. Start making a list of plants you need to acquire, at what size and how long it will take them to reach their full height. Check out our articles on plants that love shady gardens and best trees for small gardens.

With all landscape design and build projects there will be some trial and error. Designing your woodland garden should be educational and also fun. The more time you spend doing research and planning out your garden the more chance you have of a successful outcome.

Creating enclosure

Woodland gardens are a fantastic opportunity to create enclosed spaces. These can be a great way to block out human development or urban views. Using canopies of foliage you can create your own secret haven for some much needed escapism. Creating enclosure with woodland gardens can also protect from strong winds, sound pollution and air pollution.

Seating areas

As well as creating enclosed areas woodland gardens can provide ideal settings for seating areas. These gathering spaces can provide much needed shade during the hot, summer months. There is something very therapeutic about sitting out with the family listening to rustling leaves and singing birdlife.

Contrast

Woodland gardens don’t just have to be dense, unmanageable jungles of greenery! Woodland gardens can give you the ability to take advantage of contrasting textures and colour. The bark of trees such as Birch, Cherry and Acer grisium look striking against contrasting back grounds. Woodland gardens can be planted with shrubs of varying foliage for dramatic contrast! These include the dark reds of Cotinus or the light greens of Lonicera to name a few.

Develop layered canopies

The way to plant a successful woodland garden is to develop woodland canopies. This is typical of natural woodlands which create very bio diverse environments.

When deciding what plants you want in your garden take note of their eventual height and spread. This way you can start to plan what your canopies will look like. Remember canopies are supposed to capture the suns light on many levels.

Make sure your plants are planted in order of height facing the sunlight. In the northern hemisphere this is 'south facing'. This way all levels of your canopies will capture enough sunlight to thrive.

Create a food forest

Not only can woodland gardens be tranquil and aesthetic they can also provide harvests.

Forest foods can produce amongst some of the most prestigious delicacies! Nut crops, rare fruits, cold weather yams, and mushrooms are just some of the woodland delights your woodland garden can provide.

By planting a combination of particular trees, shrubs and perennials you can create a food forest which will produce year after year with hardly any input. If you would like to know more about this concept study agro-forestry or I recommend Martin Crawford’s book ‘Creating a forest garden’ .

Create a journey with paths

With their shady enclosure and mysterious thickets woodland gardens are a great opportunity to create suspense and discovery. By creating winding paths through your woodland you can provide a journey which excites the senses. If planned meticulously these woodland pathways can become a seasonal display of excitement! Woodland paths make effective nature trails and are a lot of fun for children to learn and explore.

Bark chippings

One of the best surface materials to implement into your woodland garden is bark chippings or woodland mulch. This gives the garden a distinctive look and feel of natural woodland. In nature dead trees and plants fall to the ground and decompose on the forest floor.

The result is naturally occurring loose, woody mulch. Covering your garden with natural wood chip replicates the natural processes within woodland. This will encourage beneficial soil, plants and animals which promote healthy soil ecology. Wood chippings also allow you to suppress weeds and keep moisture retained within the woodlands soil.

Encourage wildlife

Creating a woodland garden gives you a unique opportunity to encourage wildlife. Having buzzing insects and singing birds gives the impression you are in real woodland. Hence it is fitting to add as many habitat boosters as possible.

These can include insect hotels, bird boxes and feeding stations in the tree canopies. Decomposing woody material alongside dense plantings and fruiting plants make woodland gardens fantastic for wildlife conservation. Eventually you will gain hours of pleasure watching creatures you have provided a green oasis for.

Woodland garden ideas

What makes woodland gardens really unique is the multitude of varying activities which can be hosted within them. Indeed woodland gardens create that little bit of accessible wilderness in our lives which evokes our sense of adventure. A well thought out woodland garden will encourage numerous new ways to use and enjoy your garden with the whole family. Below are just some of these exciting and interactive ideas!

Grottos

Grottos are a type of manmade cave which can be loads of fun for children. These can simply be a glorified garden shed or summer house, perfect for hiding away from the world! Grottos can be created in a whole range of styles from tribal like huts to Tee pee like structures.

Fire pits

What better way to enjoy your woodland garden than at night when the sun comes down. Humans have had camp fires in woodlands for thousands of years before the time of agriculture. Fire pits will give you the perfect opportunity to reconnect with nature and spend time with friends.

Wildlife huts

Wildlife huts or viewing hides are a fantastic way to watch wildlife in your woodland garden. These can be small, camouflage tents or more permanent structures built out of timber. The more permanent these are the more wildlife will get used to them, hence increasing good wildlife watching opportunities.

Log piles

Log piles are a great way to replicate dead and decaying wood in a natural woodland. This can add a vital habitat for rare beetles and fungi as well as giving creatures a place to hide. Logs can also look be extremely attractive features as a sort of natural sculpture. Logs can also be set vertically into the ground to create standing deadwood habitat.

Bird box cameras

Bird boxes are very effective at providing wild birds with suitable nesting sites. Woodland gardens also provide the extra opportunity to install bird boxes with live video recorders. These gadgets allow you to get a personal and up close view of birds rearing their young.

Bird feeders

Bird watching is an exciting and interactive way of enjoying your woodland garden as it establishes. One of the best ways to get the ball rolling bird watching is to install a bird feeder. These come in all shapes and sizes and can easily be hung from tree limbs or raised platforms.

Hedgehog homes

Hedgehogs are a huge fan of woodland gardens as they replicate their natural woodland habitats. Even though woodland gardens can be a great place for them to feed they can still lack good nesting sites. Hence installing a hedgehog home or nesting box is a great addition to your woodland garden project.

Growing mushrooms

Not many people know you can use the shady and humid conditions in your woodland to grow edible mushrooms! Expensive delicacies such as Oyster mushrooms and Shiitakes are typically grown on logs in woodland environments.

Simply acquire suitable logs from a tree surgeon and buy dowels infected with mushroom mycelium. To get started growing mushrooms you can purchase a mushroom growing kit or an informative book like: Mushroom Cultivation An Illustrated Guide to Growing Your Own Mushrooms at Home.

Hammocks

Woodland gardens by their very nature are very relaxing places to be! What better way to get the maximum relaxation out of your woodland garden than with a Hammock. These can easily be attached to fence posts or trees easily folding away when not in use. Hang out, read a book, have a drink or simply sit and watch the birds in your new woodland paradise.

Wild camping

Wild camping is camping with only the bare essentials within a wilderness setting. This is camping in its truest form and an extremely enjoyable way to enjoy nature. Your woodland garden will give you a unique opportunity to camp out in the wild. However you will never be far from the comfort of your own home, or bed!

Camera trapping

With new, digital technology camera trapping has become more accessible to people than ever. Digital camera traps are an amazing way to discover what lurks around your back yard at night. By creating a woodland garden you are sure to encourage all sorts of new wildlife to visit! Why not monitor what new species are moving into your woodland habitat and calling it home?

For more information and inspiration on creating shady or woodland planting schemes: Beth Chatto's Shade Garden is a useful resource.

Shade Garden

Planning on creating your own woodland garden? Why not visit ourresource page or recommended landscaping tools article here.

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The
Author
Paul Nicolaides
BA (Hons) Dip

Paul Nicolaides has over 30 years of recreational gardening and 20 years of professional landscaping experience. He has worked for landscape contractors including design and build practices across London and the South East. In 2006 he qualified with a BA Hons degree and post graduate diploma in Landscape Architecture. In 2009 he founded Ecospaces an ecological landscaping practice which aims to improve social cohesion and reduce climate change through landscaping. In 2016 he founded Buckinghamshire Landscape Gardeners which designs and builds gardens across Buckinghamshire and the South East. This blog aims to provide easy problem solving information to its audience and encourage others to take up the joy of landscaping and gardening.

How to make your garden more Bee Friendly

Types of garden bee ​

Bumble bees

Solitary bees

Create sheltered microclimates

Create bee hotels

Make bee nests

Mow less

Create a wildflower meadow

Weed less often

Provide linear features in the landscape

Grow plants bees love

Late winter flowering ​

Summer flowering ​

Autumn flowering ​

Grow vertically

Provide block planting

Do not use chemicals

Create a wildlife pond

Make a soil bank

Build dry stone walls

Build hibernacula’s

Don’t be afraid of bees

Learn to identify bees

Start bee keeping

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Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus