Landscaping

We’ve all been spending more time in our gardens recently and this may have inspired you transform your garden.

For when new planting and new furniture doesn’t cut it you can instead landscape your garden. This can be done in several different ways. Re-landscaping your garden can be fun and need not cost the earth.

Turf/Lawn

One of the most traditional features of many homes is that of a crisp green lawn. Perfect for lazing on or for playing sports, a patch of grass in your garden brings colour and texture to your outside space.

Creating or replacing a lawn in your garden can be straight forward. The two ways of doing so are as follows:

• Grow Your Own: Using grass seeds you can grow your own lawn. Whilst it can be satisfying to grow your own grass, this can be time consuming and requires plenty of watering and patience.
• Purchase Turf: You can purchase turf, normally in rolls, to give you an instant lawn with minimal effort.

The most popular way of creating a lawn is to purchase grown turf. It is important if you plan on laying out pre-grown turf to check the quality of what your purchasing. Poor quality turf may not take to your soil or could result in your garden having a patchy lawn.

Rolawn are one of the most prestigious brands when it comes to turf, as they have been in business since 1975 and ensure your turf is delivered to you in as fresh as condition as possible by harvesting the turf shortly before it is dispatched to you.

You can also buy pre-packaged or display turf from most garden centres or DIY shops. Whilst the cheaper way of obtaining turf, the quality will have diminished based on how long ago the turf was originally harvested.

We have previously created a guide to laying out your own lawn using Rolawn turf.

Paving

Creating a paved garden or patio space is also a very popular, and low maintenance option.

Paving slabs can be purchased individually giving you the flexibility to design and create your own paved area, or alternatively you can purchase kits which contain a set design and includes all of the required pre-cut paving slabs, making it easier to lay and complete.

Whereas grass requires maintenance, ensuring it is mowed and fed/watered during dry spells, paving provides a flat and uniformed appearance, perfect for positioning any garden tables and furniture on as the ground is level.

Laying paving is relatively straight forward, and whilst the process can differ depending on the kit or individual slabs you have purchased, the following steps form the basic method of completing:

• Measuring out the area: Ensure the area you plan to pave is clear and marked out.
• Dig out 100mm-200mm across the marked out area
• Using a patio basing kit, level out and compact the base
• Add a full bed of mortar under each slab. Lay out the slabs across the bed of mortar, and by using a soft rubber mallet tap each slab to ensure the slab is pushed into the mortar. Ensure you check with a spirit level that the slab is level.
• Once completed leave the area to dry, for at least one night, to ensure the mortar hardens. Should you have laid the patio during the winter, or should it begin to rain, cover the newly created paved area to give it some protection from the weather.

If you have purchased a kit which features a circular design ensure you start from the centre of the kit and work outwards. All kits will include specific instructions on how to lay them, so ensure you read through the recommendations on how the kit is prepared and laid.

Bark/Stones

A cheap and easy way to create a new look in your garden is to look to put down bark or stones. These are popular choices in creating pathways through your garden but can also be used to provide a base around other parts of your garden, including garden beds, rockeries and features such as ponds/fountains.

Bark helps to slow down the growth of weeds whilst also helping with water irrigation in your garden, perfect for if your garden suffers a lot from holding rain water. It can also help to regulate your soils temperature.

Stones can be cheap to obtain and are also available in a wide variety of colours, shapes and sizes. Again, these help to slow the appearance of weeds and provide decoration for your garden. They can be used round planting as they will not interfere with the growth and development of your trees/planting.

Combine Different Elements

All of the above elements work great together, and when used in different parts of your garden you can dramatically give your back or front garden a brand-new lease of life.

As an example, perhaps a paved patio with a bark marked path leading passed planting with decorative stones down to a lawn at the bottom of your garden?