7 Tips for Maximising Materials
See how careful garden design can meet your needs and make the most of your space.
You can count on a garden redesign to bring joy to your home and take your outdoor space to the next level. Careful garden design delivers lifetime benefits and it’s a pleasure to watch how these only multiply as the garden matures. However, when it comes to garden redesign, sometimes we fail to think in as much detail about the process of construction and design as we do about the finished product. It’s this attention to detail that enables us to create beautiful gardens that stand the test of time.
In this second part of our series on careful garden design, we take a look at how you can maximize your materials by choosing ones that are high-quality and durable, ensuring your garden is built to last.
1. A sensitive touch.
What do you want from your garden? What are the priorities for your design? These are typical questions that we always explore at the outset of any project, as we begin to piece together the overall brief. Knowing what’s important to you will allow you to focus your investment on these elements, and cut costs in less important areas. For example, main seating and entertaining areas could be paved in beautifully crafted stone, but paths and utility areas for washing, storage and so on, could be finished in cheaper materials such as gravel.
2. Work with the land.
Sympathetic design is a term used to describe the way a garden complements the surrounding area and the wider landscape. Let’s think: can you work with existing levels in your garden, for example, to minimize the amount of soil dig out or build up? Alternatively, if you need your garden design to provide privacy then what materials or plants could you use for your new outdoor space to be developed while remaining in harmony with the surrounding area? Your garden designer can help you find creative ways to enhance the existing features of your garden and make the most of its existing materials, levels and views. This gives your garden a connection with the surrounding area and an innate charm, plus you avoid expending unnecessary time and energy.
3. Investment for the long term.
You want a high-quality outdoor space for your home that will stand the test of time. For example, using oak or other hardwood timber instead of short-lived softwood timber. Additional investment in strong and durable materials such as stone, brick and composites may feel like an added expense in the beginning. However, whenever it is affordable, working with permanent materials rather than weaker substitutes is far more cost effective in the long run.
4. Source locally where possible.
These days, we all know that it’s not just what you buy that counts, but also where it’s from. There are countless benefits to buying locally sourced materials, from a reduction in supply chain problems to the way shopping local supports local communities and protects the environment. The closer to home your item is sourced – and what better place to live than Yorkshire – the smaller its carbon footprint is. Avoid long waits for items shipped from abroad and instead opt for good value, high quality items manufactured in the UK.
5. Install products correctly.
Raw materials have variable lifespans, but the right materials, in the right place, and installed by quality landscapers, can last for decades. How often have you come across loose and cracked paving, where a well-meaning, but poorly qualified, landscaper has just laid cheap stone from the local builders’ merchant on a few spots of concrete. Yet we walk every day on quality local paving stones that were carefully installed decades ago and which have barely moved since. Choose the right landscaper and materials, and there’s no reason why your paving shouldn’t stand the test of time either.
With the help of your designer, project manager and contractor, correct installation can help you achieve the maximum lifespan of every material you work with.
6. Lighting.
Spaces can look completely different at night. You can make the most of this with carefully chosen lighting: it gives definition to the different areas of your garden, profiles exquisite planting and creates the perfect atmosphere. It’s also important to choose lighting which is functional, durable and fit for purpose. Indeed, lighting which is IP68 rated or above is protected from water ingress, reducing the need for costly repairs or replacement.
7. Right plant, right place.
As garden designers we want to make sure your garden thrives. By considering soil types, aspects and local conditions we can make sure that the recommended planting works at its very best in your garden. If you’re in any doubt, don’t leave it to chance. The advice of a good designer will help you make confident decisions for planting that will thrive in just the right spots.
If you’re considering a garden redesign and want more advice on how to maximize materials, get in touch for a friendly consultation.