Benefits of a Tiered Garden Design

 

Garden design, when broken down to basics, is how you would like to arrange your plants, decking and all other garden ornaments within your garden. When landscapes are tiered, patterns and designs are achieved where the outcome often reflects the gardener’s organisational design and pattern dexterity. The benefits of tiered garden designs are not only limited to beauty as presented through art and design, but also have scientific benefits to humans, insects and soil.

Attracting Visitors

 

Naturally, beauty exposes itself, and the first thing to strike the mind when you approach a well-manicured landscape is the mixture of floral displays that captures various flowery shades set within the garden. This allows someone to stand a better chance at attracting visitors as the plant life incorporated within the landscape design offers refreshing air and beautiful views.

Tiered home gardening is more personalised than just mixing a bunch of flowers together. It allows room for someone to display their creativity and presentational skills in the form of garden design. With a wide range of patterns, styles and designs; creators can pull from a range of different sources to create the unique garden that they desire. 

Other benefits of tiered garden design are due to the amount of greenery implemented within the premises, allowing for the feeling of fresh air which creates a stress-free zone. The different scents from plants implemented can help anyone unwind.

Terraces

 

Some tiered garden designs take advantage of terraces in a step like display. With terraces built and flowers planted into the landscape, the effect of soil erosion is reduced tremendously. Besides increased plant coverage, whether flowers or vegetables are planted within a garden, the tiered garden design presents your creative vision in an interesting way. With regard to benefits to the soil, landscape gardening enhances soil quality by improving its structure.

For All Garden Sizes

 

A keen gardener set on transforming any space within a homestead into useful application looks no further than tiered gardening. 

Regardless of the size of the garden or topological challenge, landscape gardening can find a way in which to incorporate this style of landscape design. This argument stems from the fact that tiered gardening can be done in containers, in layered compartments or it may just take a special arrangement of stones in areas where plants cannot grow. Ideally, with landscaping, no piece of land within a homestead can be rendered useless.

All in all, tiered gardening is an existential culture that projects human creativity as it depicts beauty through landscaping. In the process, scientific benefits that border on soil structure, mind development as well as a refreshed environment stand to be reaped.

We hope that you find the information presented useful. If you would like to contact us about any of our services then feel free to use our online form.

source http://www.kitelandscapes.co.uk/benefits-of-a-tiered-garden-design/

Decking Boards | Everything you need to know

The outdoor space of every home acts as an extension of its interior. As such, it only makes sense that you build or update your deck to boost its value or even provide a peaceful retreat. However, decking can be an especially overwhelming job for homeowners. There are so many decking material options to choose from, all of which have their share of merits and demerits. With so many materials available, it can be difficult to know how to choose the best which decking boards can stand the test of time. It wasn’t so long ago that the only available decking material option was wood, that came in two or three different types. Well, today there is composite lumber, hardwood imports, plastic decking boards and other types of decking options available. 

Types of Decking Board Materials 

 1. Pressure-heated wood

This is one of the least expensive options in the market. The wood material is chemically treated to resist mould, insects, and rot. However, it tends to warp and crack over time, making it need a lot of ongoing maintenance.

2. Redwood

Redwood is a natural wood decking material. It is, however, a much rarer material. Thus, fetches a higher price, with the clear grades commanding more money. This is an expensive option as we all know that quality comes with a premium price tag.

3. Cedar

This material is available in both lightweight and strong options and can make for a beautiful deck. Being that wood also has naturally occurring oils help to make it resistant to insects and rot. But you still have to protect it from cracks and splinters using stain and sealer.

4. Composites

This is the fastest-growing decking material in the industry right now. They are made using wood fibres and recycled plastics. Thus, don’t splinter or warp and are impervious to rot and insects. They are also virtually maintenance-free and look and feel like actual wood.

5. Tropical hardwood

Most hardwoods are a luxury choice and can last up to 50 years or more. Ipe is one such hardwood, it can be stained with the UV filtered stains to protect the hardwood decking as well as transform the look of the decking to your choice. But you can also use oil-based penetrating sealers that are formulated specifically for tropical decking boards. They are also quite pricey.

6. Aluminum

This is a strong, weather-resistant material that’s also rust, rot, and insect-proof. It’s also very lightweight and comes in many colours. Its finish is thick with a slip-resistant coating added to it, which makes it maintenance-free. All these features are what makes aluminum decking boards fetch such high prices. 

 

 

Factors to Consider When Buying Decking Boards

Your home’s design

Of course, you want to have a deck that compliments your entire home. As such, it is crucial to look at the different designs, colour, and finishing of each material before settling on the best option. The design of the railing is also just as important as most manufacturers use different railings like mansion or provincial styles on their materials.

Weigh costs

By now, you know that different decking board materials have different price tags. However, when considering the pricing, be sure to factor in the costs of railings, supporting structure, and stairs. Even the planks underfoot are a necessary consideration. If you opt to hire a professional for the job, then ensure to note the cost of labour as well. It’s not cheap to build or repair decking board materials.

Deck-wise features

Here, you want to look into the decking board features like:

• Resistance to sun and spill.
• Stiffness and rigidity. 
• Design options.

Not paying attention to these features can leave you buying the wrong decking boards for your garden decor. And with the prices that these materials fetch, it’s only right that you make this a one-time-purchase. 

 

Conclusion

This article aims to provide you with as much information about different decking materials and options. With it, plus the considerations mentioned below, you should have a better idea of what you want and be more informed to make a buy decision. 

Here at Kite Landscapes, we offer a wide range of garden services in local Bracknell and surrounding areas, this includes garden design such as decking design, garden landscaping, as well as all maintenance work around your garden. If you need help with choosing the right decking materials for your outdoor project, please get in touch on 01344 886 331 or 07860 231 389, we are always happy to help.

source http://www.kitelandscapes.co.uk/decking-boards-you-need-to-know/

5 Creative Small Garden Ideas to Maximise Space

If you have a small garden area, but you desperately want it to not only look great but also have some style, you might have to get creative. Maximising space is one thing you seriously have to consider. There are lots of ways to use small garden designs to maximise space and to take your small garden landscaping to the next level. Here are 6 creative, small garden ideas that will get you thinking:

1. Wall Flower Display Made from Old Pallets

If you or a friend have any old wooden pallets lying about that you were going to throw away, don’t bother, because they can be turned into a wall-mounted flower display. You can break down the wooden panels from the pallets, paint them, and turn them into a shelf like vertical flower display that takes up only a small space and is ideal for placing flowers and plants.

 

2. Coffee, Food Cans and Jars as Plant Holders

If you are a big coffee drinker or have any old metal food cans or glass jars that might have been used for jam, they can easily be turned into cool little plant pots. They look great, and it’s an ecologically sound way to recycle used items, as opposed to throwing them away and impacting planet earth.

 

3. Hanging Gardens Made from Old Tires

This is an interesting way to spruce up your garden landscaping and cut down on garden maintenance. Have 3 old tires hanging beneath each other, hold together using a rope, and fill with plants to create an amazing hanging basket effect. If you are seeking low maintenance garden design ideas, this is a really creative one.

 

4. Vertical Gardens with Stacked Crates

If you have any old wooden crates that you do not use any more, you can stack them at angles and fill them with plants to create a vertical garden. This is a great way to make the most of the space with your small garden designs.

 

5. Making the Most of Garden Corners

One way to make the most of the limited garden space is to ensure you decorate the corners of your garden areas. These are the ideal points to create a collage of colourful flowers that give the garden more depth and character.

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Just because your garden area is small, it doesn’t mean you cannot make the most of your existing space. Small garden designs that use unique and creative ideas to do something different are very rewarding. You can use old items that you have laying around to create furnishings and displays that take your garden’s aesthetics to the next level. Get creative, have some fun, and maximise the space in your garden to create something exciting.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this blog post and discovered more creative ideas for small gardens. If you have any enquiries or wish to contact us, visit our contact page or call us on 01344 886 331.

source http://www.kitelandscapes.co.uk/5-creative-small-garden-ideas-to-maximise-space/

4 Garden Design Ideas Your Bound to Love

Finding a garden design that is unique and will suit the shape of your garden is not a simple task to get right. Proper planning can really make you create a paradise and with summer approaching you will be able to be out there all summer long. An awkward shaped or small garden can be changed into a really beautiful garden. Covering the garden with originality can really help in hiding the weak points of it though some small amount of labour is required.

 

First, before designing a garden, you need to clarify the purpose of the garden if it is for decoration, functional or a mixture. Look at the size and area of the garden you want to design, who will be using the area most and understand the nature of the soil and the climate in your area. Landscaping should follow some rules that are, the layout should include sitting areas, paths, play area if you have children and plants themselves. With children and a small garden, it can be a challenge in itself knowing where to start hanging flower baskets are a really great solution, they spruce up the garden whilst not getting trampled all over. A really fun idea is creating a fairy garden, get a small flower pot to add some flowers a small birdhouse and some rustic stones this could be really fun to make with children and give a magical feel to your garden.

 

Awkwardly shaped garden? Here are some design tips for you.

 

Sloping garden

A sloped garden can be made really pretty by putting on some stones steps that are curved all the way down to a small play area for the kids or a little shed used as a garden room. The lawn does not need much maintenance all you have to do is water it frequently. Flower plants can be planted on the steps like a boundary or if the maintenance of the flower becomes hard then green fern can be an alternative.

 

L-shaped garden

An L-shaped garden is another awkward garden. In this, you can make one side of the garden as a play for the kids or you can also make a greenhouse on the other side.

People who have small gardens can also create a garden of their dreams. Since space is a constraint you make it be curvy in order to make it look bigger. Instead of planting in the underground they can do in containers and that will allow much more space.  

 

Use leftover space effectively

There is a beauty in awkwardly shaped gardens, but you can be left with odd bits of empty space. You could maybe add a curing path so you can use all the space around the path and no awkward spaces should be empty. The path again will draw the eye to it so if any spaces are left they will go unnoticed.

 

Distract with height

Adding trees and archways with flowers can be a really great feature to an awkward shaped garden as it will draw the eye away from the small garden also this will make the garden seem a lot bigger due to the height of the garden. Having a strong focal point in the garden will draw the attention away from the awkward shaped or small garden.

 

We hope that this has helped you in designing your garden, or if you feel like you still need assistance don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01344 886 331 or head over to our website for more information to see how we could help you transform your garden.

source http://www.kitelandscapes.co.uk/4-garden-design-ideas-your-bound-to-love/

Thinking Ahead | Get Your Garden Ready for Those Summer Parties

Summer’s fast approaching, and with bank holiday weekends, longer evenings, and (hopefully) better weather, it’s time to start thinking about BBQs and summer parties. Here are our tips for preparing your garden for summer.

Keep insects under control

Before the problem gets out of control, watch out for insects like aphids or whiteflies whose populations become more numerous as our plants grow larger and less air circulates between them.

Remember to spray both the upper and lower leaves of your plants with low impact products (or most likely you will only make the situation worse sooner or later by killing entire biospheres of useful organisms), or soft soap or pepper spray / chili repellent in cycles of 7-10 days, so as not to kill some useful insects – such as ladybugs – that help keep these insects across the landscape under control.

Prune responsibly, do not overdo it

Trim the roses to give them a new lease of life and continue to pinch all the perennials and annuals by removing the faded or dead leaves to keep them thick and healthy and allow them to flourish again, increasing their flowering time. Pay particular attention to flowers that reproduce as easily as weeds once they have faded so as to maintain control over where they spread in our landscape or garden. If you want to propagate some plants, remember instead to save some faded heads to collect the seeds later.

Water well

Don’t forget to keep up with the watering; if the earth does not receive enough water, the roots remain close to the surface, which makes them even more exposed to heat. Watering deep, to allow the roots to dig deep, is a golden rule, so don’t just spray.

Along with summer comes high humidity. The high humidity can cause a lot of fungal problems: don’t water in the evening! Try to make sure your plants and your lawn are dry for the night and you can reduce the chance of fungus.

Don’t water the lawn as much as you think

The lawn highlights what is around us, but the lawns may need an enormous amount of water, which can be extremely expensive (as well as anti-ecological). What can be done is reducing watering to a minimum, mow less often and with the highest blades during dry periods. The lawn may turn yellow, but it will come back in autumn.

Keep weeds under control

You probably don’t even want to think about extracting another weed, but remember this: a weed that is allowed to spread is much more annoying. Do your best to get rid of weeds before they scatter their seeds throughout your garden for next spring. Most weed seeds will be killed by a compost pile that is properly hot, but if you are not sure, discard them to avoid putting them back in the garden!

The best time to pull the weeds is immediately after rain when they can be easily extracted.

Weeding is particularly important for the vegetable garden as any weed will compete with crops for moisture and essential nutrients.

Fertilize

There is always the temptation to fertilize excessively, but this translates only into poor growth that is vulnerable to pests and diseases. So why waste money on useless fertilizers (except for obvious deficiencies that are a symptom of a mistake upstream). Instead, prepare the soil well before planting, most plants will not need any additional nutrition. Reduce or eliminate the use of chemical fertilizers; with compost, mulch and manure instead.

If you have any more questions about garden maintenance or upkeep, or would like to completely revamp your garden ready for summer, please feel free to get in touch via our contact page or call us on 01344 886 331.

source http://www.kitelandscapes.co.uk/garden-ready-for-summer-parties/

Fabulous Ways to Decorate Your Garden with Rocks

Natural and rustic resources should be everybody’s initial choice when beautifying the outdoors, and after reading our blog having a rock garden will certainly be on your wishlist this summer for an enjoyable place to be while the sun is shining. Use rocks to transform a basic and dull back garden into a relaxing space. Why go for a rock garden? Rock gardens are incredibly low maintenance and are in season all year round. Rock gardens are actually gaining popularity as they can bring a modern stylish element to landscaping.

Landscaping with Rocks

Rocks are very decorative and popular with many people. Maybe you don’t want to create a definite rock garden but you like the sound of combining the stone with plants and other elements in your garden to border and structure space in a way that suits your styles. Pebbles are not only a great way to make garden paths but also prevent weeds, they also won’t restrict trees and bushes.

One of the most common natural resources that are used by so many is rock, there are so many different types of rock and even more different possibilities of using the rock. Here are some fabulous ways to incorporate rocks within your garden:

Large slabs

These can be made into steps to make a unique outdoor staircase, this is ideal if you have a sloping back garden. For a more natural rigid look vary the sizes of the rock and the shapes.

Use a combination

Swap between different colours and sizes of rocks on the same trail to make visual interest and landscaping depth.

Triple threat

Beautiful river rocks form a “three-layered threat” in the back garden, designing an intuitive walkway and contrasting nicely against the wood fence and grass.

Walkways

Rock pathways and patios are hard-wearing and easy to preserve, plus they add so much natural beauty to the back garden. The walkway could lead to a nice seated area for the summer.

Water features

Create a rock garden with or without a water feature, rock gardens are a beautiful way to transform that useless, troublesome back garden corner into a focal point.

Painted rock markers

Painting rocks to make these stone gardens markers a fun art project to do for children and they are also helpful. If you have a vegetable patch this could be extremely helpful as you could write what veg is located where on the rocks.

 

Garden pebbles have the advantage of being very versatile and can be used for decorative objects which can be used to improve the look of the ground, walls and even garden furniture. Instead of buying a modern garden table why not create one, for this you’ll only need a glass table top a good amount of pebbles and stones and some mesh for the base of the table.

 

We hope our blog has given you some ideas for your stone garden. If you’d like more garden design and landscaping advice or would like to find out how we can transform your garden, please feel free to get in touch.

source http://www.kitelandscapes.co.uk/fabulous-ways-to-decorate-your-garden-with-rocks/

How To Increase The Value Of Your Home With Your Green Space

There are endless films that have referenced New York City’s Central Park, that utopia of green spaces, cultivated and aesthetically pleasing. But sometimes a walk to the park requires more energy than needed. The allure of a small homegrown hedge is enough to remove the stress of a bad day. You get home, reach for the glass of wine and have it on your patio which you have surrounded with your favourite flowers and grass. You take your shoes off and unwind, an ideal evening. For those lucky enough to have space, those not in small flats, it can be a point of pride to design your green space. In fact, a lovely garden or backyard can not only improve your daily life, but can increase the financial value of your home. According to the Independent, having a well looked after garden or balcony could increase the value of your property by up to twenty per cent. If you have been considering some home improvement tips, look no further and discover how to elevate your house, either for yourself or any potential buyers, simply by paying a little bit more attention to the nature in your home.

Don’t forget the Grass

An often overlooked responsibility, caring for grass is just as important as caring for the other kinds of plants in your green space. Don’t forget to trim and prune as needed, particularly when pesky weeds begin to spring up and attempt to ruin your batch of roses or peonies. And most importantly, add a sprinkler system so your lawn stays looking good.  

Pick the Right Flowers

Find yourself residing somewhere with a heat wave of negative degree temperatures, you might want to consider something more friendly to your climate. Picking the right flowers also make it easy for you to maintain. Adding flowers to your garden will add lots of colour, this will brighten up your garden and instantly improve the space.     

Don’t be Afraid of a Little Risk

While green spaces are technically created to showcase nature’s benefits, it doesn’t hurt to spruce up your space with a little architecture. Add some complimentary small furniture in your back garden, and watch it transform into the hottest spot in the area for post-dinner drinks and conversation. You could even add an undercover area so you could get the benefits of it all year round.

Treat your Soil Right, Foundations are Important

Nourishing the soil will lead to an excellent garden bloom. You can head to a supermarket to get some manure, make a compost pile from your old coffee grounds, filters and dryer lint and leftover food. 

And there we have it. If you’ve walked past that house with the enviable garden or visited your friend who has the most incredible back garden, now you know you can have the same. To find out how we can help transform your garden, feel free to get in touch.

 

source http://www.kitelandscapes.co.uk/how-to-increase-the-value-of-your-home-with-your-green-space/