Presentation of garden design for client in Neilston near Paisley in Renfrewshire, produced by UK Landscape Designer Nicky Patterson, based in Glasgow: all enquiries to http://www.gardenimprovements.com

Design brief:

Front garden: remove all hedging and shrubbery and offer a lower maintenance solution.
Back garden: Remove hedges and shed, replace fences (and LHS hedge) with better quality fencing
construction and material; offer ideas for a low maintenance solution.
The new garden should give the clients a suitable space to entertain friends, to relax, and make the most of the
summer sunshine.

The “Life’s A Beach” Garden and The Wave Garden Design, Neilston, Renfrewshire – YouTube.

They come in a great variety of colours to suit your landscaping and they’re on offer right now @ BeanBag Bazaar!!

Source: The Original Bazaar Bag | BeanBag Bazaar.

I’m not really shed ‘geek’ but I wanted to get some of your juices going before presenting this Super Sheds article from the TreeHugger site displaying some fantastic ideas (like the one pictured above) for garden sheds and garden offices – see if you like some of these ideas and want a new shed then you’ll need a garden to suit…and that’s where I come in!!

If sheds isn’t your ‘thang’ then I’ll find out what is.  Everybody loves their garden for a reason – for some its sheds, for others its BBQs, or plants, or sunshine (obviously not in this part of the world!), or for kids, or for fresh air, or vegetables, or wildlife… anyway whatever the reason is, I think it should be celebrated because I love gardens and I know how you feel!

So have a look  – there are some pretty cool ideas!  So cheers for now folks – I’m off to build something in my shed (actually I’ll just stand and gaze at all my cool tools for 20 minutes…but by intermittently banging a hammer on the shelf I can fool the neighbours!).

Ciao for now!

Nicky Patterson, Designer @ GardenImprovements.com

Article via TreeHugger

Margaret Traynor is a hard-working nurse in Glasgow’s Yorkhill Sick Children’s Hospital.  She is due to retire soon and her daughters Linda and Karen decided to write to ITV’s flagship daytime magazine show “This Morning” to see if they might help out with a special surprise.

Margaret's garden lacked any function or usability

Margaret had planned to renovate her garden for years but didn’t manage to get the time and resources, given her hectic work schedule, to do this.  The This Morning team decided to arrange this special surprise for Margaret as part of their Dreams Come True series.

Nicky was contacted just a few days before Christmas and asked if he would be interested in getting involved with the project.  He duly obliged and so he and the ITV team took their Christmas break in anticipation of a 48 hour surprise makeover in the second weekend of January.

On returning to work Nicky met with production assistant Ben Elcombe and Margaret’s son in law David at Margaret’s home in Partick in Glasgow.  This was a secret recce and Margaret was at work completely unaware of what was transpiring back at home.  Nicky had to work quickly taking measurements and drafting initial design ideas – the makeover was due to take place in 3 days time!

Concrete and old bark did not offer any colour

RHS medal winner, and host of ITV’s This Morning’s gardening spot, David Domoney conversed with Nicky by phone in detail about what might be possible to achieve in Margaret’s garden at the weekend.  It was agreed that decking would form the main functional area since Margaret had always wanted a deck, while aggregate and extensive planting would generate an attractive environment for the rest of the garden space.  David hadn’t yet seen the garden since the project was agreed upon at the last minute before the festive break and was reliant upon Nicky’s expertise in order to form an agreed design and plan of works for the project.

On Saturday 10th January at 10am Margaret was whisked away by her daughter Karen to Mar Lodge for a luxury spa weekend as both celebrated their birthdays.  David and his team of Garden Angels arrived in Glasgow around 330pm and met with our designer Nicky to formalise the plan of action and begin the ripout of the old garden including the shed, patio and old furniture, and source and collect the relevant materials.

The whole project was for charity and donations of plants and materials came from many well-known trade supporters such as B&Q and Dobbies Garden Centres.  The full list of suppliers can be viwed on ITV’s own page for the suppliers of this project. Nicky and GardenImprovements.com donated the decking materials and the services required to fit it.

Since no builder’s merchants were open on the Sunday it became a race against time to get all the relevant materials to the site ready for construction on Sunday.  The weather was horrendous!

8am on Sunday 11th January and already soaked to the skin the team began to plant up the trees and terrace the slope of the garden while Nicky made the preparatory cuts for the decking (squeezed into the back of the van for shelter!)

David Domoney

12 hours later and with much help from Margaret’s brother Ken and son-in-law David the decking was complete and the rest of the garden almost there.  The house was in the middle of a terrace and so all the materials had to come through the house or over the neighbour’s fence.  David Domoney’s team of 7(!) had to manouevre all their gear over and through the area where Nicky was earnestly piecing together the new decking for Margaret.  Daughter Linda played hostess to the whole team keeping us well fed with tea and rolls throughout the day and was left with a muddy brown (formerly white) kitchen to clean up when we had all finished!

Nicky commented, “It was a very daunting task having to complete all the work in little more than 12 hours – nevermind appearing on live TV! – but when you are up against it you tend just to get on with it and I didn’t really think about the weather at all.”

ITV Crew arrives at Garden Makeover project

On Monday 11th January the TV crews arrived and the finishing touches were applied to the garden.

Throughout the morning Philip and Fern spoke to David live while Nicky and the team made sure everything was in place for the surprise reveal.

At 12 noon Margaret arrived home and was greeted by David and a TV camera crew at the top of her front path in Partick.  She gasped at the site of the full skip and continued into the house to see what had happened.

The gasps of Philip and Fern were echoed by Margaret when the curtains were drawn back and Margaret stepped into her brand new dream garden!

The completed Garden as presented to Margaret on live TV

The transformation was tremendous and Margaret wept as Nicky and David and the Garden Angels team, family members and colleagues from Yorkhill congratulated her and toasted her upcoming retirement in a garden that she could truly enjoy.  Margaret, a previous lottery winner with 4 numbers, said to Evening Times reporter that it was better than winning the lottery in an article in which Nicky was also required to comment upon!

Post Live TV party on Margaret's new deck

Nicky was commended personally by David Domoney for his work with the promise of work on future projects at RHS Chelsea, Tatton Park and Hampton Court Flower Shows – so watch this space!

A grinning Nicky commented, “I am honoured to have been personally commended by David Domoney and I am looking forward to working with him again later this year.”

Once David and his team had headed home Nicky was invited by the family to stay behind and enjoy a glass of Champagne – he is also looking forward the celebratory BBQ to which he has been expressly invited to when the weather warms up a little!

Nicky added, “Linda made the whole experience a pleasureable one and I enjoyed meeting her and the other family members immensely – Ken and David were particularly helpful in assisting me with the deck construction!”

Margaret in the garden after all the hard work

Michele Tamlin, ITV’s This Morning producer also commended Nicky and this can be seen on our new testimonials portfolio – soon to be updated with the previous 3 years commendations.

Margaret and Daughter Karen relax with a glass after the TV crews have left

Nicky himself is very satisfied with the project and with Margaret’s delight at her new garden, “It was a real pleasure to see Margaret’s reaction at what we had all achieved and there was a tremendous sense of satisfaction among the team members and TV crew and there were hugs and kisses all round!”

Some sunshine at last!

Nicky Patterson

GardenImprovements.com

A Review of the Dutchtub Portable Wood Burning Spa | Spot Cool Stuff: Design.

First in a series of blog posts showcasing some of the great ideas out there that help inspire our garden designs and will inspire you to get design motivated!!

Until our new office is completed on Canary Wharf in London I am committed to working from home in Clarkston in Glasgow.  My office measures 2m x 2m and is used by me and my apprentice designer Matthew who will be making an appearance here soon.  The home-office idea isn’t a new one but is certainly becoming more popular and more acceptable within business models: check out these ideas as featured in TreeHugger.com.

The “New Staple of the American Home”

How to sleep on the job – and get away with it!

Check out this organic and living chair by Shinwei Rhoda Yen

Must have been a fun-guy that came up with that idea!!

Garden gnomes have shifted their twee-ness and transported straight into the 21st century.  Check these wee guys out:

Get the kids involved with the garden this year:

And finally here is a fantastic new site to help you plant up those beds and borders:

Tata for now!

Nicky Patterson, Designer, GardenImprovements.com

Six Steps to Installing Child Safe Decking

Michael at Richard Burbidge has kindly offered some advice on planning decks and terraces with safety and children in mind:

In recent years decking has become one of the most popular additions that UK gardeners have sought to install.

The provision of a nice area to relax, have a drink or do some barbequing is attractive and current figures suggest that one in five of us have at some point undertaken a decking installation project.

However, if you fail to plan your project effectively it is likely that you could end up with decking that is not child safe.  Here we offer useful tips on how to avoid such an outcome.

1. Getting the spindles right

One of the most common causes of injury involving children and decking is due to the fact that spindles have been placed too far apart.  This can result in the child either falling through the rails, or becoming trapped between them.

Where the decking is raised there is the chance of the child falling a long way and children stuck between the spindles run the risk of suffocation.  You can avoid the risk of either of these occurrences happening by ensuring that spindles are spaced no more than 99mm apart.

Also, be sure to avoid spindles that run horizontally (ie ranch style); as they could provide a ladder for children to climb up and over the decking rail.

2. Adding gates

If you have raised-decking then, it is likely you’ll have some stairs leading from it down to the rest of your garden area.  At some point your child will reach an age where you trust them enough to be able to negotiate the stairs on their own.  However, until they reach that point the unprotected stairs offer the opportunity of injury sustained through falling.

The safest option is to either make or purchase the required number of gates that can be attached to the decking balustrade.  Be sure to fit childproof latches to gates to keep your child safely in the decking area.

3. Safeguarding the base

In many instances, decking is built on uneven garden surfaces, or has to be placed on stilts so that the decking is level with French doors.  The base area underneath the decking floor presents a space that your child is sure to want to explore if it is left unprotected.

Your first option here is to add decking boards or other suitable wooden sheets and stain it to match the decking.  This has the additional advantage of preventing pests, making a nest under your decking.

The second option is to fit some trellis to fill in the gaps underneath the decking.  If you are concerned pests may try to make a home under the structure then you may want to consider attaching some chicken wire to the trellis to prevent access.  Going down the trellis route leaves you with the option of training climbing plants and creepers to it to add to the aesthetic appeal.

4. Smoothing things over

Usually the finish of decking products will be pretty smooth.  However, there is always the chance of splinters when working with timber and especially so when you are cutting pieces to fit.  Therefore, once you have finished installing your decking it is advisable to spend a little time smoothing off any rough edges or surfaces with some sandpaper.

5. Handrail Height

Ensure the handrail is at a minimum of 900mm from the deck level for ground level decking.  If your decking is above 600mm off the ground then the handrail should be set at 1100mm to reduce the risk of falling over the top.

6. Furniture placement

Whilst our last tip doesn’t specifically relate to the installation of decking; it is one that we can’t leave out.  It is imperative that you always place any patio furniture as far away from the edges of your decking as is possible.  Children love to climb and if your furniture is close to the edge there is always the risk that they will attempt to use it to get over the decking rail.