Wildlife Paradise Garden

From a small and bare urban courtyard, to a lush haven, this has been one of my biggest projects to date. Almost every element of this garden design had wildlife and the environment in mind, with the raised wildlife friendly pond as the focal point. Other features include a reclaimed wood store with green roof, insect friendly planting, and a vegetable growing area.  

I have tried to create an urban garden that is as self-sustainable as possible. Installing a water butt means less tap water is used and making a nettle fertiliser station means the garden can be fed organically. A cold frame means salad and veg can be sown and grown almost all year round.

Bug hotels and bird feeders have also been installed. The pond has an access and exit point for aquatic life and the walls are built with recessed pointing to attract all the little critters. 

Front Garden Makeover

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The aim of this project was to create a multifunctional space out of a small front garden. The main features of the new garden include larger planting beds, a hidden bin storage space, a mini seating spot and two sandstone paths. The garden also has wooden wall planters and even a wildlife friendly minature pond.

Kelly and Laurens' Terraced Sleeper Garden was designed to work for both them and their young child. The aim was to create a safe green space with plenty of planting. The design included the creation a large sleeper seating area, surrounded by colourful plants.

Picket fencing was installed around the perimeter of the terrace and a new lawn was laid to create a safe playing space. Below the terrace the existing pond was revamped to make it more wildlife friendly, a herb garden was planted and the decking was restored. 

The large sleeper beds were planted with two small tree species then filled with a number of herbaceous perennial species. These included Geums, Rudbeckia, Verbena, Achillea and Nepeta. Other species included were Lithodora, ornamental grasses and Salvia. 

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Here are a few other ways in which the project was wildlife/environmentally friendly:

  - All oils and adhesives were wildlife safe.

  - Compost was peat free.

  - Waste materials were removed and recycled where possible using an eco waste company.

Planted Corner Seat
 
Annabelle and Adam wanted to turn an unused corner of their garden into a seating area where they could enjoy the late evening sun. The corner seat is made from used scaffold board and has an inbuilt planter filled with plant species, which are beneficial to pollinating insects.

 
The Shade Garden

Carol's garden is north facing and so receives very little direct sunlight. The old garden lacked structure and, due to the lack of light, felt dark and uninviting. The aim of the project was to make an easy to maintain social space that was bright and lush with shade loving plants. Landscaping materials were chosen carefully with the environmental impact considered at every step. Key plants used included Tree Ferns, low growing fern species, Bergenia, Dicentra, Oak Leaved Hydrangea, Day Lilies, Crocosmia and Star Jasmines. 

Here is how the Shade Garden was created in an environmentally conscious and wildlife friendly way:

   - Natural walling and paving stone as well as lime mortar were used instead of concrete based products. This has a far smaller impact on the environment in the production process. 

   - Both the in-built corner seat and garden store are made from reclaimed wood from local reclamation yards. As well as not contributing to timber consumption, the use of reclaimed wood reduces the amount that may find its way into landfill.

   - A green roof was installed on the garden store. This helps attract wildlife in, reduces run off (lowering the flood risk) and creates more surface area for plants. The store also has an internal water butt.

   -The pond is a must have if you want to help wildlife. Ponds help to encourage amphibians, aquatic insects and birds into the garden.

   - Unseen construction materials like adhesives and wood oils were only used if they were environmentally friendly and wildlife safe. 

This reclaimed scaffold board garden store  was made with a deep based green roof. The extra depth meant a wider variety of plant species could be used. With no direct sunlight, shade loving species were used. These included anemones, mossy saxifrage, jasmines, ferns and ivy.