New Year, New Garden and a New You
During the winter months you can often find yourself looking out the window at your garden and wishing you could do more with it.
So why not start the new year with an exciting project that will add value to your property and take your lifestyle to the next level.
Below are some tips on how to get started on getting the best from your outdoor space.
New Year, New Garden And A New You
Start the new year with an exciting project that will add value to your property and take your lifestyle to the next level.
Which room in your property underperforms more than anywhere else? Is it the kitchen? No - that does what you need it to do. The living room? No, you’ve got it just how you want it and that’s where you spend most time. The office? It has a chair, a desk and storage so it ticks all the boxes.
9 times out of ten the answer to the question about underperforming rooms will be the garden. OK, so it doesn’t have a roof and you probably don’t regard your garden as a room. But that’s where you’re mistaken. Your garden has the potential to be the one room in your home that you love the most. It can be restful, stimulating, entertaining, peaceful, sociable AND a retreat from the world all at the same time.
How can a new garden boost your wellbeing?
If the Covid 19 pandemic taught us anything, it’s that gardens are a truly valuable resource for wellbeing. You don’t need 50 acres of parkland, magnificent vistas or a talent for garden design in order to enjoy feeling the sun on your face while you sip your morning coffee. Even the tiniest courtyard garden can allow you to recharge your batteries.
It’s difficult to define wellbeing, especially since it’s different for everyone. For some its the joy of spending time with friends and family, for others its about being able to escape from the troubles of others and enjoy a bit of solitude. Gardens of course, can be designed and built to meet the wellbeing needs of everyone in the family. From the toddler who needs a safe place to explore sights, sounds and textures, to the energetic folk who want to kick a ball around, right through to the thoughtful person who needs a peaceful space to read a book or paint a picture. Even pets can benefit from a well thought out garden with lots of opportunities for enrichment activities.
We know that wellbeing is helped by (amongst other things) fresh air, movement, and being immersed in nature. Socialising with people you trust is also a great way to boost mental health. Some people report that cooking outdoors helps them feel part of nature, others say that they switch off completely when relaxing in a hot tub beneath a starry sky. It’s a very personal thing, but guess what - gardens are as unique and personal as the people using them. And they’re literally on your doorstep, no stressful travelling required and you can go home whenever you feel like it.
APL member Dan Richards of Silver Birch Gardens in Somerset has written an interesting blog on the psychology of wellbeing and gardens. You can read it here. https://silverbirchgardens.co.uk/why-a-landscaping-is-important-for-your-wellbeing/. We’ll post the link again at the end of this article.
Silver Birch Gardens Somerset
3D Drawing fromAPL member Silver Birch Gardens
Garden Improvements: Where To Start
Our 3 step plan will take all of the worry out of improving your garden.
- Recognise the barriers that stop you using your garden now
- Imagine all the ways that you would use your new garden
- Talk to the APL about finding trustworthy landscaping professionals to make the transformation for you.
The way to approach a garden makeover is first of all to think about WHY your garden doesn’t meet your needs right now. What is stopping you from spending more time in your outdoor room and how can you overcome those barriers?
- Is your garden a mess and you don’t know how to tidy it up?
- Are there features in your garden that you fear are dangerous?
- Do you associate gardening with a lot of hard work?
- Are mobility problems preventing you from accessing your outdoor spaces?
- Is it just impossible to see the potential in your garden?
- Are you worried about falling victim to a rogue trader posing as a landscaper?
Next, write a list of everything you would like to do in your garden. Include the boring stuff like storing the wheelie bins and drying the washing as well as feel good activities such as cooking, dining al-fresco, playing games, growing food, sunbathing or watching films.
Now close your eyes and imagine how it will feel when you unveil your new garden to friends and family. How magical would it be to sit on your own patio on a summer evening and watch the sun setting?
Working with the right landscaping professionals can ease your worries and bring your dream garden to fruition.
Karen Chamberlain Garden Design Essex
Garden Design by MAPL Member Karen Chamberlain
The Garden Transformation Process
Any garden transformation starts with a well thought out design. Working with a garden designer ensures that your new garden meets all of your needs AND is infused with your own personal style. Having a properly drawn design also tells your landscaper exactly what you’d like built and how it needs to be built. If you are asking more than one landscaper for quotes, a garden design ensures that the quotes are like for like.
Your garden design will take into account six basic elements.
- The size and shape of your garden
- Any problems you have with your plot (drainage, slopes, overlooked etc)
- How you want to use your outdoor spaces
- Your personal taste and style
- The build budget
- How much time you are able to spend maintaining the garden
Once you have agreed the design, you can ask landscapers to quote for the works. In most cases, the quote will include all of the materials and labour needed to complete the job. You will have no need to worry about any aspect of project management. Everything will be taken care of.
You may want to discuss the quote with your landscaper and adjust the design in order to meet your budget.
When the final scope of works is agreed, your landscaper will ask you to sign a contract and then a provisional start date can be put in place.
Finding The Right Professionals To Design and Build Your Garden
At the time of writing, the landscape industry is not regulated. Which means that virtually anybody could call themselves a garden designer or a landscaper when in fact they have limited skills. Sadly, engaging an inexperienced person to make over your garden can lead to disappointment. Worse still, if the work is substandard, the money you spent on a project that should add value to your property can have the opposite effect so you lose out twice.
The APL, Association of Professional Landscapers was formed specifically to help consumers avoid the misery of rogue traders. Garden designers and landscapers who are APL members have proven their competence and are regularly vetted to make sure their standards remain high. In addition, every APL member is fully insured, and well versed in the CDM (2015) regulations for health and safety.
Start your garden makeover journey by visiting the APL website to find a garden designer near you. There are plenty to choose from and each member listed will have a link to their website so that you can see if you like their design style before getting in touch.
Some landscapers offer a design and build service which means that you only need to work with one company. In any case, most APL landscapers will be able recommend a designer for your project. Just as most designers will be able to recommend a landscaper.
Click on this link to find a landscaping professional near you. https://www.landscaper.org.uk
Tapestry Design Studio Essex
A quadrant styled small courtyard by Tapestry Design Studios
Why Landscaping Is Important For Your Wellbeing https://silverbirchgardens.co.uk/why-a-landscaping-is-important-for-your-wellbeing/
Why Choose An APL Garden Designer. https://www.landscaper.org.uk/about-us/why-choose-an-apl-designer-mapl
Find garden inspiration on our member’s portfolio page. https://www.landscaper.org.uk/inspiration