Garden trends to look out for in 2014

It’s almost Easter, so thoughts are turning to gardens and whether we’ll be able to enjoy them this summer! The weather forecasters are predicting a mega-hot summer (but don’t they say that every year?) and March was the warmest we’ve enjoyed for centuries, so will our gardens be getting much use this year? We do hope so!

Gadgets

There’s a heavy focus on lighting and gadgets this year, with technology providing many opportunities to accent garden landscapes in dramatic yet affordable ways, making even the most average patio or decking area look inviting, and creating socialising space.  Exciting developments include photovoltaic LED glass pavers (illuminated bricks that can be integrated into a path or patio) and new LED fixtures, devices and apps to give you control over your garden when the sun goes down.

On the not-so-good side, brightening up your garden with ‘quirky’ extras is another phase that gardens are going through, and it’s set to continue through the summer of 2014 with interesting adornments like penguin solar lights, the type of decoration you probably didn’t know you needed…

Plants

If you’re wondering what to plant to stay on-trend in your outdoor areas, it’s all about the Great War. Turning your garden into a floral tribute to the fallen is catching on as 2014 is dominated by the First World War centenary. For an average garden, Flanders Field poppies are big news, with national campaigns already under way encouraging gardeners to sow them.

In bedding plants, the humble Begonia is replacing the ubiquitous Busy Lizzie, mostly because Busy lizzies are being hit with downy mildew problems.

Super foods can make their place in any garden - sales of curly kale are up 32 per cent and so you can plant your own and be ahead of the super food, kale crisp eating crowd with your very own crop. Baby leaf versions of the trend veg are also quite popular.

Landscaping and maintenance

In practical terms, the emphasis this year is on simple, easy and low-maintenance. Gardens are for enjoying, not weeding, so sprinkle and go seed, fertiliser and compost products like Flower Magic and equivalents are selling well. If you’re looking for the ultimate way low-effort garden maintenance, contact John Lessels and we can do it all for you!

Designing your perfect driveway

You want to make a good impression with your driveway – after all it’s the first thing people will see when they come to visit you, and you want it to look great. It’s also got to be durable and long-lasting, as there’s going to be a lot of traffic coming and going on it over the years.

Your first task when you’re planning a driveway is to take a look around you at the landscape you want to fit the driveway into  and imagine what will look really good in it. For ideas, you can look at garden magazines and websites, or you could speak to a garden landscaping expert like John Lessels Landscaping who can advise you on what would go well and suit your needs.

A driveway looks best if it takes into account the style of your home, too, and there is a huge variety of different layout options for residential driveways available for you to choose from, taking into account the type of use, the location, accessibility and more.

Once you have a rough idea of the design you’re looking for, you can start choosing your materials. If you have a set budget, there will be some options that aren’t practical, but it’s still possible to create a feature driveway with a ‘sensible’ amount of money – you don’t have to go mad. If you have your heart set on a very long driveway, remember, even though it’s obvious, it’s going to cost a lot more because of the extra materials needed. That’s why many large driveways are paved with gravel, because it’s often the most affordable option.

It’s really important to compare the price you pay for the installation and design to the cost of maintenance and durability of the materials you choose. Sometimes you might think you’re saving money by going for a cheaper paving material, but you find that it needs replacing a lot faster than the higher quality materials, so it’s a false economy. The material you choose needs to be strong enough to support the traffic you expect over it, resist drips, chemicals and tyre marks and look good for as long as possible. Again, if you're not sure, speak to an expert in garden landscaping.

If you really love the idea of a decorative driveway, but can't afford to completely pave it, you could also try adding accents like decorative borders and aprons instead. You get the decorative effect but pave the bulk of the area with cheaper gravel, which gives the aesthetic effect and is just as hard-wearing.