How to use decking

Decking is ubiquitous in any garden these days; it’s the modern answer to getting a bit more living space outside – or just not having to mow so much lawn! There are so many ways you can brighten up your garden with well-chosen decking; we’ve got a few for you to think about here.

Eating out is always popular at this time of year, and where better to have a cosy, relaxed meal than in your own garden? If you convert an area outside into a covered decking space you can make the most of the fresh air at any time of the year, and adding statement furniture gives your outdoor dining area a personal touch.

When it comes to decking there are so many options that you’ll be sure to find something that suits your lifestyle, budget and taste. If you need advice on what decking suits your needs and your particular garden, ask the experts at John Lessels Landscaping for expert help. With different types of decking that feature different patterns, wood stains and even eco-friendly options, the time for decking has never been better.

Casual garden dining

The perfect way to spend time in the garden, your decking area can be transformed into an outdoor entertainment space to create an outdoor eating area that can be used for entertaining or just relaxing with a cool drink in the summer. Add climbing plants to give the space a homely feel and you’ll want to spend as much time in your new outside café as possible.

Decking your garden paths

Who says that a garden path has to be made from stone? For a funky, modern look you can replace
the concrete with attractive wooden decking and give your garden a neat, sleek look that sets it
apart.

Covered garden area

Another way to make the most of al fresco dining, but turning the decked area into a covered  ‘extra room’ means that you get the benefit of your garden all year round. Perfect for giving you another option for dining that can be used in summer and cooler times, and you can add outdoor heaters if you start to really enjoy fresh air eating.

Indoor-outdoor living

Create the illusion of extra space by tagging decking onto a dining room or living area that leads out
onto decking and a patio.  This makes the room look like one big space when patio doors are pulled
back and creates a lovely focal point for entertaining and relaxed living.

You could also add some platforms at different heights on larger decking areas to mark out the
lounging and eating areas.

For more ideas, talk to the experts at John Lessels…

Gardening with Containers

Containers are a very versatile way of brightening up a garden or getting some growing done in a smaller garden. Perfect for growing herbs or flowers, they are a pretty addition to a garden; but they aren’t as easy to maintain as you might think as growing in a container can be hard on the plants – they need a little extra TLC to thrive.

The container is a space-saving way to grow shrubs, climbers, herbaceous perennials, fruit and vegetables, and with careful attention you can even successfully grow some roses in a container too.

Top tips for planting in containers

Most types of plant will respond well to being
planted between early spring and autumn; permanent plants do best when planted in early spring. Delicate plants are best left until after the last frost of winter – May is usually a good bet. If you’re planting to brighten up the garden in winter, though, opt for late summer or early autumn.

Choose your container

If you’re planning to leave your plants outside all year round, plant them in a frost-proof terracotta container – not just frost-resistant. Some frost resistant pots can crack when the temperatures drop. Find a container that’s big enough for the roots, but at the same time avoid putting a plant with a smaller root ball into a big container as they tend to become waterlogged when composted. Just increase the size of the pot if you feel it’s getting too big. You can also avoid waterlogging by putting the container up onto small blocks or bricks.

Planting your containers

Put your choice of drainage material at the bottom of the container, and then fill the rest of the pot with compost, just leaving enough room to arrange the plants on the top.

Take the plants out of their pots, gently tease out the roots and add a bit more compost to the root balls. Add the plants to the container, making sure that the root ball is level with them with the top of the compost. Once they are in place, firm up the soil around them and water well.

Always keep a gap of about an inch (2.5cm) between the top of the soil and the top of the container, so that the water can soak in properly.

Maintenance

Start feeding the plants around four to six weeks after planting (unless you’ve opted for compost with a slow-release fertiliser included.) Carry on throughout April – September with a general purpose feed, but stop over the winter months as it’s not necessary.

To make sure that the compost doesn’t dry out, check it every day and water regularly between April and September. If the weather is warm, you might have to water twice daily. Make sure that you dead head flowers regularly to encourage growth of new ones.Following these tips should give you baskets, tubs and containers to be proud of.

Re-pot in early spring. For permanent displays, repotting is needed at least every two to four years to prevent problems with drying out and waterlogging. In between, top dressing (scraping off the old compost from the top of the container and replacing with new) is useful

Reduce watering during winter months

Ideally, prevent the compost from freezing by moving containers under cover or covering them in bubble-wrap. In very wet periods, move pots under cover to prevent the compost becoming sodden.

There’s something a little bit special about growing your own fruit. It always seems to taste better somehow, and there’s no great secret to it; growing fruit in your garden is all about finding the right spot and carefully nurturing the plants until they reward you with juicy berries. If you already have a vegetable patch you could allocate a small area to growing some strawberries, or even make them a feature of an ornamental garden.

You’ll find that a lot of fruit trees grow well against a south-facing wall and with a bit of patience you can even train them to grow into various shapes.

Strawberries

You’ll get the best results from growing strawberries if you replace your plants every three years, and always plant new crops in late summer/early autumn. When you replace your plants, don’t plant the new one in exactly the same place, and always plant strawberries in a warm sunny spot with well-drained soil.

Water your strawberries regularly and put strawberry mats or just soil underneath to protect them. You might also need to cover them with netting as they start to appear, unless you want eagle eye garden birds to pinch all the best ones...

 

 

Raspberries

Home grown raspberries are absolutely divine and well worth trying to for yourself. You can go for summer fruiting types which give a short sharp crop all at once, or the longer-lasting autumn fruiting varieties which keep going from high summer until it starts getting colder.

To grow the perfect raspberry you’ll need to find a sunny but sheltered spot in the garden in well-drained soil. Plant dormant raspberry canes in autumn or early winter at the very latest and cut them down to about six inches (15cm) as this will help to create a good root system. Tie them to a support so that they are nice and stable.

Raspberry canes need pruning back in late winter; cut them back down to ground level.

Currants

Black, red, and white currants all fruit in mid-summer. To get the best results you’ll need to plant them in late autumn into a rich soil – if your soil is acidic you’ll need to add lime to it for a decent crop. Once you’ve planted the bushes, prune the branches right back to the lowest bud – this encourages growth.

Protect your currants from spring frosts and also in windy conditions as they can be a little bit delicate. In spring, add a potassium and nitrogen rich fertiliser to boost growth.

With a little planning, you’ll soon be able to sit back and enjoy your summer fruits!

They all need regular pruning to keep fruit yields high. With mature bushes, prune out about a third of it each year. Cut out the oldest wood so that it encourages new vigour resulting in strong new growth which carries fruit the following year.

Synthetic turf – it’s come a long way!

Since it was first used back in the sixties, artificial turf has certainly changed a lot. Technology has made it possible – and desirable - to create good quality, durable artificial grass that looks and feels just like the real thing; with the added benefit of needing no watering and very little maintenance. It’s not just gardeners who are turning to artificial turf for their landscaping either; many athletes now prefer it to the real thing and say it gives a better playing surface than natural grass.

With frequent hosepipe bans a feature of the great British Summer, having an artificial lawn can be a bonus. The trend for no-water grass has been taking off globally, and is expected to continue as people become more aware of conserving water and not wasting resources. Just one square foot of natural grass replaced with turf can save more than 50 gallons of water per year, according to estimates.  A good quality turf can also last from 15-20 years, another factor that works in its favour. Synthetic grass fibres used to only be available in two types; monofilaments or slit-film tape.

Monofilaments are single strands while slit-film fibres are cut from sheets of polymers to a fixed width. This gave it the feel and look of a nylon carpet which was why it wasn’t quite so popular in the mid-twentieth century! These days, artificial turf is crafted from softer polyethylene fibres which make it a much nicer product, suitable for general use in landscaping and sport/play.

The business is growing fast, too, so expect to see more synthetic turf in the future.  Figures from the US alone suggest that in 2014 the synthetic turf industry was worth $1.1 billion with a projected annual revenue growth from 2015-2017 of 13.1 percent, and the demand for synthetic turf is on the increase everywhere, with Europe being one of the biggest markets.

When you’re looking for good quality artificial turf for sporting  surfaces, project, check that your supplier is a member of the Sports and Play Construction Association, SAPCA, is the trade organisation for the UK sports facility construction industry, and high standards in design and construction of synthetic turf pitches. SAPCA members are responsible for most of the synthetic turf pitches laid in the UK, everywhere from parks, community clubs and schools, to professional clubs, and pitches for high-level national and international competition.

Playground and sports safety surfaces

Safety is at the front of everyone’s mind when designing a play area or a sports ground, but it’s also important to think about the look and design of any area before you decide what you’re going to use to surface it.

Adding a safer surface to play areas helps to avoid nasty injuries and cushions the impact of falls – which can’t ever be avoided! To meet the requirements of BS EN 1176 and BS EN 1177, it’s recommended that impact absorbing surfaces in play areas should be installed beneath all equipment that has a free height of fall greater than 0.6m.

All the different options for surfaces have different levels of safety, functional characteristics, maintenance requirements and of course cost. 

So, what are the different types of surfaces you might consider for a play or sports area?

 

 

 

Wet Pour

 This is a continuous, hard-wearing and slip-resistant rubber surface that gives a high quality finish and needs very little maintenance once it’s down.  Once the free height of fall has been worked out, the wet pour can be laid underneath any playground equipment to give a good impact absorber.Wet pour can be a very versatile type of surfacing as it’s available in a range of colours and can be adapted for sports surfaces and play areas, with logos, shapes and floor games like hopscotch easily added.

Loosefill

Loose-fill surfacing is also great for absorbing impact in play and sports facilities, and has the advantage of being easy to match with play units and equipment so that it gives a natural look too. It also costs less than tiling and wet-pour surfacing, but there’s more maintenance involved as it needs
topping up and regular raking.

Popular loosefill surfaces are recycled timber and bark, and sand is a traditional style loosefill option that’s still favoured by many play areas.

Tiles

Rubber and Matta tiles look great in play areas, and with some designs they can be adapted so that weeds are kept at bay and grass grows through the tile to keep the area looking natural.

Rubber tiles can give a finished surface with similar properties as wet pour, and are usually laid onto a concrete base. Rubber tiles are available in a range of colours for sport and play areas.

Matta tiles are an open mesh style tile which is made from pre-fabricated, interlocking recycled rubber & PVC tiles.

Bonded Rubber Mulch

This is a type of solid rubber shred which is made from recycled rubber and then coloured. The rubber shred is then bound with a specially formulated PU binder. Bonded rubber mulch is laid onto solid, compacted ground with a membrane and is designed to follow the contours of the existing surface, so is similar to wet pour but often works out as a more cost-effective option.

If you’re looking for advice on the best surfacing for your play area or sports ground, contact one of
our team.

How to be a green gardener

Most gardeners have a healthy respect for nature and the environment, but there are always things we can do to make sure that they are as ‘green’ as possible. Here are some of our favourite ways to turn up the eco-friendly in your own back garden…

The first and most obvious way is to make sure that everything you use in and on your garden is organic, wherever possible.  If you cut out the chemicals, pesticides, weed killers and other nasties, swap fertilisers for natural; manure and make the most of crop rotation, it’s much better for the health of your garden, the organisms that inhabit the soil and all the wildlife that you want to encourage.

Make your own compost – it’s good for cutting down on household waste and also means that you won’t need to use garden chemicals.  This leads us nicely into fruit and vegetable patches – compost them well with home-made compost and hopefully you can grow your own crops, which is great for the environment and cuts carbon emissions as it means you’re not relying on transporting food in from overseas. Home grown produce also tastes fantastic and it saves you money too.

Keep the bees happy – they aren’t just cute little creatures that pollinate the flowers but they are essential to the eco-system and we need to encourage them into the garden and look after them! If you want to tempt the bees into your garden, bee-friendly plants like poppies, lavender and sunflowers are a big draw to these helpful insects, and give them a nice varied diet.

Leave some areas in the garden to grow naturally, provide wood piles and even leave the nettles to grow – they give local hedgehogs and butterflies a home, as well as being a good place for some species of beetle to nest. The birds will love the extra beetles – and birds are a great addition to any eco-friendly garden, acting as natural pest control. Invest in a few bird feeders to attract smaller birds like sparrow and robins, Bird feeders can help garden species like sparrows, tits and robins. Collect your rainwater in a water butt, and use water such as bathwater or sink water that’s already been used in the bathroom or kitchen to water the garden; this saves water use and money as well as energy.

It’s easy to make your garden into a wildlife friendly ‘green’ space, with a little thought and a few less chemicals.

Decking for summer - Some design ideas

The perfect garden needs to have comfortable areas in which you can relax, soak up the sun (well, we can but hope), entertain and generally enjoy the outdoors.  Adding some stylish decking is great for al fresco socialising as well as giving the impression of more room to the house.

If you’re drawn to a classic feel and look, you can create a gorgeous al fresco dining area by adding decking and then surrounding it with raised flower beds. Wooden decking is popular and also eco-friendly as it lets water drain through to the soil underneath. You can use this style decking to make your garden look longer too, by using narrow boards that run end to end.

To add to the ambience and relaxed dining, you could also add an outdoor sofa which gives you the option of chilling out in the garden even if it’s a bit cooler or damper. If you’re buying an outdoor sofa to sit on your decking, though, we’d advise you to think about adding an all-weather ­canopy for obvious reasons!

Add a more sophisticated evening feel with subtle lighting that will enhance the whole garden. There are so many different lighting ideas to choose from, you really can experiment with whatever you think will look good. Try adding a few mounted spotlights, candles and lanterns, even ostentatious chandeliers can work – try wrapping overhead beams  with greenery and pretty flowers, strings of ornamental lights and tiki torches in surrounding borders.



You can jazz up existing decking with one of the attractive stains and paints available. There’s a whole range of products on the market that can be used to stain wood, so check out your local garden centre for inspiration. This gives you a really good way to enhance decking; and also introducing more colour into your garden. When you’re looking for the perfect paint, imagine how it will look with the existing garden, for example you could match it to existing fencing and furniture or deliberately go for a contracting look.

Another way to brighten up an area of decking is by quite literally mixing it up a bit. You can make a feature out of it by mixing up the widths and styles of the boards and coming up with your own unique design.

If you don’t want a decked area right next to the house you could even think about adding a freestanding area which can give you a ‘den’ – or a secluded reading and thinking place right at the bottom of the garden.

If you are looking for ideas and want to talk over inspiration with the experts, come and chat to the expert landscapers at John Lessels.