Still feeling the festive pinch? Or just looking to impress at spring garden parties but don’t have the money to invest? Here are a few budget-friendly solutions to create a luxurious outdoor space without it costing the earth. There’s no replacement for professional garden design or good quality materials, but the devil can be in the details…
Break the mould, horizontally
One of the key components of every garden is fencing. Something viewed as functional and offering little room for artistic influence, a little creativity here can go a long with. A relatively simple tweak to traditional design is the key here, transforming your boundary into a statement fence through the use of horizontal panels.
Horizontal panels, with quarter-inch gaps between, exude simplicity and style and nod towards long lengths of lumber rather than mass-produced panelling. A simple Google search for ‘horizontal fence‘ shows just how popular it’s becoming, and how much of a difference it makes to a garden… Leaving the wood bare can creative a Scandinavian spa feel, whilst treating the wood or using a darker species can bring a more Japanese influence to your garden.
Fall in love with grass again
Ornamental planting (using exotic or striking species as statement pieces) has long been a favoured technique of gardeners the world over. It’s the outdoor equivalent of the stone sink in the bathroom, or the exposed flagstone flooring in the hallway. But it can require more maintenance than you’re used to, it can be expensive and with British weather it can be a risky business.
A number of forward-thinking designers were experimenting with ornamental grasses last year, finding framing options that brought rustic and luxury together in the same bed. The trend that came sweeping through was small liners in long beds, say for instance a 1ft by 10ft bed, finishing in pebble or gravel, with prairie grass planted in clumps every 3 feet. Offsetting a modern bed with hardy grass creates a stand-out piece in the garden, as much of a conversation starter as that rare imported Amazonian pygmy tree that you’re never able to remember the name of…
Patio reimagined (and rebudgeted)
Anybody with a home patio will know that the difficulty and the expense comes in the installation of the paving. There’s a lot that needs doing to the area where the paving will be laid, then levelling, then installing, then finishing. The raw materials are not the problem, but they can be the solution.
North American designers, particularly in California, combine gravel and paving stones to create a beautiful hybrid patio that looks like something straight from an innovation workshop. Laying paving slabs or concrete pads in areas of high footfall (outside the back door, the route to the shed, the outdoor dining table) provides practicality, whilst the less used areas are gravelled to keep the costs down. The resulting effect if much softer and warmer, with solid and crushed rock side-by-side as if showing the journey of the material.
Eden Restored is a team of passionate garden designers working throughout London, Kent and Surrey.
We deliver value-for-money on projects of any size, from inner-city courtyards to countryside cottages.
To discuss your ideas and how we can help throughout the entire process, get in touch.