Garden construction can cost a lot of money. I try wherever possible to keep costs down, by being careful about which materials and plants are used.

On many projects, I have re-used materials already on site, and transplanted plants already in the garden. Many landscapers shovel everything away and start from fresh. Not only can this be more expensive, but it is also bad for our carbon footprint. Recycling can take place in the garden as well as the home and can extend to more than just a compost heap.

Large, expensive specimen plants and trees are good for instant effect, but small plants as well as being cheaper, establish better, and grow more quickly.

With most people living busy lives, I also try to design for lower maintenance, which saves time and money for the long term too. Careful choices in ground cover plantings, and for example using gravel can help here.

Photos to follow soon...