Great Gardens Add £££s to your Property

As if we didn’t already know it, getting to grips with your outdoor room represents a worthwhile investment – and not just in terms of the enjoyment that you will derive from the project but also in relation to the £££s you will be adding to the value of your property.  According to a survey of over 2,000 British homeowners commissioned by QVC, an untidy garden can knock as much as £5,000 off the price of a house and a massive two thirds of Brits are put off buying a house if the garden is unattractive.  No surprise then that over 55% of house hunters reported that the state of the garden is as important as the inside of the house.

Features in the outdoor room which are deemed to add the most value to a property are privacy, ie a garden which offers sanctuary from the outside world, patios and a tiptop lawn.  Interestingly, decking definitely got the thumbs down in the survey, with 50% of respondents claiming decking was an off-putting ‘garden gripe’. Lime Orchard - Your Dream Garden Designed, Built, Planted
  

Freedom for Kids!

Last April, Natural England released research that revealed we are raising a generation of ‘cotton wool kids’ with fewer than 10% playing in woodlands, countryside and parks. 

The same survey claimed that nature based activities such as pond dipping, climbing trees and playing conkers are enjoyed by children – that is when they are allowed to participate - and a whopping 81% of children wanted more freedom to play outdoors. 

 Given that 85% of adults agreed that they would like their children to play outside more often – with concerns relating to road safety and stranger danger holding them back, it seems the most sensible solution is to create a safe and secure outdoor play area within the confines of your property’s outside space.  An appealing play area for children need not be at the expense of a stylish outdoor room but a well thought out garden design is a must to help you achieve that all important balance to maintain good family relations!

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Lime Orchard - Your Dream Garden Designed, Built, Planted
 

Invest in DFY!

A new book by BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Joe Swift highlights the plight  many city dwellers face when they embark upon a journey to secure their own slice of garden living, only to become quickly disappointed when their exclusive sanctuary fails to live up to expectations.

"City dwellers often pay a premium for a property with a garden, so that they can have access to their own highly prized 'private outdoors space'," says Swift. "Very quickly, however, most people become disillusioned, claiming that it's 'too much work', 'it's overlooked' or 'the kids have made it all muddy'. Their negative feelings lead to their garden becoming increasingly ignored and neglected”

In Joe’s Urban Garden Hand-book, he claims the real problem is a lack of motivation - and says, “who could blame those who've got a full-time job and don't have valuable time to spend on pruning and weeding”. Joe quickly quashes the view of the ‘keen gardener’ who can ‘get incredibly snooty” at the suggestion of paying an expert to help.  Instead the author advises to call for assistance – a method that he describes as DFY (Done For You). This might involve “finding a tree surgeon, who can cut any existing planting into shape; or, employing a garden designer, who can oversee the project”. Joe continues “If the cost puts you off, bear in mind that any outlay is an investment and will most likely be repaid when you come to sell your property”.

We couldn’t agree with you more Joe!


Lime Orchard - Your Dream Garden Designed, Built, Planted
 

Solar Decathlon 2010

Lime Orchard is proud to be associated with 'Nottingham H.O.U.S.E', Nottingham University's entry in the Solar Decathlon 2010, to be held in Madrid in June.

A 40 strong team of students from The University of Nottingham are representing Britain in the first ever Solar Decathlon Europe – an international house building competition featuring the very latest in sustainable solar architecture- which takes place in Madrid between June 18 and 27.

The Nottingham H.O.U.S.E (a family home optimising the use of solar energy) is competing against 19 other universities from across the world to design, build and test drive Europe’s most energy efficient home. Academics, researchers and students from the various disciplines in the Department of the Built Environment have partnered with a select group of industrial sponsors and specialist consultants to make the project possible.

The students are also working with award winning garden designer Ian Dexter from Lime Orchard and Michelin star Chef Sat Bains to provide and grow ecologically sourced food which will form part of the dining experience in the house during the competition in Spain

Nottingham HOUSE Website

Lime Orchard - Solar Decathlon Links

Future Perfect Furniture

After the long hard winter we’ve just experienced (experts say this has been the coldest winter for over 30 years), the majority of the population couldn’t be more pleased that Spring has finally arrived.  As the temperatures begin to creep up and the layers of extra clothing slowly diminish at long last we can look forward to the prospect of spending some quality time in the garden. So if you are hoping to get in some hard earned R&R in the outdoor room pretty soon you may be considering investing in some new garden furniture.  To ensure your garden remains totally on trend, here’s the latest advice on the essential items tipped to cause a stir in the world of garden furniture this season:




 

Al fresco bistro! A bistro table is considered a garden must have. Ideal for a terrace, balcony, deck or right in the middle of the garden, a tiny bistro table is the perfect setting for morning coffee,  an afternoon cup of tea, or a post work beer or glass of wine.

 

Bespoke style
Create some hand made furniture out of natural materials which will blend perfectly with your garden scenery. A bench made of giant pieces of stone, a stone that functions as a chair, a grass covered mound that provides an ideal spot to sit – these are all possibilities which can transform naturally occurring objects into an unusual furniture talking piece.

Wicker works
A huge trend in 2010 is the continuing popularity of all weather wicker furniture. One piece you may definitely want to add to your garden is the all weather wicker lounger or daybed (also known as all weather rattan furniture) for the ultimate in chill out luxury.  Comfortable, light to handle and crafted in natural materials which fit so beautifully in the garden environment, wicker is a winner once again!

Mix it up
Several of the luxury garden furniture brands are introducing new ‘mixed material’ furniture.  Companies are mixing it up by combining stainless steel with outdoor wicker, as well as stainless steel with granite or concrete. The result is a totally contemporary, uber chic collection that really takes the concept of bringing the indoors, outdoors to a new level.

Lime Orchard - Your Dream Garden Designed, Built, Planted
 

Tempted by our Free Taster?

If you are unsure as to what a professional Garden Design could do for your outside space then here’s a chance to sneak a free taster of our service.  Just visit the web site http://www.limeorchard.co.uk/free_garden_design_taster.htm and download the Lime Orchard Design Questionnaire.  Fill out the form in as much detail as you can to convey your designer garden aspirations (you can even include inspirational pictures from magazines or other web sites) – a simple sketch with some basis measurements will help and you will also need to send in two photos which show your garden from different perspectives. 

Send us the completed questionnaire – either be email or snail mail and a member of the team here will contact you within 3 working days to give you a real flavour of what could be done to create the dramatic outdoor room of your dreams.

Lime Orchard - Garden Design. Planting Plans. Garden Build 
 

What's Hot and What's Not!

Following the theme of trend forecasts, our very own garden trends commentator, Design Director Ian Dexter has some predictions of his own in terms of some top tips for what the best-dressed gardens will look like in 2010!

I want it now! : Society’s growing lust for instant gratification has been dubbed ‘nowism’ and this emerging trend will also be witnessed in the outdoor room.  No longer willing to wait for nature to take its course, the modern homeowner is likely to seek out mature specimen trees to create immediate impact.  Pleached tree screens, mature buxus balls and ‘to go’ established hedging are all rising in popularity and it seems that price is no barrier when it comes to fulfilling the desire for quick fix results.  

Space aware:  Gardens are not necessarily getting any bigger, and indeed with many urban based home owners looking to partake in a spot of ‘garden living’ despite the obvious restrictions which go hand in hand with city life, the optimum use of space is another popular theme for 2010.  Espalier fruit trees which are trained to grow upwards rather than develop expansive branches to the side, are tipped to feature heavily this year as are living walls and living roofs. As well as the obvious aesthetic appeal, low maintenance living green roofs deliver additional environmental benefits such as reduced flooding, improved sound and heat insulation and the obvious provision of a wildlife friendly environment.  Any flat roof or a roof with a slope of up to 45 degrees can be used to grow a fabulous range of sedum products or eco friendly wildflowers creating a dramatic roof top sensation. 

Green, green, greener: As we’ve already heard the ‘go green’ trend is well and truly here to stay, so adopting environmentally friendly strategies in the garden is most definitely ‘in’.  Prepare to see the use of eco-friendly and recycled materials, water harvesting, composting and an increasing reliance on solar energy all grow in popularity. In addition to this, there will be a ‘greener’ approach to selecting key features for the outdoor room. Modern, man made, synthetic features such as shade sails & stainless steel water features will be replaced by more natural looking elements such as pergolas shrouded in fragrant climbers and natural stone spill stones & drilled boulders.  

Lime Orchard - Garden Design. Planting Plans. Garden Build