Football Fever Allows Women to get what they Really Want!

As the nation prepares to sit back and watch the beautiful game for a whole month, this could be the perfect time for all ‘footie widows’ to cash in on the opportunity to get the garden looking great for summer.  So whilst the man in your life lies slumped in front of the TV why not grab the chance to get to grips with the outdoor room?  That way you can create the perfect environment for all those world cup celebration / commiseration parties!

Advances in outdoor living have made it possible to replicate pretty much all of the luxuries associated with the indoor living space – thus easing the way to creating the ultimate alfresco entertainment zone.  Get your party rocking with a sophisticated outdoor sound system; warm up your guests with a cosy patio heater, chiminea or fire pit / brazier and light up the ‘room’ with simple tea lights or a bespoke outdoor lighting system.  But regardless of the number of latest ‘cool’ features and gadgets you pack into your garden living room, your outside space will never fulfill its true potential if it lacks a basic design template.   

A professional garden designer will help you maximize the opportunities in the area available, taking into consideration you / your family’s specific aesthetic as well as functional needs to deliver a totally bespoke solution.  Investing in a professional design does not need to cost the earth, nor does all the work need to be completed in one hit.  A reputable designer can help you identify your priorities for the garden and can produce a design blue print that – if necessary - can be completed in stages 

HOT HOT HOT in the Garden this Summer!

It’s been a long time coming - a whole 12 months, in fact - but it seems the country really is on course for a barbecue summer. And this prediction comes from a forecaster with a more reliable track record than the Met Office who famously told us to expect a 'barbecue summer' in 2009, which turned out to be so spectacularly wrong that it led to an embarrassed Met Office dropping long-term seasonal forecasts.

In fact, last summer was a washout, as correctly predicted by Positive Weather Solutions, which has 'out-forecast' the Met Office over the last two years with a string of accurate long-term predictions. And it is PWS that is confident that Britain will indeed see a barbecue summer this year commenting saying “there will be stifling temperatures, making it possibly the warmest UK summer on record and placing it at least in the top three warmest summers recorded”.

Armed with this knowledge, it may pay to consider some creative ways in which to inject some shade into the garden before the temperatures begin to rise and the heat is really on!  Rustic pergolas boasting fragrant climbing roses or clematis; ultra chic modern sails; natural thatched sunshades and patio awnings are just some of the many options available.  Why not talk to our Garden Design team to get the low down on the latest stylish shade solutions?

Garden Design. Planting Plans.Garden Build by Lime Orchard

Is Your Street Top of the Crops?

The Horticultural Trades Association PlantforLife campaign has launched a new Neighbourhood Crop Swap initiative targeting the 67% of the nation who would like to do more gardening but don’t know where to begin. The new initiative aims to get streets in Britain growing, and most importantly, swapping their own fruit and vegetables. Neighbourhood Crop Swap is the first project of its kind and comes in light of new research from PlantforLife, which shows that the grow your own phenomenon in the UK has doubled with over half (54%) of UK gardeners now growing fruit and vegetables, compared to just a fifth two years ago.

Despite this trend, research shows 40% of people don’t think they have enough space to grow and a quarter remain clueless in terms of what they can grow. The Neighbourhood Crop Swap aims to encourage communities to work together helping them to enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables, regardless of the type of garden they have. Each household will grow two or three varieties which can then be swapped with neighbours, helping communities enjoy a variety of foods without the need for a lot of space.

To kick-start the launch of Neighbourhood Crop Swap, PlantforLife is running a pilot scheme with the budding gardeners of a street in Twickenham. Celebrity plants man Chris Collins will be working with the street, giving tips and expert advice showing, how with the right tools and know how, everyone and anyone can get planting. The whole nation will be able to monitor their progress too by logging on to www.plantforlife.info/cropswap to see pictures and video diaries from the street.
PlantforLife has also produced a handy Neighbourhood Crop Swap guide so communities up and down the country can get their new fruit and vegetable garden underway.

Log on to www.plantforlife.info/cropswap to download the  free Neighbourhood Crop Swap guide.

Lime Orchard - Your Dream Garden Designed, Built, Planted
 

RHS Chelsea: Champion of the Show Circuit

Marshalls Living Street, designed by Lime Orchard's  Ian Dexter
- RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2009

With ticket selling out eleven days before the first open day for RHS members, this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show looks set to be a major success – and even the weather forecast looks positive!
Opposite ends of the same spectrum are being pushed to extremes at the 2010 event; bringing the great outdoors and plants galore inside whilst taking the indoors and all its home comforts outside into the garden.

Wet bars, showers and fire places in gardens as well as kitchens taken over by orchids, walls papered with artificial grass and a living office which boasts a computer fan powered propagator, these are among the ‘firsts’ to be celebrated at Chelsea this year, with designers really pushing the boundaries to integrate the indoors with the outdoors.

For those of you who didn’t manage to secure a ticket, beat the crowds and catch coverage of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on BBC One and Two from Sunday 23rd May through to Sunday 30th May.

Lime Orchard - Your Dream Garden Designed, Built, Planted
 

Solar Decathlon - The Heat is on...

Lime Orchard is delighted to be associated with Nottingham University’s entry in the Solar Decathlon 2010, which will be held in Madrid, in June. The 40 strong team of students from the University are representing Britain in the first ever Solar Decathlon Europe and are hoping their Nottingham H.O.U.S.E (a family home optimizing the use of solar energy) entry will beat off stiff competition from 19 other universities from across the globe.

Our very own Design Director, Ian Dexter has been working closely with Michelin-starred chef Sat Bains. Ian’s brief is to design a garden capable of delivering ecologically sourced food which will be used to create a memorable dining experience in the house, during the competition. Click Here for a video of the team's tasting at Restaurant Sat Bains.

Ian’s garden sets out to provide a mix of fruit and vegetables planted amongst soft grasses and flowering herbaceous plants. The long term aim of the resulting succesion of food crops is to help sustain the family who might live in the house designed by the students. Fragrances and textures also characterise the planting choice thus heightening the sensory interaction of the family to their living environment.

Visit http://www.nottinghamhouse.co.uk/ to follow the team's progress

Lime Orchard - Your Dream Garden Designed, Built, Planted

Summer = Al Fresco Entertainment

We’re about to enter the season where your garden really comes into its own as a natural alfresco entertainment zone.  Whether it’s a formal outdoor dinner party or simply an impromptu barbecue, a dedicated patio area is a must if you want to make the most of the warmer weather. With more and more of us looking to extend our living space, the garden has become a natural gathering place for friends and family, providing a spacious area for us to mingle and eat – without the hindrance of indoor walls!

 Gone are the days when patios were simply a concreted block outside your kitchen, today’s stylish and ultra convenient outside eating spaces now go as far as boasting their own outdoor kitchens! Whereas once the outdoor entertainment zone might simply feature a barbecue,  today’s more sophisticated alfresco kitchens might incorporate separate cooking and grilling areas, a wine cooler, specialist pizza oven and of course, a suite of outdoor furniture.  Combine this with the latest garden lighting and heating innovations and a super cool sound system and you are likely to find yourself spending far more time outside than in (weather permitting of course) this summer.  Why not speak to one of our Garden Designers to see how your garden can be transformed to enhance its outdoor entertainment credentials? Subscribe to Garden Living by Email

Lime Orchard - Your Dream Garden Designed, Built, Planted
 

Ditch the Daily Commute

Whereas working from home used to be reserved for ‘mumpreneurs’ or retirees looking to make some extra money, this trend has been sharply reversed as more and more employers recognise the benefits of flexible working arrangements.  If you are looking to reduce the commute to your office and have the opportunity to work full or part-time from home, or, if you are looking to launch your own business and don’t want to incur pricey office rental costs - or maybe you simply want to create  a dedicated home office / craft project area distinct from your day to day living accommodation, then your outdoor space could provide the perfect solution. 

With websites such as www.shedworking.co.uk delivering ‘a lifestyle guide for shed workers’ it is clear that the home working revolution has gathered momentum but today’s home offices are a million miles away from the poorly converted garden sheds of yesteryear. Although the garden office has been around for quite some time now, its basic designs have evolved considerably over recent years. Indeed, modern garden offices, offer attractive, fully functional and potentially lucrative additions to the home,  equipped with solid walls, floors, cladding, electrics and even plumbing to provide a peaceful and pleasant environment for home workers.  And don’t forget, it’s not just money that is saved by avoiding rising petrol / travel costs -  you’ll also be doing your bit to save the planet by reducing your carbon footprint … 
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Lime Orchard - Your Dream Garden Designed, Built, Planted