Wildlife Wonderland

Regardless of whether or not you are a wildlife enthusiast, you can’t escape the fact that your outdoor space is always going to be a living zone shared with various species of wildlife. These could be a family of hedgehogs or bumblebees, frogs, earwigs, birds, badgers – the list is endless. But as you go about your garden tidying tasks this autumn, it is important to remember that the fallen leaves, dead stems and log piles which we refer to as  ‘mess’ and feel duty bound to clear up represents ‘home’ for many wildlife visitors.

A recent Facebook poll on Gardenersworld.com suggests many of us are willing to compromise our gardening practices for wildlife. It is possible to be tidy AND care for wildlife at the same time, it just takes a little forethought.  So rather than throwing any garden debris onto a compost heap or bonfire, just move it  to a corner of the garden out of sight, but where it can still benefit insects and mammals. Think about creating hibernaculums (a winter home for hibernating animals) out of natural materials, for example you can bundle tree branches behind pots for insects, gather bags of leaves which can be crammed into corners to provide shelter for frogs, slugs, and snails or leave a stack of logs in a damp, shady corner to attract hedgehogs, beetles and amphibians.  And don’t forget you can invite a variety of  birds into the garden if you regularly provide them with food during the winter,  see below for a list of preferred menu options for specific species of bird!

House sparrows, dunnocks, finches, reed buntings and collared doves: small seeds, such as millet

Blackbirds: flaked, maize , dog and cat food

Tits and greenfinches: peanuts and sunflower seeds

Goldfinches and siskins: Nyjer seeds

Greenfinches, house sparrows, nuthatches, great spotted woodpeckers and siskins: peanuts

Robins, dunnocks and wrens: crushed or grated nuts, mild grated cheese

Remember, Remember the 5th of November

Many families still choose to celebrate Bonfire Night at home in the privacy of their own garden.  However, according to Environmental Protection UK , lighting up a bonfire should not be something that is done without careful thought and consideration for the environment.  Burning garden waste produces smoke – especially if the waste is green or damp. 

This will emit harmful pollutants including particles and dioxins causing air pollution.  Burning plastic, rubber or painted materials is even worse, since noxious fumes are created which can give off a range of poisonous compounds.  Air pollution can have damaging health effects, and people with existing health problems are especially vulnerable, e.g. asthmatics, bronchitis sufferers, people with heart conditions, children and the elderly.  In addition smoke, smuts and smell from bonfires have long been a source of a significant number of complaints to local authorities every year. Smoke prevents neighbours from enjoying their gardens, opening windows or hanging washing out, and reduces visibility in the neighbourhood and on roads. 

Allotments near homes can cause problems if plot holders persistently burn green waste, and leave fires smouldering. And of course there are important safety issues to consider, fire can spread to fences or buildings and scorch trees and plants. Exploding bottles and cans are a hazard when rubbish is burned. Finally piles of garden waste are often used as a refuge by animals, so look out for hibernating wildlife and sleeping pets before any matches are struck. 

 That said, and contrary to popular belief there are no specific byelaws prohibiting garden bonfires or specifying times they can be lit.  However, this is not a license for indiscriminate burning!  Here are some tips on how to enjoy a safe bonfire this Guy Fawkes!

 -         Warn your neighbours – they are much less likely to complain if you tell them in advance that you are planning a bonfire-

-         Only burn dry material

-         Never burn household rubbish, rubber tyres or anything containing plastic, foam or paint

-         Avoid lighting a fire in unsuitable weather conditions – smoke hangs in the air on damp, still days. If it is too windy, smoke blows into neighbours' gardens and windows and across roads

-         Avoid burning when air pollution levels in your area are high or very high. You can check air quality on 0800 556677 or at www.airquality.co.uk

-         Keep your fire away from trees, fences and buildings

-         Never use oil, petrol or methylated spirits to light a fire – you could damage yourself as well as the environment

Holiday Friendly Gardens?

As the peak holidaying season approaches those with high maintenance gardens will be tearing their hair out trying to come up with (cost friendly) solutions that ensure their garden’s holiday care plans don’t rival the cost of a further couple of days spent in paradise!  Perhaps now is the time to consider putting in place a few low maintenance features which will alleviate some of the stress and strain of going away …

If you are unaffected by the hose-pipe bans coming in, an automated irrigation system is a god-send during the watering season. This makes light work of the endless chore of restoring moisture to baked soil; adding mulches to plant borders will do wonders to not only help retain moisture, but will also fend off unwanted weed growth minimizing the hours spent weeding - and some mulch materials can also serve as a dramatic style feature in their own right. 

Replacing some of the grassed areas with hard landscaping (paving / decking / aggregate finishes) will naturally reduce the man hours spent mowing and if you invest in mowing strips, you can make the weekly mow-a-thon even quicker!  If you are interested in down-sizing in terms of the labour of love required to maintain your outdoor room, why not speak to one of our Garden Designers to find out more about further low maintenance measures to incorporate in your outside space ….

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
 

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

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
 

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

GYO or GIY?

You may be experiencing snow where you are but believe us, Spring is well and truly on its way and with it comes the anticipation of getting to spend more time in the outdoor room. And if findings from a recent survey by the Horticultural Trades Association are anything to go by, as a nation Brits are now spending more time in their gardens than they have over the past four years. The surge of interest in the ‘Grow your Own’ movement has undoubtedly played a role in increasing the overall appeal of the garden but there is also a general belief that younger people are ‘connecting’ more with the environment and reconsidering the value of gardening.

But it is not just the ‘grow your own’ revolution that is continuing to gather momentum.  As a nation we are showing an increasing concern for waste or excess of any kind.  This is probably due to the need for many of us to cut costs during the recession but the trend looks set to stay with us having become conditioned to thinking more carefully about our use of time, money and resources.   With this in mind, the need to reduce carbon emissions, pollution and waste, alongside the growing call to action in relation to adopting recycling and reuse in the home has become the accepted norm. This trend translates into more consumers taking a wider interest in recycling and recycling products, the care of wildlife, biodiversity and a renewed interest in garden design and garden projects, arising in the birth of a whole new generation of ‘Green it Yourself’ consumers (GIY).

Lime Orchard - Garden Design. Planting Plans. Garden Build

Get High from Green Living

Why not transform that dull roof into something spectacular with a low maintenance living green roof that offers some really worthwhile environmental benefits? Now you can use your flat roof – or a roof with a slope of up to 45 degrees - to grow a fabulous range of sedum products or eco friendly wildflowers to create a dramatic roof top sensation.

With the increasing concern about the impact our development of the planet is having on the worldwide environment and the UK government calling for sustainable development, green roofs offer a number of benefits over more traditional forms of roofing, helping to meet sustainable development objectives:

Flooding floored
Following a heavy rainfall a green roof will initially retain more rain than a conventional roof. This minimises the initial heavy run-off, which can cause localised flooding and put pressure on the sewage system. The remaining water then drains off more slowly, allowing more rain to remain in the natural water cycle and less in the sewage system.

Ssh …
The soft layer of sedum blanket growing on a green will absorb sound, as opposed to hard conventional roofs which can reflect noise. The same layer improves the buildings sound insulation properties, reducing sound pollution within the building.

Thermal Insulation
The addition of a green roof layer to a property increases its thermal insulation properties, making it warmer in winter, cooler in summer and reducing those all important (and rising!) energy costs.

Home sweet  home
Green roofs can help compensate for the loss of green surfaces, sacrificed to building developments. This helps to provide an environment for the development of wildlife, especially bird, plant and insect life, increasing the biodiversity in our towns and cities.