Plan Your Dream Garden Now!

Garden Design by Lime Orchard

Thinking about spending time in the garden may be the furthest thing from your mind as the warm Summer weather fades in to Autumn. But if you are hoping to make some improvements to your outdoor space you really need to start planning this side of Christmas if you want the project completed in time for Spring 2014.
Lime Orchard - an exciting local garden design and build service - is on hand to help you achieve your dream outdoor living zone.

We specialise in the creation of refreshingly stylish, beautifully crafted garden spaces!

 AUTUMN OFFER

FREE Plants worth £120

Design your Dream Garden with Lime Orchard this Autumn and receive free plants worth up to £120.00, once the construction* work has been completed

Simply commission a garden design with us before 31 OCTOBER 2013 quoting offer code LO13AUT

*Subject to a minimum spend of £3,000 inc VAT
Terms & Conditions Apply - Contact Lime Orchard for details

Lime Orchard's Services

As well as high quality Landscape Construction our services include:

Initial Consultation - FREE

Meet with an experienced designer in your home to formulate a brief and identify the specific needs in relation to your garden. We’ll discuss ideas and advise on how to deal with some of the issues that can impact on realising a plan.

Full Design Service – from £395.00
The next step is to create a fully detailed, scaled, coloured master plan. Our designers work with you to ensure every detail is considered and included. Every garden is different, so, we provide you with a bespoke proposal and costing specific to your project. Our starting price is indicative of a garden (or part of garden) that is up to 200m2 and free from significant complications.

Planting Plans – from £150.00
You may already have a hard landscaping scheme or could be looking to liven up a small corner. If so we can provide prices to develop a professional planting plan for an existing garden

Make the Most of Professional Garden Design

Before you meet with a designer to discuss your dream garden aspirations, you need to review the existing space and identify what you’d like to achieve from your outside living accommodation. Here are some useful pointers to get your thinking on track:

- Ahead of any plotting out of what goes where, make a note of where the sun falls when, so you can plan a dining area in dappled shade; a sun-bathing area in full sun and a children's play area somewhere cool and sheltered

- Think about privacy. Do you need to work in some tall planting or trellis somewhere so that neighbours can't see into your garden?

- Will you need to put in an outside tap for a hosepipe? Or, perhaps, if you have kids, a hot tap will be handy, too, for the (few) times it's warm enough to fill up the paddling pool in the summer

- Be realistic about what you can achieve in your garden if you have children and / or pets. There's little point in creating a splendid display of delicate flowers if you live in constant fear of it being destroyed by boisterous kids or a playful pet!

- Ponds are probably a no no if you have young children due to the obvious safety hazard they represent - with an average of five children under the age of six drowning in garden ponds in the UK each year, according to RoSPA. If you want water, you could instead consider a pebble pond or a water feature that has no water basin, thereby eliminating any risk to children

- What storage will you need now and in the future? You should allow space for not just garden tools, but probably DIY tools, too. Plus, garden furniture, children's toys and bikes

- Do you plan to do much entertaining in the garden? Think about easy access to the kitchen and a dedicated ‘eating’ zone These are just a sample of some of the questions you need to ask yourself, for more ideas, advice and inspiration visit

Plus Win an Inspirational Visit to Chelsea Flower Show 2014!

With ticket's selling out weeks before the first public day, the Chelsea Flower Show is one of THE hottest events in the gardening and social calendar! Make sure you get your tickets FREE - Courtesy of Lime Orchard!

Simply enter our prize draw here > http://www.limeorchard.co.uk/chelsea_flower_show.html

No purchase necessary

Why not speak to a member of the Lime Orchard design team to get a fresh new perspective on how to get the very best out of your outside room? 

Visit www.limeorchard.co.uk or call 0845 539 1467

Refresh your garden with our Autumn Offers

Looking for inspirational ideas to transform your garden? Then Lime Orchard - an exciting local garden design and build service - is on hand to help you achieve your dream outdoor living zone. We specialise in the creation of refreshingly stylish, beautifully crafted garden spaces! As well as high quality Landscape Construction our services include:

Consultation Service - £150.00

Meet with an experienced designer in your home to formulate a brief and identify the specific needs in relation to your garden. We’ll discuss ideas and advise on how to deal with some of the issues that can impact on realising a plan. For some simple projects, this consultation may be enough for you to get started on building a garden yourself.

Full Design Service – from £395.00

The next step is to create a fully detailed, scaled, coloured master plan. Our designers work with you to ensure every detail is considered and included.  Every garden is different, so, we provide you with a bespoke proposal and costing specific to your project. Our starting price is indicative of a garden (or part of garden) that is up to 200m² and free from significant complications.

Planting Plans – from £150.00

You may already have a hard landscaping scheme or could be looking to liven up a small corner. If so we can provide prices to develop a professional planting plan for an existing garden

 

AUTUMN OFFERS
FREE  GARDEN DESIGN CONSULTATION

Book a free, no obligation visit from a Lime Orchard Professional to discuss your garden project and provide a detailed, competitive cost proposal – normal price £150.00

WIN 10 FREE SHRUBS

Simply arrange a consultation visit from Lime Orchard before the Closing Date and you will be entered in to a prize draw* to win 10 high quality shrubs to plant out this Autumn. Our experts will select the shrubs appropriate for the winner’s garden conditions.

*No Purchase Necessary. Terms & Conditions Apply, available on request

Offer ends 31 OCTOBER 2012

Call us quoting offer FREE VISIT today

www.limeorchard.co.uk

0845 539 1467 

Taking the Credit

Lime Orchard is now able to offer its customers the extra flexibility of being able to pay by credit card.

Currently quite an unusual step for a landscape construction business, accepting payment by credit card is something being requested by more consumers, who are used to paying for other major home improvements by card or via finance.

Commenting on the move, Managing Director Judy Behl explained:

“An increasing number of customers have asked for the facility to pay by credit card. Whilst we predict that only a tiny number will wish to finance an entire landscaping project with their card, which can run to £10,000’s, we are aware that consumers prefer the extra assurance they feel card payments offer them on major purchases, and some have indicated that they wish to maximise the rewards card providers offer them or use the card for short-term borrowing whilst they access funds from savings or investments ”.

During an initial period a fee will be payable on all transactions made by credit card to Lime Orchard. Behl added “As we cannot yet demonstrate demand for the service, our banking provider will levy a 3.5% charge on each transaction, which is comparable for the sector. We feel it is most transparent to pass this directly to customers wanting to use the card payment service. However, once usage patterns are established, we can renegotiate fees and reduce or remove fees in the future.”

For more information simply contact us!



Call us on 0845 539 1467 or visit www.limeorchard.co.uk

Send Her Victorious!

Everyone at Lime Orchard would like to wish Her Majesty our very best wishes over this Diamond Jubilee Bank Holiday Weekend.

The Queen is of course well known for her garden parties at Buckingham Palace but is you are planning a slightly lower-key celebration in your own garden this weekend then leading garden centre chain Dobbies has some sound advice to make sure you keep safe:

1. Do not place the barbecue where anything will be dangling above it, such as low-hanging tree branches. And be sure it is far enough away from any structure to avoid smoke stains or discolouring. Never try to move your barbecue while it is alight.

2. Make sure your barbecue is on solid ground so that it doesn’t roll or tip.

3. Even if your barbecue uses natural gas and has a permanent location, survey the surrounding area before you light up, especially the first time in the spring. Greenery can grow surprisingly fast and leaves and twigs might have accumulated where they shouldn’t be, so clean up all debris first.

4. If you have no choice but to place your barbecue on a wooden deck, be sure it is free from debris such as dry leaves, twigs, etc.

5. Clean-up is crucial. Don’t let grease build up on your barbecue as it catches fire easily and can be difficult to extinguish. If that does happen, quickly close the lid.

Read more: http://www.dobbies.co.uk/blog/barbecue-safety-guide

Chelsea 2012 Ticket Winners

And the winners are...

 

The lucky winners of a pair of tickets to RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2012 are:

 

Alexandra R. from London

and

Steve M. from Halloughton, Nottinghamshire

The winners have been notifed by email and we look forward to seeing them there!
If you are not one of the lucky winners then please visit our website for details of how you can bring a little Chelsea Flower Show magic to your own back garden, courtesy of Lime Orchard.

PLUS Get ready for Chelsea 2013 - enter our prize draw to win tickets for next year's show at our web site! http://www.limeorchard.co.uk/chelsea_flower_show.html

 

When the curtain closes at the end of May, RHS Chelsea Flower Show recycles 98% of the material used in the show gardens. So while the blooms may remain dazzlingly colourful, the main event is most definitely green!

The organizers of this year’s prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show are promising that 2012 is destined to be one of the best RHS Shows in history. 2012 marks the 99th anniversary of the world famous event which is now widely recognized as one of the most celebrated annual shows in the world and the undisputed showcase for horticultural excellence, with visitors flocking from across the globe both to visit and exhibit!

Over the years the show has gone from strength to strength starting with around 244 exhibitors in 1913 to today’s overwhelming 600, including gardens, nurseries, floristry, educational displays and trade stands. RHS Chelsea Flower Show now regularly attracts 157,000 visitors every year.

2012 will see the unveiling of 14 show gardens, which attract international media attention. This year there is a strong theme of enjoying the natural world, with show gardens reflecting the native flora of the Mediterranean, the enjoyment of caravan touring and the beauty of rustic materials. In addition there will be a whole host of smaller gardens and a hundred of the world’s best growers and nurseries.

Visit The Royal Horticultural Society for further information on this year's show!

 

 

Boring British Garden Design?

A report which featured in The Guardian at the beginning of the June, questioned whether or not British gardens are stuck in the past. The debate followed a comment made by celebrity gardener Monty Don on a BBC Radio 4 programme which inferred that Brits are overly conventional in their approach to garden design “The British are obsessed by plants, provenance of plants and there is a lot of one-up-manship” by contrast Don went on to add “Italians love design, love bella figura, the way things look and appear and don’t care how they achieve it. Gardens are more than just plants. Which is what you get in Italian gardens”.

To make such a sweeping statement which effectively denounces the whole nation’s design credentials is not only insensitive, it is also wildly inaccurate. There are still garden owners for whom the choice of plants will always remain the focal point for the outdoor room, and yes, certainly there are also those for whom a garden is simply not a garden if it is devoid of lavender and a bed of English roses. But to infer that all British gardens are lacking in individuality, innovation and sheer style is a travesty.

As the Guardian states “Brits are a whole load more creative and eclectic than (some journalists) suggest”. This country celebrates a myriad of garden styles, ranging from über chic urban, essentially English, ultra modern and naturally eco-friendly. If we are so backwards in our design thinking, how come our garden shows enjoy such a prestigious reputation around the world? We would concur with The Guardian’s comment that “British gardening and design really is a rich and varied tapestry, and long may it remain so”.

The design for every garden is bespoke, geared towards meeting the individual needs and aspirations of its owners. No two gardens will be the same, let alone the gardens of an entire nation! If you are in need of some design inspiration for your garden, call Lime Orchard on 0845 539 1467 for a free, no obligation visit.

Garden Design Dilemmas - Questions you will wish you asked

Just as you might invite an architect in to provide advice on how to make the best use of the area inside your house, it makes sense to bring in a Garden Designer to gain their professional insight on how to maximise your outdoor living accommodation.
 
To many, a Garden Designer is responsible for artistic and creative input resulting in the origination of a stunning, designer inspired, perfectly styled garden. And whilst this is one aspect of their job, it is most certainly not the only role of the Garden Designer. In addition to delivering this creative flair and visionary thinking, a Garden Designer is there to guide you on a number of practical issues to ensure the final design delivers the functional as well as aesthetic benefits to suit you / your family’s lifestyle.
At the heart of any well thought out garden design is an honest and open dialogue with the client at the initial consultation stage. Most reputable designers will have a standard questionnaire which they ask clients to complete in advance of the first meeting. This will help to establish some of the key issues / priorities for the garden and may include:

• Agreeing the main functional requirements for the outdoor space eg Entertaining? Rest and relaxation? Play area? Grow your own zone?
• Agreeing the preferred style of garden eg contemporary, minimalist, traditional cottage etc
• Identifying the main problems with the existing design eg limited shade, need to create boundaries between different zones of the garden, difficult sloping aspect etc
• Identifying motivating influences on choice of garden eg desire to be environmentally friendly, desire to incorporate certain style of planting etc
• Identify a broad operating budget

These are just some of the obvious questions that you might be asked to consider but an experienced designer will be able to provide expert counsel on a number of specific issues. Below are some more unusual design dilemmas that you might encounter:

• Looking for a formal, sunken, concrete lined, fish pond? Always check out the water table of the garden. In some instances it may be necessary to raise the fish pond to avoid the water pressure present in the ground causing the concrete lining to "pop" and fail

• Want a lushly planted Cottage garden but live in an area which is plagued with rabbits? Avoid the unnecessary additional cost of expensive rabbit proof fencing by planting a careful selection of plants that repel rabbits (incl. Acanthus, Agapanthus, Alliums & Delphiniums)
• Need to introduce a substantial boundary into a country garden but worried about obscuring the view? Try installing a ha-ha, a boundary barrier (usually a semi-ditch and a wall) which does not block out the surrounding landscape
• Got a small garden but needing to maximise the limited available space? Try painting the boundary fence matt black with planting in front of it to give the illusion of a larger outdoor space
• Interested in installing a pale cream Travertine natural stone terrace to the back of your property? If the garden is south facing, be aware that on a sunny day the glare from the paving will prove very uncomfortable, if not blinding. Consider an alternative choice of paving!
• Want an old drive or patio removed and replaced? Don’t incur additional expense by having the old patio ripped up and taken away. You can leave the existing patio/drive in situ and use it as a sub base for the new paving

So identifying the right garden designer is not just about reviewing a portfolio of gorgeous inspirational designs! For a national brand with proven design expertise balanced with reliable ‘can do’ counsel, try the award winning Lime Orchard garden design team. We provide an initial consultation with a member of the team to discuss your garden project, free of charge. From there it's a simple process to achieving the garden of your dreams!

Find out more about Lime Orchard garden design here!

Are You Sitting Comfortably?

With the cost of living rising at its fastest pace for two years, as inflation hit 4% in January, many homeowners will be looking at tightening the purse strings and dispensing with the annual summer trip abroad. If your traditional two week break is looking likely to be spent at home, then make it a holiday to be remembered by investing time now to get your garden get-away in ship shape condition.
Hopefully – weather permitting – you’ll be able to sample the delights of UK alfresco living so it is worth reviewing your outdoor dining facilities now if you want to be ready to enjoy ‘your very own place’ in the sun:

• Does your garden offer a dedicated dining area which can easily accommodate your outside garden furniture?
• Does the area offer sufficient shade from the midday sun, so diners can sit (safely) and comfortably outside for extended periods of time?
• Is there easy access to power in your outdoor dining zone, so that barbecues and lighting can easily be activated without having to rely on hazardous extension leads?
• Does the garden furniture do the garden justice? Is it in dire need of a style update?
• Is the area lacking in privacy? Too noisy or simply too exposed? It might be time to build in some additional shelter to create a more intimate dining spot

For the professional low down on how to create the ultimate outdoor dining area for your garden, contact our garden design team on 0845 5391467 or visit www.limeorchard.co.uk for further details.

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New Year, New Garden?

If ever there was a time to rethink your outdoor living space it is the month of January!

Hopefully you have entered 2011 bolstered by the endemic bout of positive thinking designed to help us all take action to improve our quality of life! This burst of motivation could be just what is needed to take your garden to task and make those longed for improvements in your outside living accommodation.
Now is also the perfect time to start planning if you want your garden to be ship shape for spring – when (hopefully) we can finally start to enjoy some drier, warmer weather. Kick starting the process to getting to grips with your garden in January will save you having to join the queues later in the season. So when those around you are struggling to find a designer / landscaper with time to take on the job, you can sit back and enjoy your stylish newly transformed outdoor space.
Why not speak to a member of the Lime Orchard design team to get a fresh new perspective on how to get the very best out of your outside room? Visit www.limeorchard.co.uk for more inspiration

Plan Now for Next Year's Dream Garden

Thinking about spending time in the garden may be the furthest thing from your mind as the winter weather sets in and the usual scramble of Christmas chaos starts to gather pace.  But if you are hoping to make some improvements to your outdoor space you really need to start planning this side of Christmas if you want the project completed in time for Spring 2011.

Before you meet with a designer to discuss your dream garden aspirations, you need to review the existing space and identify what you’d like to achieve from your outside living accommodation.  Here are some useful pointers to get yourthinking on track:

-    Ahead of any plotting out of what goes where, make a note of where the sun falls when, so you can plan a dining area in dappled shade; a sun-bathing area in full sun and a children's play area somewhere cool and sheltered

-    Think about privacy. Do you need to work in some tall planting or trellis somewhere so that neighbours can't see into your garden?

-    Will you need to put in an outside tap for a hosepipe? Or, perhaps, if you have kids, a hot tap will be handy, too, for the (few) times it's warm enough to fill up the paddling pool in the summer

-    Be realistic about what you can achieve in your garden if you have children and / or pets. There's little point in creating a splendid display of delicate flowers if you live in constant fear of it being destroyed by boisterous kids or a playful pet!

-    Ponds are probably a no no if you have young children due to the obvious safety hazard they represent - with an average of five children under the age of six drowning in garden ponds in the UK each year, according to RoSPA.  If you want water, you could instead consider a pebble pond or a water feature that has no water basin, thereby eliminating any risk to children

-    What storage will you need now and in the future? You should allow space for not just garden tools, but probably DIY tools, too. Plus, garden furniture, children's toys and bikes

-    Do you plan to do much entertaining in the garden?  Think about easy access to the kitchen and a dedicated ‘eating’ zone These are just a sample of some of the questions you need to ask yourself, for more ideas, advice and inspiration visit www.limeorchard.co.uk    

WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO BBC GARDENER'S WORLD LIVE 2010

Two winners will each receive a pair of tickets valid for any day at BBC Gardener's World Live, to be held at The NEC, Birmingham from Wed 16 - Sun 20 Jun 2010. The tickets, worth £21 each also included entry to the BBC Good Food Show, running at the same time.

Lime Orchard will be showing off its skills with it's outdoor exhibit 'Adding Designer Zing to the Garden'! Come and see us at BBC Gardener's World Live stand no. RHS12

To enter our   free prize draw, simply complete the form below (Terms & Conditions apply - click here). The draw closes at 10.00 am on Tuesday 15th May 2010 and winners will be notified the same day by email.

Click here for the entry form (opens in new window)

Click here for more information about BBC Gardener's World Live

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
 

Christmas Comes Early!

Christmas has come early for North Lincolnshire based Julia Everett, who is the lucky winner of our free prize draw and receives a free garden design worth £1000 prvided by Lime Orchard’s own Chelsea Flower Show Medal-winning Design Director, Ian Dexter. 

Commenting on the win Julia  says  "I can’t believe our luck, we've never won anything before! We’re all absolutely thrilled to bits and can’t wait to see the design! We have been in the house for 20 years but have some problem areas that a professional pair of eyes will really be able to sort out. We are looking forward to having our  dream garden ready for the Spring” 

Follow the progress of Juila's design in coming issues of Garden Living  from Lime Orchard