Planting Perfection

The aesthetic beauty of any garden,  will always largely be determined by the final choice of plants that have been selected to adorn the outdoor space – and the manner in which the plants are displayed. If you like, so many of our customers, aspire to own a stylish outside room – but have zero time or interest in ‘gardening’ per se, the likelihood is that you won’t necessarily have a clear understanding of which plants you should consider to inject a dash of designer flair into the garden.

However, don’t despair if your fingers lack the ‘green’ midas touch, Lime Orchard is offering a brand new planting plan service to customers.  Not only can we deliver a cracking proposed planting plan for the garden (or even just for a new border) - which includes details of the variety, position and suggested size of each plant – we can also draw upon our extensive contacts to supply and plant everything you need for your new look garden. Because we buy through trade nurseries we can offer you the best prices on the supply of plants which will typically save you a whopping 20% less than what you would expect to pay in a garden centre!

And even if you enjoy the hard graft of planting up, we can help make the job a little less stressful by bringing in a team to help clear existing areas, dig over and improve the soil so you can get going as soon as the plants are delivered.

To find out more about Lime Orchard's Planting Services click here >

Nottinghamshire Schools Garden Design Competition

SEARCH FOR BUDDING JUNIOR GARDEN DESIGNERS
Nottinghamshire children invited to design the ultimate alfresco classroom …

 A countywide schools competition has been launched to seek out the region’s budding junior garden designers – with the winning school receiving a professional garden design consultation from award winning local company, Lime Orchard (worth £2,000).
Nurseries, primary schools and secondary schools in the area have been tasked with the challenge, which invites students (with a little help from the teaching staff!) to design an inspirational outdoor learning space.
The project, which requires entries to be submitted s via a sketch and short written description - is designed to help local learning establishments appreciate the proven benefits of the alfresco classroom. A survey of 700 schools and early learning settings, commissioned by Learning through Landscapes (the national school grounds charity) proved that schools which have invested in and improved their outdoor facilities for pupils, experience significant tangible benefits such as

• enhanced pupil behaviour (73% of respondents)
• a reduction in bullying (64% of respondents)
• improved attitudes towards learning (65% of respondents)
• better social interaction (84% of respondents)
• increased community / parental involvement (66% of respondents)

And in June of this year, the Royal Horticultural Society released findings from a study of 1,300 teachers and 10 schools which confirmed that taking part in gardening can make a child feel happy and boost their development’. It found children in schools that encouraged gardening became more resilient, confident and lived healthier lives, resulting in the RHS saying ‘school gardening should be used as a key teaching tool, rather than as an extra-curricular activity’.
Judy Behl, managing director of Lime Orchard comments:

"There is a vast body of evidence to prove that children really thrive in schools with a good outdoor learning facility. Having been involved in a national RHS Chelsea Flower Show project to design the garden that ‘children really really want’, we are very much aware of how much enthusiasm children have for the alfresco classroom. Following on from our RHS Chelsea experience, it made total sense to capture some of that inspiration and passion amongst local children here in the county of Nottingham”.

The competition, will run from October 2010 to February 2011, with judging taking place during March 2011.

Click here to contact us for further information

Visit our Schools Garden Design Page for more inspiration!

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

It Pays to Improve - Not Move

House prices are said to be sliding again and some are saying Chancellor George Osborne’s  spending review will accelerate the market’s decline.

Even before the Chancellor announced his £81 billion cuts, property prices were coming under severe pressure. The prospect of nearly 500,000 public sector job losses will make things worse by increasing the number of distressed sales.

Last month mortgage lending hit its lowest level for a decade at just £12 billion, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders. This followed shock figures from Halifax showing a record 3.6 per cent drop in house prices in September, the biggest fall in 27 years.  So if ever there was a time to sit tight and ensure you exploit the full potential of the property you already own it’s now. 

"Improve, Don’t Move" has become a tired phrase but it still rings true for many home owners, who may be forced to opt out of the buying / selling chain but nonetheless need to ensure their current home really does tick all the boxes.  And it goes without saying, why move when you can gain extra living accommodation from your outdoor space!   Garden studios and outside offices continue to grow in popularity while decking and patio installations can provide a year round entertainment and / or safe play area.  Speak to us for details of how to design these new features into your existing garden landscape.

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

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    

Improve - Don't Move?

Talking to The Telegraph at the end of July, TV property expert Phil Spencer reckons the property market is difficult to read right now “It is very difficult to fathom what is going on at the moment,” he says. “One set of stats says the market is going up and another says it’s going down. “Then you have to look at the year we have had so far. First, there was the snow, then the general election. Next, everyone said wait until the World Cup is over, then everyone said wait until the summer is over.

 “Clearly, the market overall is not going to be rising by 10, 15 or 20 per cent a year, like it has done in the past, but I do believe it will rise by small amounts, maybe two or three per cent a year.

“What this means, of course, is that owning a home is not, in itself, going to earn you enough money to move up to the next price bracket, to the next rung on the property ladder. You can’t just sit back and wait for your house to make you enough money to move on. You are going to have to take active steps to create that extra value for yourself.”  

One of the examples Phil cites as a way to add value to a property investment is to ‘bring the garden into the house … and to view the garden as another room’.   That means extending your indoor living accommodation quite literally to the space outside. According to Phil, transforming the garden into a welcoming outside room, can add two per cent to the house value.  Glass patio doors, outside lighting and a deck are all useful features to incorporate if you want to encourage a seamless transition from indoor to outdoor living – speak to a member of the Lime Orchard design team for more details.