Adding timber decking to your garden can significantly enhance its appearance, but it’s not enough just to throw down a deck and leave it as is thereafter. It requires due care and attention throughout the year so that it doesn’t lose its visual appeal, nor is the timber’s quality compromised. Here’s a few tips and pointers on how to keep your decking looking its finest all year round. With the spring months almost upon us, it will soon be time to wash and seal timber decking. This will entail removing any debris that accumulated over winter, sweeping and cleansing the deck comprehensively, rinsing it with clean water, and sealing and sanding the deck. Once summer arrives, conditions … [Read more...]
Cordless Gardening Tools by Gtech
Gtech specialise in creating cordless products that look beautiful and work incredibly well. Nick Grey founded the company in 2001 when he set out to create "the best loved floor-care and garden products in the world." Now, in 2016, Gtech has sold more than 22 million units in 19 countries. Here's a quick look at some of the garden tools Gtech make to make life easier when you're working in the garden. Gtech Falcon Cordless Lawn Mower Highlights and specifications No cable! Battery powered (takes 5 hours to charge) Up to 40 minutes run-time Carbon steel blades Adjustable cutting height (3cm to 8cm) 40 litre grass bin A flap that lets you know when the … [Read more...]
6 Things to Remember When Building Raised Brick Flower Beds
Having brick flower beds in your garden is the perfect way to keep your flowers organised and under control. Raised flower beds or are easier to maintain since you don’t have to sit on the ground to tend to your plants. Building your own flower bed isn’t a complex DIY job. In fact, it’s pretty easy. Compared to building a normal flower bed all you need is some extra bricks to build a raised version. While it is an easy job you can build in a day, there are some things you need to remember to do before, during and after the building process. 1. Build when the weather is right Weather can greatly affect the overall finished appearance and the quality of your brickwork. Before you … [Read more...]
How to Install a Water Butt
Financially, using a water butt to collect rainwater from your house, garage or garden building doesn't make a lot of sense. Tap water is fairly cheap, and it takes a lot of rain to fill the average water butt, meaning it could be many years' before you see a positive return of your investment. On the other hand, if you care about the environment, don't like the idea of pouring tap water onto your plants or the nearest tap is far away (you may own an allotment or very large garden), using a water butt like this one to store rainwater to feed the plants in your shrubbery, borders or vegetable plot makes a lot of sense. And the good news is, they're easy to fit and it won't take you … [Read more...]
How to Build a Shed Base
The majority of homeowners have some kind of structure in their gardens, whether it’s a shed, log cabin or form of bike storage; but many of us don’t consider the important steps that go into the planning of a new shed. We just assume that it gets delivered and set down where we want it and that’s it, we can start to fill it up with tools, paint and essential garden equipment. Unfortunately it isn’t as simple as that, but the process is by no means as difficult as some garden projects. One of the biggest decisions is over the types of sheds you can buy in terms of the material, size and your budget; but specialists like Garden Buildings Direct are able to advise on the best options for … [Read more...]
How to Build a Sunken Seating Area and Fire Pit in Your Garden
There is nothing like a real fire. It brings out the primitive fascination in all of us. A garden that has comfortable seating and a good fire pit will be used in the evenings much more than one that hasn't. We are going to take a look here at how you can create your own stunning sunken seating area with a central fire pit. It is a simple project that most people can have a go at because it doesn’t require any special skills, just a willingness to try. Read on and see if you could fit one into your garden. Photograph Source Measure the Hole The sunken seating area can be any shape you like, but square or rectangular will be easier to pave than one with curves. If you have bought … [Read more...]
Bases for Incredible Sheds – Everything you Need to Know
There are life changing moments in every man's life that will always be remembered. Their wedding, the birth of their first child, the day they won the lottery; all of these things pale in comparison to the day they got their new shed. Yes, we are a nation of shed lovers; obsessives, some may say. What is is that attracts me to sheds? Maybe it is that the shed provides a last bastion for manly hobbies and activities. Slowly, and room by room, the house has been taken over by female paraphernalia and children's toys until the only space left for the male of the species is ‘dad’s chair’. So the time comes to upgrade the garden shed and claim back some space of their own. Before it is … [Read more...]
How to Build a Summer House
There was an upsurge in the popularity of garden design in the 1980s thanks to the garden renovation programs on television. Also, thanks to the rise of diy stores and garden centres, materials were widely available to the general public in a way that they never were before. People began seeing their gardens as an extension of their home, to be used for relaxation, fun, and entertaining. With the use of a summerhouse, one can almost go on a day trip to the end of the garden and spend the day a little differently. Pack up the things you need and lock up the house. Children love spending a day like this as it provides them with a little adventure. The summer house in the above image is … [Read more...]
A Step-By-Step Guide for Erecting a Fence to Create Privacy in Your Garden
We all love our gardens and try to make them as welcoming as possible. There is nothing worse, however than sitting and relaxing only to find a nosy neighbour peering in and making unwanted conversation. Sunbathing too is a pastime that requires a degree of privacy. There is an old saying, ‘Good fences make good neighbours’. It is a fact that if you wish to stay friends with them, fence your garden and give yourself some peace and quiet away from prying eyes. A good fence will also keep out draughts and add to the comfort of your entertainment and seating area. So there will be nothing preventing you investing in some new Alexander Rose garden furniture or one of the many other exciting … [Read more...]
Thinking of Adding a Beautiful Pergola to Your Garden? Read This!
If you would like to add a permanent space for outdoor entertaining in your backyard, consider installing a pergola. A pergola is an outdoor structure consisting of vertical columns that support a series of horizontal beams. The ceiling of this structure usually features a lattice. This cozy outdoor space can connect directly to your home or stand freely in your yard. You can also use your pergola to house your plants, provide more privacy in your yard, and add a seating area with protection from the sun. However, before you rush outside to start building your own pergola, you will need to make a few plans and decisions. Decide Your Type Pergolas can come in a number of shapes, … [Read more...]
