Garden Designers & Landscapers

Rain – Yes it is good for the garden but………..!

admin — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:02:18 +0000

Wow, this is and has been trying for the last 6 weeks. Everyday our teams turn up on their sites and have to sort out what can be done with their quagmire that day in order to keep the project moving forward. Obviously this is not an ideal way to work and it plays havoc, not only with the schedule of the current project but also with those down the line.
I could be accused of moaning here but it may be of interest to review what can and can’t be done in the landscaping world when a site is very wet.
Paving – Perhaps if the rain is not too hard or too persistent.
Pointing – No.
Brickwork – No.
Rendering – No
Rotovating and border preparation – Dependent on how water logged the area is.
Planting – Yes but dependent on the area.
Digging – Yes, fine for ponds particularly!!
Erecting garden structures – Yes.
Painting of those garden structures – No.

I’ve just depressed myself, see the problem??

Here’s to a normal June.

Snowed under – with work that is!

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:36:14 +0000

Luckily for us it looks as though we may miss the snow although we have got the hose pipe ban to contend with!

As the phone continues to ring with new enquiries for work, the overriding wish seems to be for projects to be completed is ASAP. Unfortunately, it pays not to wait until the sun comes out in March to further the planning of your garden as we (and I imagine many other reputable companies) are working at least 8 -10 weeks ahead! But nonetheless here we are, so it is important, if you still want work to be completed in the near future, to be cautious of any company that isn’t busy. Protect yourself by checking to see if your chosen landscaper is a member of a professional organization (eg. BALI, www.bali.org.uk/about/choose_the_professionals ), that regulates the standard of work, health and safety etc. If not perhaps take up references from your landscaper’s previous clients and ask if you may visit a couple of their completed gardens, so you can be sure of the quality of their work and professionalism.
It is certainly becoming recognized in the landscaping industry that we have got to improve our marketing to the end user –you, to ensure that reputable companies can be identified. Of all the professions and trades landscaping really suffers from the popular perception that it is something that anyone can do, this really dumbs it down and opens up the way for the more unscrupulous amongst us; indeed it is a very skilled profession.

Phew – Anyone for a swim?

admin — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:33:22 +0000

Sandstone is excited about joining forces with Clear Water Revival (the Natural Swimming Pool specialists) to provide marvellous fresh water swimming pools in the Kent and Sussex area.

These pools appeal to me on so many different levels, a major one being that they are chlorine free so the water feels silky smooth and doesn’t dry your skin out!

Each pool is individually designed to fit in with the surrounding landscape and a bio-filtration system is used to maintain its clean water; thus the pools can be as “pondy” or as traditional swimming “pooly” as you like depending on the amount of planting and/or pebble etc. you may want. So taking away the sometimes rather stark look of a traditional pool and the pervading smell of chlorine creates a win, win situation that benefits the environment as well as you.
I must say they’re so beautiful we’re already planning ours.
Have a look at the photos or this short video on You Tube.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLyATT9AIZU

www.sandstonedesign.co.uk/natural-swimming-pools.html

As soon as I talk about the mild temperature – snow everywhere!

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:00:36 +0000

Nonetheless, Sandstone’s recently enjoyed the opportunity of transforming an old, tired and uninspiring Tunbridge Wells garden, into a new cottage garden reusing and recycling wherever possible.
In conjunction with Ali, our clients had the vision to have their new garden designed using many of its existing features in a new way, thus retaining the aged feel of the space and cutting (all importantly)costs.
For example old yorkstone paving was lifted and relayed in another part of the garden to provide a lovely terrace, while many of the mature shrubs were also lifted, stored and successfully replanted.
The garden’s soil was removed from one area and reused in another, as was a concrete terrace that was lifted, broken up and used as sub base for the new driveway.
Constructing in this way is often an option but many people prefer to work with a blank canvas, throwing away everything and starting again – sometimes a great shame!

Happy New Year – again!

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:48:04 +0000

Well, quite frankly it’s marvellous, we are not under a foot of snow and the relatively mild temperature has meant that we have been able to continue with the wonderful restoration project in which we’re involved in East Sussex.

Designed by Ali, Sandstone’s team are restoring a woodland “dell,” complete with two rustic timber bridges over storm gullies leading to a small waterfall. A newly created path has been built using reclaimed, railway sleeper steps, filled with chipped bark to complete a woodland walk sympathetic to its environment. Once the large scale clearance of brambles, rescue of the existing Rhododendrons, Acers and Camellias, the appearance of the recently planted Spring flowering, bulbs emerging will be a sight to behold.

Well done to our onsite team who has actually had to contend with tremendous amounts of MUD !

BALI National Landscape Awards 2011

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:03:58 +0000

Sandstone’s staff attended the award ceremony to collect the award en masse. We had a super day, met some very interesting people and appreciated acknowledgement from our industry peers.

“The companies and individuals have each demonstrated a level of professional excellence that inspires others and, as a direct consequence, drives up the standard across the landscape industry.”

What a good note to end the old year on and look forward to 2012.
For photos of the event:

http://www.bali.org.uk/awards/2011/winners

Tree houses and children’s play equipment.

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:06:30 +0000

Interestingly (for us anyway), the last month seems to be one of creating marvellous spaces for many of our clients’ children; perhaps winter highlights the lack of space inside the house.
For one family we were asked to create a bespoke tree house in a small garden without a tree – no problem!
Returning to this small, Tunbridge Wells garden, that we had landscaped 5 years ago, Sandstone has designed and built a fantastic play house on stilts. It has a balcony and accommodates the very necessary slide and swing, so the whole structure fits into quite a small area in the corner of their garden.
The pleasure felt by the children in their new play space seems to mirror the fun that our team had building it and that Ali felt during the design process.

Tip: Check if you need planning permission.

Sandstone of Tunbridge Wells – BALI award winners – wow!

admin — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 12:19:19 +0000

We are delighted to hear that we are Britsh Association of Landscaping Industries, National Award winners for 2011.
We entered one of our favourite, modern, Tunbridge Wells gardens into the category for Domestic Garden Construction and recently heard the exciting news of our success. Being judged as worthy of this award by our industry peers means a great deal and is testament to our fine team of Landscapers.
So, on with the glad rags and off we’ll all go to the awards ceremony being held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane in early December.

My September vegetable plot

admin — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:34:02 +0000

Well, actually at the time of writing my garden and specifically my veg. plot, looks distinctly early October – but I suppose this is consistent with this year.

Having suffered the neglect of our summer holiday my courgettes, cucumbers and even tomatoes are just about over. Luckily, the carrots and beetroot are still splendid and seem to be thriving in the jungle like bed we’ve returned to. Having said that the slugs have begun to enjoy this ready food source and I’m beginning to think about pulling them sooner rather than later!
Although I usually leave the vegetables in the ground until the first frost, this year I don’t think I will, I suspect they may come up before the end of the month, meaning they’ll have to be stored.

Both carrots and beetroot need cool, moist conditions and damp sand is my preferred method so:
- Line a crate with newspaper and put in a thick layer of damp sand.
- Brush off the excess soil from the undamaged vegetables and lay them on top of the sand leaving space between each one.
- Cover the vegetables with another thick layer of sand.

Let’s just hope I’m far too ahead and an Indian summer is just round the corner!

Reaping reward for thinking ahead!

admin — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:54:53 +0000

Even if nothing else is designed in your garden it is a good idea to plan the space where you’re going to have your terrace or patio. Although the area doesn’t have to be too big in order to provide somewhere comfortable to eat, it does have to be thought about in advance.

On the practical front think about the position of the sun, ease of access from the house, the size of table and chairs you want and drainage. On the aesthetic decide on the material you’d like to use and the positioning of any pots and planters.

After being surrounded by Type1 aggregate for 18 months, the fact that I run a busy landscaping company has finally paid off and I’ve been furnished with a lovely sandstone terrace. With plenty of time to plan, exposure of the bedrock in the area we wanted our terrace to be did not cause too much consternation; we now have a lovely little rocky outcrop as a feature to compliment the newly laid surface.

First thing in the morning or in the evening it’s a great pleasure to walk barefoot over the warm, flat surface while food can now be served in a space deliberately designed to fit our tables and chairs etc. Even the gazebo fits with ease so it’s not quite so awful that we’ve returned to the typical weather pattern of an English summer; sunshine and showers!