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lesley keck
garden designer
answers frequently asked questions
What services
do garden designers provide?
A good garden designer will visit you,
talk in depth about your garden and what purpose you wish
it to fulfill taking into account your budget. A detailed
survey of the garden area will be made, including taking levels
and analysis of the soil. Your garden designer should then
discuss with you at length the various possible solutions so
that you have a very clear idea of the final design. You
will discuss every possible aspect - things like organic design,
the efficient use of natural products and wildlife. At
this time plans will be produced with perspectives and clear
annotated working drawings. The designer will help you select a
contractor or assist you in doing-it-yourself, supervise
the construction and provide a full planting plan showing each
variety and number of plants. When the project is finished you should
be provided with a full maintenance schedule detailing what is
required to maintain the different areas and including
instructions for caring for the individual plants. Before you engage a garden designer
ask for a written quotation detailing the services
offered and be quite clear that all the services you require are
included and that extra ones you do not need are not.
What does a garden design cost?
It is important
to know at the outset what services your garden designer will
charge in order that you can fix a budget for the entire
project. Some designers will charge a small fee for an
initial meeting and this is likely to be between £40 and £60 per
hour; others will offer one meeting for free. Agree the terms
of this meeting beforehand. Afterwards, if
you wish to proceed, ask for a quotation in writing which
details all
the services offered and includes a precise cost for the work to
be done by the designer.. Beware of anyone who requests 'money up
front'. No work should ever be undertaken by a designer or
a contractor unless it is specifically requested by the
client. In order to ensure independence, your garden designer's fee should be separate
from the work which a construction contractor may be required to
undertake.
How do
I find a contractor to construct my garden?
A professional
garden designer will know several good contractors who are
experienced in the construction of garden schemes. You can
also ask friends and acquaintances to recommend suitable
contractors. Your garden designer should give you a rough
estimate of the likely cost of the construction and produce proper tender
documents so that several contractors can be asked to price the
job. It is wise to use a construction contractor that is
independent from your designer if you are to be assured of the best
price.
Where can I purchase the plants the designer recommends?
Your designer or the contractor should be able to supply the
various plants - often at an advantageous price. Ask
beforehand if this is part of the service that your designer
provides.
I don't have much time for gardening, is it worth having my
garden re-designed?
People who like to spend time in their gardens relaxing
rather than gardening are ideal candidates for a new garden
design. Your preferences are the most important thing and
if you have a dislike of gardening your redesign can be for an
area which requires very low maintenance. On the other hand an
avid gardener might request a high-maintenance garden simply
because they enjoy spending time outside and enjoying the work.
What
are the things I should take into consideration when
re-designing my garden?
How much time you spend in your garden and at what times of
year and day.
What you want to do in the garden.
Any relevant activities or hobbies that take place there.
Plants you like - vegetables, herbs, lawns, flowers, shrubs,
trees.
Plants that you strongly dislike.
Different ground levels.
Sun, wind and likely rainfall
Wildlife
Adjacent properties, views, features
Hard surfaces, paths, patios, pergolas, water features,
barbecues, play areas, pets' area, washing lines, dustbins,
recycling bins, compost area, sheds, greenhouses,
conservatories, swimming pool, tennis court, boule court,
croquet lawn, access, parking, driveways.
The new design includes lots of unfamiliar plants. How do
I maintain them?
Your designer should give you a plan upon completion
of the job, giving details of maintenance required for the
various areas of the garden and the individual plants with
instructions on care.
Why is the pH value or pH scale
important?
The
relative alkalinity or acidity of a soil can be measured against
a scale which has become accepted by gardeners and is known as
the pH scale. This runs from ph0 to pH14 with pH7 as neutral.
Plants grow in soils within the range of pH4.5 to pH7.5. A soil
between pH5.7 and pH6.7 is ideal for the majority of plants.
Above this reading the soil is too alkaline, and below it, too
acid.
A
chalky soil has a high calcium (alkaline) content and will,
therefore, have a high pH reading. It can be made more acid by
adding heavy dressings of organic material, such as farmyard
manure or compost. When adequately manured, a chalky soil will
become quite fertile.
A peaty soil is at the other end of the pH scale, being acid.
Unlike other soils, peat is derived from plants and is therefore
organic itself. Occurring naturally, a peat soil will often need
to be drained, It can be made more alkaline
("sweetened") by adding lime in the form of ground
limestone. A dose of 2.25 kg per 9m² will have the effect of
raising the pH between 0.5 and 0.75 of a point. Bought peat has
usually been sterilised and will therefore contain little or no
food value, but it will still condition a soil by improving its
texture
What
is mulch and why would I need it?
After
planting and at the end of each summer, when the soil is damp,
all the plants will benefit from spreading a 2 to 4 inch layer
of compost or well-rotted manure around them to add nutrients
and to conserve moisture.
Once
the beds have been thoroughly weeded and any perennial weeds
eradicated, each spring a
2 inch layer of shredded bark can be spread over the soil to
suppress weeds, retain moisture in the soil and make a very
attractive appearance.
When
is the best time to plant?
Autumn
and spring are much the best times for planting trees, shrubs,
roses and herbaceous perennials when the ground is moist but not
saturated. Ensure that the root ball of plants have been well
soaked with water prior to planting. Make sure that the plants
receive a good supply of water throughout their first year and
water well in subsequent years during periods of drought.
Evergreens
should be planted in the early spring when the ground is still
damp.
What
is meant by the term ‘dividing plants’?
Plants
are divided to ensure they remain young, vigorous and free
flowering. Perennials are divided to extend the size of an
existing clump and to establish them in other parts of the
garden. The old centre of the plant is discarded and the empty
borders, dug and manured. This is a regular task but the
frequency depends on the vigour of the plant in question.
There
are two main periods for lifting and dividing hardy perennials:
autumn if the soil is well drained or March if the soil is
inclined to be wet over the winter. Some plants that are prone
to rot during the winter, before they establish, such as the
succulent sedums, are always left until March, when the soil is
warming up and drying out. Bearded iris are lifted and divided
immediately after flowering.
The
majority of plants are divided every five years, as they take
three years to form good-sized clumps that also make impressive
flower display the first year.
What
type of fertiliser should I use?
Nitrogen
encourages leaf growth e.g. for plants such as cabbages.
Phosphate improves
root growth therefore is good for seedlings.
Potash improves
growth of flowers and fruit; hardens growth; rose fertilisers are high potash feeds and can be used to feed
tomatoes.
How
can I keep
the slugs away?
Slugs
attack new shoots and are especially partial to delphiniums,
hosta and ligularias. Surround the crown of each plant with a
good layer of sharp grit, and scatter a little slug bait if
absolutely necessary. Always
put the slug pellats under a piece of slate or similar to
protect birds and small animals, such as toads, from eating the
dead slugs and consequently killing them.
As temporary protection for small, new plants, cut
collars from clear plastic bottles to put round them until they
have grown large enough to withstand a little slug damage.
A
biological slug control has recently become available. It is a
nematode [a microscopic worm] which can be bought in little
sachets from garden centres or mail order. To apply it, mix the
contents of the sachet with water and simply water it onto a
given area using a watering can. The nematode only attacks and
kills slugs and it is effective for around six weeks. However,
it is not cheap, so make sure you use it where your plants need
the most protection.
How
can
I make
compost?
During
the gardening year piles of grass cuttings and buckets of weeds
are produced. Never throw them away. They can be recycled back
into the soil, adding plant food and creating a home for many
friendly soil organisms. This kind of bulky organic matter is
the very basis of fertility and the difference between a hard,
unyielding, difficult soil and a crumbly, easily worked
productive one.
You
need a minimum of two compost containers, though three gives you
more flexibility if you find it difficult to garden regularly.
One to fill up, one rotting down and one being dug and
used in the garden. A
good container consists of a box about 2½ ft. square by 3 ft.
high with a lid and a removable front for access. Buy or make
one that has no air holes in the sides and a lid to keep rain
out and heat in.
Anything
at all can go on the heap, though avoid cooked food, the roots
of perennial weeds like docks, ground elder and bindweed, and
woody material. The type of material can be vegetable, plant and
household refuse. Vegetable and plants can all be used, such as
cabbage leaves, pea stems, straw, dried leaves, hedge clippings
[if not woody], lawn cuttings and weeds. Never use the cuttings
from the lawn which has been treated with a hormone weed-killer
and likewise disease matter should never be used. Household
waste can include tea leaves or bags, crushed egg shells, torn
up newspapers, but never food scraps as these could encourage
rats. Woody subjects i.e. rose prunings, hedge cuttings etc. can
be used to make compost only if they have been well shredded.
Best
of all is grass, but it is essential to mix it with coarser
material to ensure that there is plenty of air in it. Put a 9
in. layer, cover it with 6 in. of coarser material and mix it up
a bit with a fork. If you have not enough coarse material, buy a
bag of fresh horse manure.
After
a month turn the compost by throwing it out of the bin and then
back in, fluffing it up as you go. Then put the lid back on and
leave it for another two months to produce rich, brown, crumbly,
sweet-smelling fertility.
Basic
principles of compost:
-
Good aeration - the refuse should not be packed down too tightly
in the heap.
-
Plenty of moisture - add water from the hose pipe or watering
can when making the heap especially if the refuse is dry, as the
heap seldom gets wet right through. Then cover the heap to keep
the moisture in.
-
Supply nitrogen - use of one of the compost activators or farm
yard manure. The bacteria which breaks down the refuse do not
work without nitrogen.
When
should I prune my rose bushes and how?
A
rose bush, unlike a tree, does not produce shoots which steadily
increase in size every year for as long as the plant remains
alive. A rose stem grows actively and bears flowers for only a
few years, after which the upper portion becomes exhausted. A
new shoot then appears from a bud lower down on the stem, and
the part above the new shoot dies.
The
result is that a rose bush left unpruned becomes a tangled and
shapeless mass of live and dead wood, with poor quality blooms
borne on weak and twiggy stems. The purpose of pruning is to get
rid of old wood, with poor quality wood every year and to
encourage the regular development of strong and healthy stems.
It will not give you more flowers next year - that is the job of
feeding, but it will give you a well-shaped bush which will
continue to bloom freely for many years to come.
Cut
out completely all dead wood and all parts of stems which are
obviously diseased or damaged. Surface wood should be white; if
brown cut back further.
Cut
out completely all very thin stems, and remove any branch which
rubs against another. Aim to produce an open-centred bush.
Remove suckers.
Early
spring pruning is the best time to prune when the growth is just
beginning. The upper most buds will have begun to swell but no
leaves will have appeared.
How
do I look after my newly planted trees?
It
is a sad fact that more young trees are lost through a lack of
aftercare than any other reason. Many people, having carefully
planted and staked a tree, then leave it to fend for itself
expecting it to grow from strength to strength without any
further attention.
The
most important requirement of a newly planted tree is an
adequate supply of water. Even trees in large areas of bare soil
will probably require frequent watering during the first summer
after planting. When trees are planted in grassy areas, it is
absolutely essential that the circle of soil at the base of the
stem [a minimum of 3 ft. diameter] be maintained for several
years, until the tree is obviously well established. Not only
does the circle of soil allow easy access of water to the roots,
it also removes the need for grass cutters to approach too close
to the stem.
The
circle must be kept free of weeds, preferably by hand, or, where
many trees are involved spraying with 'Tumbleweed'. To prevent
the soil in the circle from drying out during warm sunny periods
a 2 in. mulch of a peat substitute, shredded bark, leaf-mould
[or other suitable organic material] or a sheet of black
polythene or a 'treespat' [ special rubber or plastic mat] may
be applied, taking care to keep the base of the stem clear.
It
also pays to check newly planted trees after a period of frost,
when the roots become loosened and the soil lifted. Simply
re-firm the soil with a gentle trampling.
Watering,
when it is necessary such as in time of drought, should be
applied slowly and thoroughly, an occasional bucket of water
during an extended drought is simply not enough. Much better is
a slow but continuous 'dribble' or a series of buckets in an
earth basin around the base of the tree so that every drop of
water is held and can percolate gradually and deeply. Beware
shallow watering which encourages a too shallow root system to
become even more prone to stress. If it is a question of
priority, I would recommend giving rationed water to young
trees as they represent a long term investment.
Once
a young tree has become established in its new site [usually 1-2
years], stake and ties must be removed. Too often this is
neglected, and with the increase in stem girth the tie bites
into the tender bark causing strangulation and eventual death.
Even in the first two years, ties must be regularly checked and
loosened if necessary. So too must labels, especially those
fixed by looping string, cord or wire around a branch. The more
vigorous the tree, the more vigilant you need to be.
Trees
planted in very exposed sites are obviously more susceptible
during the first few seasons than those planted in more
sheltered positions. Thus evergreens, and even deciduous trees
when 'flushing' in the spring, should be given some form of
protection against cold wind. This can easily be done by
erecting a simple hessian or polythene screen to the windward
side of the tree, or all round the tree if turbulence comes from
several directions. this can be dismantled when more settled
weather arrives and, on normal circumstances, may be dispersed
with altogether when the tree is sufficiently well established
to face the blasts alone.
Most
young trees benefit from an occasional feeding especially when
the native soil is not particularly fertile. Mulching with a 2
in. layer of an organic material such as weathered manure or
well-rotted compost is also beneficial [essential on heavy clay
or thin sandy or chalk soils], whilst an application of a
general fertilizer is a useful booster or alternative. If the
soil circle has been neglected and is covered with weeds or
grass, this should be cleared or only a proportion of the
fertilizer will reach the tree's feeder roots.
For more information, the BBC has a comprehensive web site on
gardening and gardens - click
here
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