So this will be the last update to the blog this year. It’s been an ‘interesting’ year in many ways – we’ve had some great projects, a lousy summer and have ended up with a difficult economic climate, but overall this year has once again been about delivering quality gardens that fit our clients needs.
So what was going on with garden design in 2008? Well, if you believed the media hype at Chelsea we’d be inundated with clients looking for vertical walls of planting, green roofs and the latest ‘must have’ plants. The reality is far from this – the fundamental requirements for a garden remain generally unchanged and most clients tend to want a scheme that allows them to enjoy the space outside their house without taking excessive maintenance. If the family has young children then there is generally a requirement for a decent area to play in, and ultimately the garden has to work for the client’s lifestyle.
The differences we’re seeing are an increased familiarity (and comfort) with contemporary design – not inner-city sleek minimalism, but simple clean lines and less demand for organic curves. The over-riding requirements for planting are low maintenance and child-friendliness. Ornamental grasses are still finding favour with many clients, but we’re seeing an increasing number of clients who want to make the garden a haven for wildlife so that involves a broader range of flowering plants, with some shrubs and trees used to give different habitats within the scheme. The use of water is still an issue for some clients – those with children obviously want to ensure that the water doesn’t present a safety issue and others are concerned at the perceived level of maintenance that may be needed (which is actually very low).
Climate change is still impacting our designs as well – this came to the fore in 2006 with clients wanting the ability to choose between sunny and shady seating areas. The damp grey summers of 2007 and 2008 have changed this perception a little, with additional thoughts about drainage of paved areas and perhaps even somewhere to shelter from the rain in the garden. We’ve designed a couple of schemes that incorporate a grey-water storage and irrigation scheme, though we do tend to specify plants that should tolerate the anticipated conditions and not require too much irrigation. Productive gardens (aka veg patches!) have also started to make an appearance on some wish lists though this is usually tempered by the request for the garden not to need too much maintenance!
So, where to in 2009? Well the one thing that seems certain is that budgets are going to be squeezed. This may mean that we design some schemes to include elements that can be built later, or perhaps for larger schemes we’ll design a scheme that can be built in several phases. The selection of materials and detailing of the scheme can also have a major impact on the overall cost, so these are areas that we’ll have to focus on.
Another change for 2009 will be the impact of the new legislation for driveways. This was introduced in October 2008 and we’ve already dealt with two front garden projects that are affected by these rules, but it’s likely that the new legislation will come as a surprise to many of our clients in 2009.
Despite the media’s gloom and doom we’re now looking to the second quarter of 2009 for further commissions so it’s worth making an enquiry sooner rather than later to see how we can help with your project.
2008 Review
December 23, 2008So this will be the last update to the blog this year. It’s been an ‘interesting’ year in many ways – we’ve had some great projects, a lousy summer and have ended up with a difficult economic climate, but overall this year has once again been about delivering quality gardens that fit our clients needs.
So what was going on with garden design in 2008? Well, if you believed the media hype at Chelsea we’d be inundated with clients looking for vertical walls of planting, green roofs and the latest ‘must have’ plants. The reality is far from this – the fundamental requirements for a garden remain generally unchanged and most clients tend to want a scheme that allows them to enjoy the space outside their house without taking excessive maintenance. If the family has young children then there is generally a requirement for a decent area to play in, and ultimately the garden has to work for the client’s lifestyle.
The differences we’re seeing are an increased familiarity (and comfort) with contemporary design – not inner-city sleek minimalism, but simple clean lines and less demand for organic curves. The over-riding requirements for planting are low maintenance and child-friendliness. Ornamental grasses are still finding favour with many clients, but we’re seeing an increasing number of clients who want to make the garden a haven for wildlife so that involves a broader range of flowering plants, with some shrubs and trees used to give different habitats within the scheme. The use of water is still an issue for some clients – those with children obviously want to ensure that the water doesn’t present a safety issue and others are concerned at the perceived level of maintenance that may be needed (which is actually very low).
Climate change is still impacting our designs as well – this came to the fore in 2006 with clients wanting the ability to choose between sunny and shady seating areas. The damp grey summers of 2007 and 2008 have changed this perception a little, with additional thoughts about drainage of paved areas and perhaps even somewhere to shelter from the rain in the garden. We’ve designed a couple of schemes that incorporate a grey-water storage and irrigation scheme, though we do tend to specify plants that should tolerate the anticipated conditions and not require too much irrigation. Productive gardens (aka veg patches!) have also started to make an appearance on some wish lists though this is usually tempered by the request for the garden not to need too much maintenance!
So, where to in 2009? Well the one thing that seems certain is that budgets are going to be squeezed. This may mean that we design some schemes to include elements that can be built later, or perhaps for larger schemes we’ll design a scheme that can be built in several phases. The selection of materials and detailing of the scheme can also have a major impact on the overall cost, so these are areas that we’ll have to focus on.
Another change for 2009 will be the impact of the new legislation for driveways. This was introduced in October 2008 and we’ve already dealt with two front garden projects that are affected by these rules, but it’s likely that the new legislation will come as a surprise to many of our clients in 2009.
Despite the media’s gloom and doom we’re now looking to the second quarter of 2009 for further commissions so it’s worth making an enquiry sooner rather than later to see how we can help with your project.