Aralia Garden Design

Maltese Road by Aralia - RHS/SGD Open Garden 25th September 2011

2011-09-27T05:42:00.000-07:00

On Sunday the 25th September from 12 noon till 4pm, Maltese Road, winning garden of the Principal BALI Landscape Excellence Award 2010 was open to the public for the first time, as part of the RHS/SGD National Open Garden Scheme (new this year). It was a massive success, we had wonderful weather, and we'd like to thank everyone that came to enjoy the beautiful garden. We had lots of lovely feedback from our visitors. A lot mentioned that it is lovely to see a 'normal' sized garden open to the public for a change! Our client Paul Edwards also raised £51 for the Juvenile Diabetes Charity by selling drinks and home made cakes to the visitors. Here are a few photos from the day..

Designer Patricia Fox with our client Paul Edwards.

We hope everyone that visited the garden gained lots of inspiration. If you weren't able to see the garden in person, fear not as BBC Gardeners' World are filming the garden next week to be featured shortly after, so keep an eye out for it!

info@aralia.org.uk

01279 730040

The Studio, Clipped Hedge Cottage, Dunmow Road, Hatfield Heath, Hertfordshire, CM22 7EE

Fancy a FREE Garden Design Consultation??

2011-07-15T03:52:00.000-07:00

Fancy a FREE Garden Design Consultation??

Simply enter our draw by telling us in either a comment below (or email info@aralia.org.uk) roughly where you live, what your garden is like and how a Garden Consultation from us would benefit you, and one lucky winner picked at random will receive a Consultation from us for FREE!!

If you live within 10 miles of the office (CM22 7EE) the Consultation will take place at your home. If you live over 10 miles from our office we can do an over the phone consultation once you have emailed over some photos of your garden, or if you wanted us to take a look at your garden in person you could opt to pay a travel fee.

Competition ends 28/07/11, winner to be revealed 29/07/11.

Good Luck!!

Update 29/07/11: Congratulations to Jill who entered our prize draw and is going to receive a FREE Garden Design Consultation! :)

info@aralia.org.uk

01279 730040

The Studio, Clipped Hedge Cottage, Dunmow Road, Hatfield Heath, Hertfordshire, CM22 7EE

Grove Cottage - Sneak Peak!

2011-07-15T02:49:00.000-07:00

Grove Cottage, based in the middle of Bishops Stortford provides many social activities for children and adults with special needs - click here to visit their website

It is a really wonderful organisation that we are absolutely delighted to be working with. We hope to create a beautiful and safe garden where the children and adults can relax, play and learn. It is a challenging project to say the least as all parts of the design need to meet the Ofsted regulations, but we are finding it so very rewarding. We're extremely excited to see the new garden built this year, but if you can't possibly wait till then see the outcome, we hope these before photos and design sneak peaks will keep you fulfilled!

Before Photos:

Visual by John Dennis:

This small garden has to make every space work hard to maximise function for the Mencap users. Here this narrow alley is turned into a musical passage way accessible to all.

Presentation Plan by John Dennis:

If you know of any other similar charities which could benefit from a new outdoor space for it's users, please do get in touch! We have found this project extremely fulfilling and would really love to continue to work with more charities in the future.

info@aralia.org.uk

01279 730040

The Studio, Clipped Hedge Cottage, Dunmow Road, Hatfield Heath, Hertfordshire, CM22 7EE

Harvest rainwater in style...

2011-07-08T01:33:00.000-07:00

Well it wouldn't be Summer if we didn't see a downpour of rain every now and then now would it!? We can't complain, it means there's no need to get out those hosepipes and spend an hour of our days going round the garden (although actually we really enjoy it!!) But we hope you're making the most of this rainwater by recycling and saving for a dry day? Did you know the average house roof sheds a massive 45,000 litres of water each year!? This means 25% of the water we currently use could be harvested from our roofs!! The simplest way that we can all capture rainwater is to have diverters on your downpipes and feed into water butts. Thing is, your typical water butts picked up from local DIY stores are pretty ugly to say the least, almost all coming in that nasty green colour making it stick out in your garden like a sore thumb!! SO Aralia has found some lovely alternatives, so that you can help the earth, and still have a beautiful garden...

If you would like to order one of these fabulous water butts, or would simply like to know more, get in touch - info@aralia.org.uk / 01279 730040

info@aralia.org.uk

01279 730040

The Studio, Clipped Hedge Cottage, Dunmow Road, Hatfield Heath, Hertfordshire, CM22 7EE

Regents Park Terrace

2011-07-01T05:53:00.000-07:00

We have very recently completed a project in Regents Park Terrace, London. We took a few pictures the other week and thought you might like to see them!

Here is a small crop of the Presentation Plan by Aralia...

and another one of the Plant Plan by Aralia...

Before...

During...

After...

We can't wait to go back in a few months when the plants have established a little more so we can take lots of beautiful photos for you all!

If you have a garden that you would like to have turned into your own mini paradise, please please get in touch! We would love to help you with your project!

info@aralia.org.uk

01279 730040

The Studio, Clipped Hedge Cottage, Dunmow Road, Hatfield Heath, Hertfordshire, CM22 7EE

Lakeside View - Sneak Peak!

2011-06-24T02:42:00.000-07:00

We want to start updating you all about what we're up to on a regular basis, so here's the first snippet we'd like to share with you...

Lakeside View

Our Senior Designer Tristen Knight was recently approached by an old friend who just happens to have a 60 acre site with a 20 acre lake that needs some life added to it. We were of course thrilled to take on the project and we can’t wait for construction to begin this Autumn!

Here are a few photos of how the site currently looks:

Just look at those views we have to work with!! Stunning!

And here is a sneak peak of what Tristen Knight plans to do with parts of the site:

We simply can't wait to see how it will look once it's completed!!

If you have a project similar to this or know someone that has, we would love to work with them and would love it if you got in touch! But don't forget, size isn't everything you know!! Whatever the size of your garden, big or small, all your enquiries are welcome and we would be more than happy to help!

info@aralia.org.uk

01279 730040

The Studio, Clipped Hedge Cottage, Dunmow Road, Hatfield Heath, Hertfordshire, CM22 7EE

Grand Designs LIVE Exhibition 2011

2011-02-23T04:37:00.000-08:00

Fancy an inspirational day out?? Come and visit us at stand G94 at the Grand Designs Live Exhibition, held at Londons EXCEL from the 30th April to the 8th May. click here for tickets: http://www.granddesignslive.com/

We are offering FREE 20 minute Design Clinics where you can look through our portfolios and gather ideas, to book one of these please call 01279 730040. We will also have available to order lots of fabulous (and exclusive!) pieces of furniture and garden features from our Aralia Exteriors range! We hope to see you there :) x

info@aralia.org.uk

01279 730040

The Studio, Clipped Hedge Cottage, Dunmow Road, Hatfield Heath, Hertfordshire, CM22 7EE

Principal BALI Landscape Excellence Award Winners 2010!

2010-12-13T07:05:00.000-08:00

On the 3^rd December 2010, Aralia Garden Design based in Hatfield Heath, were presented with the Principal BALI Landscape Excellence Award, for an innovative approach to a small garden project. The BALI Awards, which are organised by the British Association of Landscape Industries, are the most sought after awards in the Industry and recognise designers and landscapers who demonstrate exceptionally high standards of professionalism and skill in their industry. It is the only design award BALI issues and is regarded as Highly Prestigious - We are overjoyed to say the least!

From the Left: Patricia Fox MSGD - Aralia Garden Design, Paul Edwards (Client), Phillip Holmes (Holmes & Davey Landscape Contractors)

We entered Maltese Road a beautiful garden in Chelmsford where we were really able to push the boundaries, and the end result looked spectacular! Our client Paul Edwards came to Aralia with the vision of a calm, tranquil space, which had a sense of seclusion where he can relax whilst surrounded by lush planting. It had to be in keeping with his Victorian home, and had to feel light and airy and in no way claustrophobic. With not the largest of gardens to work with, and so many fabulous ideas to include, it wasn’t plain sailing! The site itself was so tight that design elements had to be built bespoke as standard items would not work in the space available. We Included bespoke items such as pergolas, a curved archway, a semi-circular slate & granite bench, and an impressive 20 panel Ornamental Green Wall disguising what would have been the back of an unsightly garage wall. Careful layering of plants helped us achieve a spacious and tranquil feel. The result is a unique, compact garden with a deceptively spacious feel and one that met every demand from our exacting client. We are simply thrilled to have won this award – what a fantastic end to 2010!!

Maltese Road - Chelmsford, Essex:

info@aralia.org.uk

01279 730040

The Studio, Clipped Hedge Cottage, Dunmow Road, Hatfield Heath, Hertfordshire, CM22 7EE

Green Wall for Client in Chelmsford

2010-10-17T05:37:00.000-07:00

We should really have put these pictures up before now but this is a couple of images of the first residential green wall installation that Aralia Garden Design have completed. This was for a client in Chelmsford and the Green wall have been used to disguise the end of the clients garage. Paul now has a Front garden which is a masterpiece. I have included below a testimonial that Paul has kindly written for us and posted up on Linked-In.

Dear Patricia,

I've written this recommendation of your work to share with other LinkedIn users.

Details of the Recommendation: "I thoroughly recommend the services provided by Aralia Garden Design; Pat and her team have a flexible working style and really listen to your requirements and ideas - the designs iincorporate fresh and interesing concepts so you feel you are getting something unique and special. Pat skillfully guides you through a multitude of choices; the detailed and colourful design drawings really help you visualise how everything will look in the end. The creative process is rarely straightforward and achieving my wonderful garden involved overcoming the occasional challenge along the way; throughout it all Pat maintained a calm, practical and down-to-earth approach which is a great asset. I am very pleased with the end result; the outside spaces enrich my quality of life - I have also learnt many new plant names! - excellent job, well done!"

Service Category: Garden Designer

Year first hired: 2009

Top Qualities: Great Results, Personable, Creative

Green Wall Our very first installation in a client's garden

2010-03-11T06:44:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share this photo with you all, very excited, our first green wall for a client has now been planted up, and is being left to mature for 4 weeks in a poly tunnel before we then install at our clients in Chelmsford. The panels aren't quite in the right configuration but you get the picture..........can't wait to see it in situ.

Beware of rogue traders..............why you need a garden designer!

2010-02-15T01:29:00.001-08:00

Winter is gradually rolling away and there is a definite whif of spring in the air, now is the time when thoughts turn to our gardens and what can be done with them for the spring. A lot of people choose this time of year to start a major overhaul on their garden, which is why this month is the month our phones start ringing with people needing help to sort out their gardens. I wanted to share with you a meeting I had with a client yesterday, it was a lovely meeting which I really enjoyed but I came away feeling very uncomfortable, not because of the client who was great, but because of another meeting the client (we will call her Claire) had had, a meeting where she had received extremely poor advice, and if she had gone ahead with the contractor would have proved disastrous for Claire.

Lets start at the beginning…………….Claire phoned me and asked me to come and have look at her garden. Her No 1 problem was lack of time to spend in the garden, and her lovely dog ‘Charlie’ who kept bringing in mud by the bucket load. Claires initial brief to me was ‘ I just want it all paved over’. Now you can imagine I’m sure how I feel, as a garden designer, about completely paving over gardens. Firstly I advised Claire that by doing so she would without doubt be devaluing the value of her home, most people are looking for a garden, not a concrete jungle. Secondly I tried to understand why she didn’t want any plants at all. Claire felt that she didn’t have time to garden, and therefore couldn’t have any plants, and she needed to get rid of the planting beds, so that there was no mud for Charlie to scamper in with on his paws. Excellent. I then advised Claire that we could investigate raised beds, which Charlie would be less keen to scamper across, and that the beds could be mulched with stone chippings, so no mud would be on show at all, and lastly I could provide Claire with plants that only needed 1 thing doing to them each year. Could she handle this? Yes this provided Claire with a solution she could live with, a beautiful garden she could enjoy, no mud, and a sound investment when she came to sell her property.

We also advised that her current patio height was too high, it needed to be at least 2 brick courses below the DPC (damp proof course), and that the current patio fell in the direction of the house, which meant that all the water run off would pool at the base of her walls, potentially causing a longer term damp problem, especially considering the incorrect height of the patio. So our design would incorporate lowering the patio and falling the water away from the house. All of this and far more was discussed during the course of our 1 hour design consultation, for which we charge a nominal £50, so even if Claire decides not to use us, she has got some invaluable advise which she can use in planning her own garden.

Now the interesting bit………………….Prior to our visit Claire had seen a builder/contractor and given him the same brief. He was very happy to pave over the whole garden, and in fact had even suggested that they paved right up to the house, at the current level, this would have been disastrous. At present there was at least a small shingle strip next to the house, where at least the water could pool and eventually evaporate, By removing this strip the water would have pooled down next to the house walls, and yes you’ve guessed it only 1 brick below DPC which would undoubtedly have led to damp problems within the house. The value of Claire’s home would very likely have dropped, even though she would have spent a significant amount on paving over the whole garden. Probably more in fact than she would spend with us, because hardscape is more expensive than soft scape (I.e paving costs more than plants) and we would combine paving and gravel areas, with planting. Yes Claire would incur our design fees, and the contractor would happily have provided their ‘design’ for free, but which garden do you think you would prefer to have?

So my Spring time gardening message is if you are seriously looking at overhauling your garden, please consider involving a Garden Designer, we don’t bite and we can give you some really good sensible advice. And, we are happy just doing consultations if advice is all you want, then most designers are happy to provide this on an hourly fee basis. Best place to find a garden designer is the SGD website, this is the website of the Society of Garden Designers, you can enter your town or post code and it will come up with a list of designers near you. All of these designers have been through a stringent ajudication process and have proved their professional ability. Alternatively you can find a garden designer via a google search, but, if you go this route please remember anyone can call themselves a Garden Designer, even someone who has attended just a 1 week course! You may actually know more than them…………

Alternatively if you’re not convinced and you know what you want, and feel you know enough to avoid major pitfalls then okay contact a Landscape Contractor direct. Again, my best advise (and I speak from the heart and from learning the hard way) is choose a contractor who is a member of an accredited body. BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries) is perhaps the best known body, and all of its Registered Contractors have again been stringently tested & approved. If you select a contractor from here, they know their stuff and they will look after you well - no rogue traders here! Another very good reason for using a Garden Designer is that they usually work with 1 or 2 extremely good contractors, so they will manage all of this for you should you wish, and will even oversee the work for you.

So back to Claire, I don’t know as yet if Claire will be using our services or not, I hope so, I know that we would deisgn & build a garden that she will love from day 1, and which will only get better with time, and that eventually when she does put her house on the market at some point in the future, she will get a great return on her investment on her garden - AND it will help her sell her house faster than similar properties. So we will wait and see……………what I do know is that Claire is now fully aware of the pitfalls with her project and I know that she will now make sensible decisions, I know that we have helped her and that whatever her decision, we have armed her with sufficient knowledge to be wary of rogue traders and their advice - and that for us is a job well done whatever the outcome!

Patricia Fox MSGD

Aralia Garden Design

www.aralia.org.uk

t.01279 730 040

e. info@aralia.org.uk

Contract Details

SGD (Society of Garden Designers)

www.sgd.org.uk

BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries)

www.bali.co.uk

Aralia Garden Design

2010-02-06T10:23:00.000-08:00

Aralia Garden Design

2010-01-18T04:22:00.001-08:00

Just been reading about an initiative in Texas where they are looking to introduce edibles into Front Gardens - what a great idea. So much better than paving over the front garden. Good for community relationships, good for the environment and they look so much prettier too. We turned our front garden (or part of it) over into a Kitchen Garden area some 4 years back and have never regretted it. I am often out in the front garden tending my veg and get time to say high to all our passing neighbours.

If you want to read more the link is at http://www.fritzhaeg.com/garden/initiatives/edibleestates/austin_text.html

Happy Christmas

2009-12-23T10:13:00.001-08:00

Happy christmas to all from Aralia, here's a piccy of our Garden Design Studio in the snow today, chocolate box or what! have a peaceful xmas.

BALI Worldskills UK Landscape Gardening Competition 2010

2009-12-14T03:22:00.000-08:00

What a fantastic year we've had, a Silver at Chelsea, an award for the BALI Landscape Design Excellence Award (runners up to Andy Sturgeon no less) and we've just found out this morning that we've been chosen as the designer for the 2010/2011 WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening competition organised by BALI , in Association with UK Skills. Andy Sturgeon was the designer for this years WorldSkills UK competition, so we are thrilled to yet again be following in his footsteps. What an exciting end to the year, we are really looking forward to working on this with BALI.

The competetion is run for student landscape gardeners, it is designed to test their abilities as a landscape gardener. They will be competing live at Malvern Spring Gardening Show, Gardening Scotland and Malvern Autumn Show.

Competition Information:
Worldskills UK are a set of dynamic skills competitions for both young people and adults designed by industry experts. They run every year in over 70 skills across the UK. Last year, over 4,000 people registered to compete in a WorldSkills UK Competition.

The Landscape Gardening Competition attracts, on average, 50 competitors from Colleges and industry. Competing in regional heats; those scoring highest are invited to complete in a National Final.

The 2010 regional heat venues are; Malvern Spring Gardening Show and Gardening Scotland. Malvern Autumn Show will host the National Final. These venues attract over 180,000 visitors, providing an excellent publicity platform to showcase industry skills optimising PR.

All National finalists across the UK may then be considered for inclusion in WorldSkills Team UK. Team UK compete in the biennial International Worldskills competition against 50 other countries/regions. This year at WorldSkills Calgary 2009, the Landscape Gardening team won a medallion for excellence and secured 7th position.

The next International Worldskills competition will be held in London 2011. 2010 is the last year people can enter to be in with a chance of competing with WorldSkills Team UK in front of a home crowd.

(Above images are of the garden in Allen's Green Sawbridgeworth that we were awarded the BALI Landscape Design Excellence Award)To find out more please visit http://www.bali.org.uk/uk_skills/introduction

Edible Park / Landscapes Campaign

2009-12-10T05:19:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to rack my brains to work out how best to involve local councils into incorporating Edible Plants into local parks etc, and just came across this fantastic web site http://www.capitalgrowth.org/ . They already have £150k to give away in grants to londoners for unused land etc (mostly gone already I think?) but they are campaigning for further funds. Think this is excellent news and will check it out further.

Link: http://www.aralia.org.uk

Gorgeous Metal Work

2009-11-17T07:14:00.001-08:00

Came across the most fantastic web site today that does absolutely gorgeous furniture and sculpture made out of wire, a real mix of contemporary and traditional stuff. Check them out at http://www.raymentwire.co.uk/

Is Tim Richardson correct? Would all Garden Designers be better off if we re-marketed ourselves as Exterior Designers?

2009-10-20T03:08:00.000-07:00

Tim Richardson, has (as ever) written another highly controversial article for the GDJ November 2009 (Garden Design Journal) asking whether Garden Designers would be better off, re marketing themselves as Exterior Designers. It does appear that the word 'garden' does appear to reduce the money that clients 'expect' to pay for our services. Often accidentally referred to as 'Landscape Gardeners' (which we're not!) the Garden Design profession does still appear to be stuggling to establish itself as a 'profession' , rather than a hobby. Exterior Designer, might be better understood by clients, who are used to the correlating title 'Interior Designer', but will it be worth all the re coding of web sites etc to optimise a different search term - I think possibly not. Surely the most important issue is to educate our client base to more fully understand what we as garden designers, can do and are capable of, to help them understand that we can truly add value into the supply change. So rather than see us as an 'expense', start to understand that we can not only create truly gorgeous gardens, but also can add real value to their homes and properties.