Advice Hub

Reclaimed Yorkstone circle with Millstone

When choosing paving materials for your garden project, there will seem to be a bewildering array ​available!  If you visit your local stone or building merchant you will be dazzled by everything from natural stone to man made products. So today we are looking at one of the options available - natural Yorkstone.  

A dense sandstone quarried in Yorkshire, Yorkstone has been used for centuries in our cities and has long proved its suitability to the British climate.  Sourced new from quarries in Yorkshire, each piece is typically hand-finished by an expert stonemasons to create the precise riven or sawn (smooth) finish. 

Yorkstone is available in a range of buff or grey colours in paving and sett formats. The setts are ideal for a hard-wearing driveway or high-traffic area whereas the pavers work well for paved areas and copings. ​

When choosing paving materials for your garden project, there will seem to be a bewildering array ​available!  If you visit your local stone or building merchant you will be dazzled by everything from natural stone to man made products. So today we are looking at one of the options available - natural Sandstone. 

Sandstone Paving is a versatile natural product offered in a wide range of colours, sizes and finishes. A sedimentary rock composed of sand-size grains of mineral, rock, or organic material, It also contains a cementing material that binds the sand grains together. Sandstone pavers (paving slabs) are offered in a variety of finishes including a riven, sawn (smooth), tumbled or shot blasted finish. ​

Whether you're an experienced gardener or a keen amateur, calling in a professional Garden Designer can bring new insight to your project.  With experience of working with gardens of all shapes and sizes they will be able to draw upon their creative techniques for making the most of the space and dealing with any awkward areas, often suggesting ideas you haven't thought of.  
Most importantly, a good designer will develop a scheme that works both practically and aesthetically and is tailored to your needs and site providing, a high-quality bespoke service.  
Having worked in the industry for over 21 years in design, horticulture and garden retail, I have a wealth of knowledge which I use on each and every project to create designs which for fill the clients needs and which are buildable by professional landscapers.  

The variety of plants available to gardeners is almost limitless, and can seem daunting when you are learning their names and how to care for them. Here we provide a basic guide to climbing plants and their attributes.
 
Climbers - As their name suggests, these plants climb up a structure or surface, there category refers to the fact they climb as opposed to their habit. Consequently they can be annual, perennial or shrubby.

Annual climbers include Sweetpeas, Morning Glory and Thunbergia.

Perennial climbers include some but not all of the Clematis, the perennial Sweetpea and Hops...

​The variety of plants available to gardeners is almost limitless, and can seem daunting when you are learning their names and how to care for them. Here we look at two of our favourite textural foliage plants - Ferns and Grasses. 

​​Ferns - A favourite of ours, Ferns offer wonderful textural foliage in a range of shapes and sizes. Generally suited to shady spots, several will cope with a sunnier aspect in the soil remains moist. Most ferns are clump forming, and a few which we use will creep gently too. 
Ferns are easy to maintain - just requiring old fronds to be removed, generally in the spring prior to the new fronds emerging.
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Grasses - Another favourite of ours, ornamental grasses offer a wonderful array of textures, colours and forms. They can be diminutive tussocks at the front of a border or giant feathery plumes at the back. They offer long term interest for very little input...

The variety of plants available to gardeners is almost limitless, and can seem daunting when you are learning their names and how to care for them. Here we examine the difference between Shrubs, Sub-Shrubs, Wall Shrubs & Trees.

Shrubs - Often used as anchor plants within a border, they provide the structure which perennials lack. Shrubs grow a woody framework which they retain year on year. This framework is generally pruned to shape rather than being cut back to ground level like perennials. The woody framework bears the foliage and flowers on it’s stems. Roses are a classic example of a shrub (although often you see them classified into their own category)...