Casestudy - Cottage Garden Transformation in Nottingham

16/6/2023

Phase 1 complete

Back in March 2021, Bel was contacted by the owners of a converted Farmhouse property in the village of Wilford, on the outskirts of Nottingham. The quiet walled garden belied the proximity to the city centre, offering a secluded traditional country feel to the space.

The garden had been landscaped around 15 years previously so the plot had good bone structure and features which the clients were keen to keep. What was suffering was the planting, which although the clients were keen gardeners, had become old, tired and difficult to manage easily.

Bel was called in to create new planting schemes, arrange for her team to clear and prepare the ground for replanting and then install the new planting. The project was tackled in two phases in Autumn 2021 and Spring 2022.

Initially Bel looked at tackling the 'Gravel Garden' on the sunny south facing wall as Phase 1. Weeds and self seeded perennials we becoming a nuisance amongst the gravel and there were a few stumps in the ground to be removed...

Casestudy: Wheelchair Accessible Garden

29/7/2022

Bel was contacted by the owners of this property back in 2020 when they were planning a major renovation of this property in Loughborough. One of the clients is a wheelchair user and to make the property easier to access and use day to day, the property would undergo a significant overhaul in 2021. The existing garden to the rear of the property was predominantly lawned, with a simple pathway of paving along the rear elevation of the house. This meant that the client could only use a very small proportion of the space as the lawn was inaccessible in a wheelchair.

So as part of the over all works, the clients chose to include the garden and called in Bel to design a space which needed to serve many purposes. Firstly the space had to be fully wheelchair friendly - the client wanted to access every area. The new layout also had to include a Garden Studio, covered Pergola, Kitchen Garden, Greenhouse and planting areas. All of these elements needed to be connected by a level pathway to allow access.

Farmhouse Country Garden - Planting Design Project

26/11/2021

A collaboration with landscaping company Soar Valley Services Ltd, Bel was asked to design and install the planting design scheme for this large family garden. Following the major re-landscaping efforts to transform the former Farmhouse land with water features, terracing, stone walling and paving using reclaimed yorkstone, the garden was ready to plant in Autumn of 2020.
The clients had moved from an established garden and brought with them several Roses and Hydrangeas which were incorporated into the scheme, alongside evergreen shrubs, ornamental grasses and colourful perennials for a splash of colour throughout the seasons...

Contemporary Country Garden Design Project - Billesdon

24/9/2021

Bel was contacted by the owners this country property in rural Leicestershire back in September 2019. They has been updating the interior of the property and were now ready to tackle the exterior. Nothing much had been done with the garden since the house had been built in the 1990's. There was a large area of lawn and some planting beds with plants which had become out of control and oversized. To be in keeping with the renovated interior the clients were keen to being a contemporary feel to the garden whilst maintaining the country feel.

The rear garden faces East so the clients could only sit in the sun in the early morning with there current patio, so top of the wish list was a larger entertaining area sited further back from the house to catch more of the afternoon sunshine. This meant cutting back into an existing bank of lawn which raised up from the patio to the rear boundary. The clients were very keen not to have a solid wall as a retainer as this would look austere in the surroundings. They were also keen to incorporate soft naturalistic style planting into the garden.

Rural Garden Design Transformation - Phase 1 Wildflower Meadow

23/7/2021

Bel was contacted by the owners of a pretty Northamptonshire cottage back in November 2019 when they were looking for a garden designer to help them with there garden development project. They had recently bought a one acre paddock to the rear of their cottage and had planning permission to renovate and extended their cottage with an Oak framed extension, Oak clad garden stores and a Shepherds Hut. The property redevelopment would allow far reaching views over the beautiful rolling hills of Northamptonshire, and the garden was to play a key part in the project, linking the plot with the land beyond, and nestling the renovated cottage into the newly acquired land...

Here you'll find lots of useful information, Tips, Ideas and Advice on Garden Design, Planting Design, Garden Maintenance and on how to get the most from your outdoor space.

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Author: Bel Grierson

Expert Plantswoman and Garden Designer with 21+ years experience in horticulture. Bel loves to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with those with gardens large and small.

Budgeting for a garden transformation? Check out these articles:
Garden Design Project
Planting Design Project

What's included in a Design Package? Take a look at these articles for more info:
Garden Design Package
Planting Design Package

Garden Designer v Landscaper.. Which to Choose? Check out this article:
Designer v Landscaper

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We are absolutely delighted with our beautiful new garden designed and installed by Bel! We had an unusually shaped garden which we didn't have the knowledge to handle, but at the same time had quite specific ideas of what we liked and disliked. Bel listened to our ideas and the challenge didn't phase her at all! The preparation of the the soil by her team, and the planting of the garden by Bel herself over three days couldn't have gone smoother. We would highly recommend Bel in terms of her expertise, conscientiousness and friendly, easy going personality and we can't stop looking at our amazing new garden!

Mrs Prist, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire

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"Bel is brilliant. Easy to work with. Lots of ideas and plans but great at listening and quickly tapping into what you like, want and need. She has bags of style with a healthy dose of practicality and is 100% reliable. Totally recommend."

Mrs Munden - Thrussington, Leicestershire

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"Bel delivered professional advice in a friendly way after she had established what her clients wished to achieve. All in all - it has been a pleasure to work with her"

Mrs Harrison - Woodhouse Eaves, Leicestershire

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"If you are looking for advice on your garden or a new designs then look no further than Bel Grierson. We have used her on several aspects of our garden to lower the maintenance and update the planting with spectacular results. Bel is easy to work with and is totally in tune with all our requirements."

Mr Stapleton - Rothley, Leicestershire

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"Bel has delivered a delightful garden with a design that has transformed a shallow plot surrounded by fences, into a garden full of interest. Bel listened carefully to our concerns and gave her total attention to each step of the way."

Mr & Mrs Bayley - Loughborough, Leicestershire

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"Our 20 year old garden was looking tired and boring. No colour and a mishmash of plants that were past their sell-by date. We had no idea what to do to rescue the situation as we knew very little about what plants would do well. Then we found Bel. Our garden is transformed; beautiful colour that just keeps coming all through the year, easy maintenance and a joy to sit and look at with an appropriate glass in one hand. Bel interpreted our thoughts perfectly and has produced an extraordinary result. She is patient with non-gardeners, knowledgeable and highly professional. Not afraid to get her hands dirty and endlessly helpful. I simply cannot recommend her too highly."

Mr & Mrs Benussi - Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire

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"Bel redesigned and planted our garden this summer. It has transformed it from dark and dingy to a fresh open space. Bel is a pleasure to work with, friendly and helpful, full of ideas and always ready to listen to what you want and find the best way of delivering it. Recommended!"

Mr Goodman - Loughborough, Leicestershire

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"Bel provided good advice and warm, friendly and professional support at all stages of our garden transformation. Her knowledge about plants and her design ideas gave us confidence from the outset. We are delighted with the result, and now look forward to enjoying our new garden in the months and years to come."

Mr Corner - Rearsby, Leicestershire

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"Bel has recently redesigned a large area in my garden which was previously a 'wilderness'. I was very pleased with the design that she came up with - it was clear that she had paid attention to what I had said I wanted and understood my style. Great communication throughout the process and now that the planting is finished I am looking forward to next spring and watching it develop."

Mrs Phillips - Ratby, Leicestershire

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Thank you very much Bel for your design to renovate our back garden. It’s been great to work with you, we really appreciated spending time with you to hear your ideas and develop those with you for a new vision for our garden. We love the pond and wild at the back of the garden and the new plants you’ve sourced have all settled in very well and we are excited to see how they will grow!

Mr & Mrs Adshead, Loughborough

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Absolutely delighted with our new garden. Bel’s design carefully incorporated all of our wish list and much much more.
Receiving the designs far exceeding our expectations and her subsequent coordination with her recommended landscapers made the project go without a hitch allowing us to work full time throughout, returning home to a little more transformation each day!
Her planting scheme was the cherry on the top. It's beautiful and we couldn't be happier with it. Eight weeks post planting the garden is thriving and we're really enjoying pottering around tending to it as per Bel's comprehensive maintenance instructions.
We couldn't be more delighted - thank you.

Mrs Fraser - West Leake

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Bel Grierson | Garden Designer & Plantswoman
Postal Address: 11 Garendon Road, Shepshed, LEICS, LE12 9NU
Phone Number: 07506 750250
Email address: info@belgrierson.co.uk

Company Details:
Bel Grierson Garden Design Limited
Registered Address: C/O Chesterton House Accounting Services LLP, 2-3 Rectory Place, Loughborough, LE11 1UW Company Number: 13017102 (England & Wales) VAT Number: 399744816

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