Gardening with Oliver Borrow
Garden designer and horticulturalist Oliver Borrow adds a room to our outside space and gets busy de-weeding
I have recently teamed up with another local businessman who I discovered offering a fabulous product: garden rooms.
I have often thought that I need an extra room in my home; personally I have wanted a larger office which is separate from the house and, being a garden designer, what better place to have an office than in the garden? It would enable me to have a highly insulated, heated room with lighting and all the mod cons looking out through large, double glazed bi-fold doors onto a beautiful garden.
When I saw these pods – or rooms – I was amazed by how luxurious they were. I even went to see one which had an en-suite wet-room. They are clad in Red Cedar or Larch, and the best thing is that most of them don’t even need planning permission. Seeing their potential, I thought wouldn’t it be great to offer an all round service that meant you could transform your entire garden or outside space into something which really worked for your needs and gave you an extra room? Combining the installation of these rooms along with a landscape design package means they are situated in a beautiful landscape and don’t look like they have just been dropped into your garden.
Extending your house can be a messy and expensive job, and after being on many building sites I can safely say that most builders won’t watch out for trampling over your garden plants or turning your lawn to mud! Our team are used to working with landscapes and not against them. The cost can also be cheaper than a full scale extension and will leave you with a unique and stylish finish.
Garden rooms are very versatile and can be customised along with your landscape to reflect your style and your needs. Ideas I have seen and heard include offices, gyms, en-suite bedrooms and chill-out pods. You can add as much or as little as you want from a wide list of accessories to get the perfect one for you. Prices start from around £9,000 for the basic model or £12,000 for the more luxurious cedar models.
I would be happy to come and see you for a chat about how to fit one into your landscape. Just give me a call on 07773 764 212.
In my garden
What an exciting time of year and one when the garden should be bursting forth with the promise of different colours and textures throughout the summer months to come. The sun has been shining and the last few weeks have seen a massive transformation. Many of the plants that have been holding back in my garden have now burst forth such as the beautifully textured and coloured leaves of the Astilbe (pictured) which I know will shoot up plumes of fluffy white flowers in the summer.
Unfortunately it’s not just the plants in the garden that are bursting forth, there are also quite a few weeds coming through too. I have tried to keep the chore of weeding to a minimum in two ways. Firstly, I have put down a thick mulch such as compost or bark chips. This helps suppress the weeds and keeps the moisture into the soil. The second is to do a little, a lot. By this I mean that every time I go out into my garden with a coffee or a G&T to enjoy the sun and the plants I pick out any weed seedlings that appear, because they are only small they come out easily and don’t establish or set seeds themselves. It also gives me the opportunity to get close to the plants I do want to be there. I notice all the flower buds that are starting to push through and all the different colours of the emerging leaves. Turning a chore into a pleasure is definitely my way of gardening!
If you would like me to use my knowledge and love of plants to create something special for you then please give me a call or check out my website: www.oliverborrow.co.uk
