Author Archive for Alison Jelfs – Page 3

Landscaping projects: dark, natural style swimming pools

There is a growing trend for darker, natural style residential swimming pools in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and across Southeast England. A dark pool in a landscape setting looks more natural in the changeable English climate than a light blue pool, which can look forlorn and out of place in winter. When you view a dark pool […]

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Boost your mental wellbeing, visit a garden!

It’s #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek, which this year focuses on raising awareness of the impact of loneliness on our mental health. In this world full of different ways to connect, it’s hard to imagine that over 9 million people in the UK report feeling lonely. Some feel trapped as the vicious cycle of anxiety and depression draws them […]

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Would you prefer a formal or informal garden… or both?

Many gardens feature elements of both formal and informal styles. One of the most famous examples is at Sissinghurst Castle created by Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West, who described the garden as: “The strictest formality of design with the maximum informality in planting.” Other good examples are High Grove, the private residence of TRH The […]

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Spring landscapes: a seasonal garden guide

• Instant fixes and tasks to improve your outdoor space • Create a garden that will wow next spring • Inspiring British spring gardens Spring is a glorious time of year as gardens begin to burst into bloom. This short guide from us at Artscape will help you create a spring garden to be proud […]

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Creating an elegant family garden with Artscape

A successful family garden is a well-balanced space that pleases every member of the family; children, adults and pets alike. Whether that means having a safe and fun play area for the children; a quiet spot for adults to relax; or a terrace for everyone to get together; with careful planning, landscaping and planting, a […]

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Creating a new wildlife pond in your garden

Want to attract butterflies and songbirds to your garden? Then consider creating a natural living wildlife pond. Large or small, it will be good for the environment and beautiful to look at too. A pond is a wildlife habitat that is increasingly rare to find these days, as many of the UK’s ponds have disappeared […]

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How to be sustainable this Christmas

Following this year’s COP26, we should all be aware of just how important it is to make every effort we can to be more sustainable this Christmas and beyond. Small changes can make a BIG difference in reducing our environmental footprint, especially at this time of the year, when the potential for waste, over consumption and […]

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Designing a Japanese zen garden

A Japanese zen garden, also known as a Japanese dry garden or Japanese rock garden, has the distinctive style of a miniature landscape. This is achieved by carefully composing arrangements of rocks and large rustic stones which represent mountains, with decorative gravel and pebbles, symbolising rivers and lakes in a highly stylised way. Natural boulders and stepping stones […]

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Eco-friendly garden design and landscaping

At Artscape, we design and landscape gardens with nature in mind. This means using plants and materials which work beautifully for gardens all over Berkshire and Buckinghamshire and help the natural environment too. Thoughtful garden design and sustainable hard landscaping helps to preserve precious natural resources and supports wildlife. Eco-friendly garden landscaping uses sustainable materials […]

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Garden design for a shaded outdoor terrace

A shady garden might appear to be challenging, but it can be a wonderful opportunity to work with lower light levels to create a stunning outdoor space. A shaded corner can be a delightful area of a garden for an outdoor dining space as it will provide an enticingly cool contrast to a very bright, […]

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