Our landscapers work faithfully to the design brief all the way, and use their knowledge of materials to make sure that they select the best available for your project. ensuring that they are suitable for the project and for you. We use suppliers and nurseries across London and the home counties to make sure that we have access to the widest selection of hard and soft landscaping materials as possible. Byusing this extensive variety, we can make sure that garden is truly unique to you.

The material difference

The quality of materials that are used in your project makes a huge difference, not only to the finished look but also the build quality and durability. Your designer will generally talk through the materials that he or she thinks will work best with your scheme, but if there's a material you've seen that you'd really like to incorporate, just let them know and they'll do their best to include it. We can also suggest alternatives if what you're after isn't possible.

To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail!

We know that getting the basics right with a landscaping project is crucial in ensuring that things go to plan and the finished result is of the highest quality. When it comes to landscaping, there's lots of preparation that needs to be in place before the the real stuff starts! We start right from the bottom, making sure the levels are right, the right type of soil goes into the right planting areas, the foundations are secure and weed membranes are in place under decking. It's these preparations that will ensure your garden gives you many years of pleasure.

The main event - planting

Plants are what make a garden, a garden! Whether you've decided to go for a minimalist outdoor space, a party zone with a decked entertaining space, or an elegant patio, you'll almost certainly need to soften the edges of all the hard landscaping with plants. If your taste is more towards cottage gardens and sweeping lawns, then plants are often what will define your whole scheme, and can also be used to soften the boundaries giving an impression of more space.

There is a huge variety of plants, trees and hedging that our designers suggest when designing schemes, and they all serve different purposes. There are few sights as spectacular in summer as a group of beautiful plants, flowering en masse, such as a bloom of day lillies or a tree in full blossom. An architectural plant, such as a hardy palm, or a graceful silver birch can add real drama and maturity to a garden. Dense hedging is also great for creating natural zones, and species such as box and yew can be shaped into clean lines to match continue a linear theme.

Our designers always try and aim for a planting scheme that includes all round colour and interest - great gardens shouldn't just be beautiful in summer and spring, but need to look good in autumn and winter too, after all, you might not feel the urge to get into the garden when it's freezing cold, but it still needs to look good from the house! Species such as dogwood have beautiful orange or ruby red stems that look simply stunning poking out from a snow covered ground, and when winter finally starts to turn to spring, photinia red robin has bright red foliage which appears on on the the tips of every twig and stem.

Unless you're planning on turning your outdoor space into a show garden you'll almost certainly want to create a useable entertaining zone to enjoy with your friends and family for a few mojitos's and a light summer supper. Our designers can create the perfect space for you - whether it's a party zone that comes alive at night, a tranquil garden with gently rustling bamboo, or a family garden with a barbecue and seating area. Take a look at our quick guide to outdoor entertaining which to give you some inspiration.

Party Space

If you'd like to use your garden as a party space, go for large decks that allow your guests to mingle. Built in seated areas, whether in the same material as the deck, or stone, are a great idea because they allow you to move the table and chairs out of the way to create more space in the center of the patio or deck. Rendered walls or planters are also a good idea for seating, but remember to let your designer know that they need to be re-inforced if you're intending to use them as seats. Mood lighting is also essential to make sure the party last well into the night, and why not throw in a few garden oil lamps to create a great atmosphere?

Al fresco dining room

There's nothing nicer on a mild British summer's evening than eating outside with friends and family. Barbecues are a fantastic way of bringing people together, and the smell of chargrilling meat filling the air really makes the mouth water. A well designed eating zone needn't just be about barbecuing - light summer meals prepared in the kitchen and eaten round the garden table is an equally pleasant way to spend an evening. Or why not just sit with friends around a firepit with a few glasses of wine? The choice is yours!

Peace and Tranquility

You garden can serve many different purposes, but one of the uses it almost always has to fulfil, is a place to sit back and relax. We can design your garden to really be a haven of tranqulity, perhaps with some gently running water, or the sound of bamboo rustling in the breeze in the wind. You'll want to make sure you've got somewhere to lie back and enjoy reading a book or just soak up the sun so go for elegant loungers that complement the look of your patio or deck. Why not invite friends over for an afternoon of relaxation, followed by a light bite to eat and a crisp glass of Chardonnay?

OK, we're not talking a few bricks stacked on top of each other with a grill shelf here! A bespoke grill zone, with a high end gas and charcoal barbecue can easily be built into your scheme, for a look that will really wow your guests and bring out the chef in you!

Built in stainless steel refrigerators can also be incorporated so that you can really turn your garden into an outdoor kitchen. Thoughtful planning ensures that you can chat to your guests whilst you're cooking. So why not treat yourself?

You've taken the time, trouble and effort to get your new outdoor space done, and it looks fantastic. Now you need to put the finishing touches in. There is a huge variety of outdoor furniture that you can use to accessorise your garden, and picking the eights ones can really add that extra glamour factor.

Our favourite website for outdoor furniture is Made In Design, and you can find their website at http://www.madeindesign.co.uk. They've got a fantastic range of really contemporary designs - if you can't find what you're looking for here, it doesn't exist!