Garden Modification Mishaps to Avoid: Suggestions for Alternatives
In a commendable effort to promote sustainability and reduce waste, designer Miria Harris recently embarked on a no-skip, zero-waste project. The challenge was to transform a back garden, giving away, recycling, or reusing everything before creating a space her client could love.
The first step was to create unobtrusive parking for the single car. By laying two tracks into the garden, positioned under the path of the vehicle's wheels, the garden remained undisturbed when the car was parked.
The next challenge was to future-proof the new garden. Miria used materials from the existing plot that she was unable to give away, and sourced reclaimed timber for the decks and walkway she had designed. The deck was carefully dismantled so that it could be reused, while the concrete terrace was hidden beneath the deck at the back of the garden.
Low groundcover plants, such as thymes and scrambling herbs, were chosen to live happily beneath a parked car. A dense hedge, providing shelter, food, and habitat for wildlife, also helped filter air pollution and act as a windbreak.
By utilizing reclaimed or up-cycled materials in landscapes, we minimize environmental impact, while infusing outdoor spaces with unique character. This approach is part of a growing trend in garden design, as designers work with the plants and materials they already have, incorporating them into their new design.
Instead of cutting down a tree, consider pruning it or planning the rest of the garden around it. Sometimes, lifting the canopy of a tree can work wonders, enabling you to sit underneath it, walk under it, or plant beneath it.
Designer Tabitha Rigden often uses planting to divide areas, frame views, and draw the eye through the space. Layers of texture and height add drama and depth to the garden. Don't forget to blur the boundaries by planting lots of climbers and wall shrubs against a fence.
A narrow border around the edge of a lawn can make a garden feel smaller. Creating deeper borders that cut across the width of the garden can make the space feel larger. A fence can create eddies of wind within the garden, making the problem worse (often resulting in frequent repairs to the fence). Hedging can be less costly than fencing, especially if planted as bareroot plants in winter or if opting for more mature plants.
Miria's innovative approach was met with great success. The fact that all the plants and many of the materials went to new homes in just two days was incredible, and Miria would encourage more people to do this and reduce the waste going to landfill.
Unfortunately, a search for specific names of garden architects who led a project focused on redesigning old, recultivated gardens using reused materials and traditional techniques to promote sustainability and economy did not yield specific results. However, the trend towards repurposing materials in garden design is undoubtedly growing, offering a promising future for sustainable gardening practices.
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