We love to try out new and interesting features in our garden designs. This could be a water feature using a cistern to send pulses of water for kids to play with, or decking using wood of differing widths instead of the usual samey grooved boards. More recently, we hit on a way of making screens and fences with a difference.
We tried it out for the first time last month in a front garden in Fishponds. Firstly, we took cheap and cheerful treated timber and drew a wave pattern down the middle of each plank. Using a jigsaw, we then cut along the “wave” lengthwise until each plank was divided into two.
Once all the planks were cut, we attached them to the posts, leaving a slight gap between them, which emphasised the curving pattern. After everything had been put together, we sanded and treated the wood surfaces.
Sometimes it can be a bit of a risk trying something new, but it can also be a lot of fun.
Our clients really enjoyed seeing their wavy fence develop and it was quite a talking point among passers by. A simple idea resulted in a unique and stylish fence for relatively little cost.
By accident, we also discovered that the look of the fence, and the view through it, changes when viewed from different directions and at various times of day, when the gaps between the planks allow for differing amounts of light. This effect was an bonus; you never quite know what you are going to get when trying something new.
As well as looking good, it’s important that a front garden is easy to look after. It’s on view for everyone to see, so you don’t want to be constantly weeding, tidying and pruning.
Elements of this front garden behind the fence were specially designed to be low maintenance. For example, we planted mainly flowering shrubs that need very little cutting back. Indeed, Cercis Canadensis or “forest pansy” will probably never need pruning.
Instead of grass, we used real stone cobbles for three reasons: to define the planting areas, to create an interesting shape and to retain the pebbles that we used for our “waterless” water feature.
It’s a contradiction, of course, but there really is not a drop of water in this feature; no pump, no liner, no worries!
We used small pebbles as a base and a large chunk of local sandstone as the focal point.
To simulate water we simply scattered blue slate and then used larger pebbles in a pattern to finish off the look.
As it happened, all the new things we tried in this garden worked well and we finished up with a really interesting and eye-catching space that benefited our clients and passers by alike.
To discus garden design ideas, contact Ali via email to info@secretgardenweb.co.uk, or for more information, visit www.secretgardenweb.co.uk, or follow @secretgardenweb on Twitter.
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