Provided your home has sufficient room to accommodate one, a gravel path can be an attractive feature and pleasant for visitors to ‘crunch’ along towards your front door. This noise aspect is another plus, as it can prove to be a deterrent for unwelcome intruders.

Laying a Path

These paths are relatively easy to construct, but it should be pointed out that once they are laid a certain amount of regular maintenance is required. Weeds can easily poke through gravel, so you must keep on top of them.

Prior to laying the path, you mark out the perimeters using string or even simpler, sand trickled through your fingers. It is important to make this measurement if your intended route is going to cut across an existing lawn.

Dig into the surface, removing earth to a depth of around 150mm. You will need to create an edge, so the garden does not encroach onto the path, timber or bricks are ideal. Finally, layer your gravel, beginning with coarse gravel and larger stones as a base, followed by a layer of sand and a top layer of fine gravel.

•    Hedge planting should be done in the winter season, between December and March to get the best out of the plants. At this time of year the ground is likely to be moist and the plants will be dormant and therefore less traumatised by being moved.
•    Do some research on the different varieties of plants that can be grown as hedges because there are many different options. You need to bear in mind the climate, position and soil type when making your choice. They also have different characteristics, for example Dutch Box has dense foliage, is shade tolerant and slow growing, whilst Portuguese Laurel has white flowers and likes a sunny position.
•    Always check that the plants are evergreen unless you want your hedge to drop all its leaves in the winter. The variety you choose will also determine how far apart the plants are spaced.
•    If you are sowing seedlings or very young plants, protect them from deer and rabbits by encasing them in shelters. This technique also makes it easier to see where the plants are, so you can spray weed killer without harming them. Temporary fencing may also be necessary to prevent animals and people walking across the plants and damaging them.
•    Keep the weeds and grass away from your new hedge plants for at least the first two years so they aren’t competing for light, space and nutrients. Once they are more established, there shouldn’t be much weeding required.

A raised bed can be narrow, allowing the gardener to easily reach into the middle of it.  It can also be made as long as you like; a minimum of 6 feet in length and preferably closer to 9 feet. The sides of the bed are made out of inexpensive timber; gravel boards are ideal. The boards are fixed together via wooden pegs driven into the ground.

Filling the beds is the most important step; it is what will stay in the planters for years to come. Combining mixtures of topsoil, compost and manure will create a bioactive soil, and all are available bagged in garden centres. When put into the bed, they will create a soil free from roots and stones, and there will be no seeds of weeds present in the soil.

For larger beds, a truck delivery of topsoil is best. This method will require more attention to the soil than the previous, as it will need to be mixed with compost and manure and may contain weed seeds.

•    When planning for your garden pond, consider the best position for it in your garden.  Ideally it should be on level ground, away from trees or bushes which may affect its cleanliness. 
•    While digging, continually check that your pond liner will fit to the specific depth you require, while leaving a 10cm overhang for stability.  Certain shapes will appeal more to wildlife and plants, such as a step, so consider the structure of the pond as well as the size.  You should also be wary of any stones or sharp objects that could pierce the liner.
•    Before filling with water, sprinkle a few cm’s worth of sand over the bottom of the pond and squash down.  Dampening the sand will make it more stable so it doesn’t move around when the pond is being filled.
•    While filling, keep an eye out for any change in shape of the lining, which could mean that it has not been installed well enough. 
•    As far as decoration goes, normally slabs are used to frame the pond.  Be careful though not to contaminate the water with any mortar while laying the slabs down.  Planting can take place immediately after the pond is ready, but you should wait a month or so before considering adding fish.

The first step in preparing the grow bag for use is to loosen the soil inside.  Just as you would fluff up a pillow, knead the bag and then give it a good shake.  If the soil is not loosened to your satisfaction, repeat the process until you achieve the results you want.  Make sure there are no large clumps of compost left in the bag.

A grow bag works best in a location that receives plenty of sunshine.  It should sit on a level surface with the compost mix rounded up in the middle of the bag.  Once you have decided on a location, puncture the bottom of the bag several times to allow for the drainage of excess water.

If planning to grow vine plants such as cucumbers or tomatoes, it would be advantageous to have bamboo canes and grow bag frames so that you can tie the plants to the bamboo canes for support as they twine around the frames.

You can also purchase grow pots, which are filled with water or liquid plant food and placed over the plants.  The water or plant food will uniformly drip down onto the roots without over saturation of the soil or the plant.

As you build up the wall, check regularly that the courses are correctly spaced and horizontal using a spirit level.  Also, check that the ends and face of the wall are perfectly vertical and are not bulging or warped.  Any mortar oozing from the joints needs to be scraped away with the trowel blade using a vertical motion.

To begin, build up about six courses at the ends of the wall, stepping or racking them back.  As you lay a course, put a spirit level against the wall face to check orientation and use a gauge rod to check course spacing, by marking the rod off at the height of a brick plus one joint of mortar.  Pin a line between the ends when building the central portions.

Check continually with the sprit level as you lay bricks to the line and when you have completed the last course carry out a final check to make sure that the ends and face are vertical.

Growing vegetables in your own garden can be very satisfying.  You can nurture your plants and vegetables and cut down on your shopping bills by growing food yourself.  A vegetable garden uses your external space in an optimal way and you can experiment with growing new vegetables as time goes on.

The Basics

If you are starting from scratch, you should consider a few basic tips before laying out your vegetable garden.  Sunlight is important to the growth of your vegetables, so ensure your garden is in situated where the sun will hit it.  You may want to cut down any shrubs or trees to give the space more direct sunlight.

Secondly, it is best to start relatively small so that you can manage the tasks involved.  You will need to maintain the garden by weeding and checking on your vegetables so start in a small way until you gain some experience.

Thirdly, a new garden will need to have the soil developed for optimal use.  It is common to grow potatoes in the first year, as the potato plants clear and loosen the soil.  You can also use fertiliser to help develop the soil.

External Threats

Even the most ideally situated, manageable, and fertile garden may experience threats.  Frost, for example, can seriously damage or kill vegetables and plants.  Guard your plants from a late frost by covering them with transparent plastic that retains the heat from the sun.  In addition, animals can eat your vegetables; you may consider whether it is worth it to erect a fence or other enclosure to keep them out.

When building a gravelled area, the first task is to dig out the area to a depth of several inches.  This will allow the area to be flush with the flowerbeds, lawn, or other features that surround the area.  As gravel is a course medium with large particles, you do not need to create an entirely level base, simply try and get the area as flat at possible.

Line the newly dug area with a material that, whilst allowing moisture to drain away, will stop the gravel from sinking into the soil over time.  An old carpet is perfect for this, as is plastic sheeting as long as a few holes are made for water to trickle through.  Gravel features will also need some form of boundary to keep the medium contained.  Many garden outlets provide edging in various forms such as wooden batons or plastic runners that are perfect for this purpose.  Alternatively, a low stone or brick wall can look very attractive.

Once the area has been lined and the boundary formed, it is a simple case of pouring the gravel in, washing it off with a hosepipe, and raking it over the area so that it levels out.  Within the space of just a few hours, a fantastic new gravel feature can be created in your garden.

Using a spirit level to ensure it is horizontal, stretch a bricklayer’s line across the top of the footings to mark the top of the first layer of bricks (allow an extra 1 cm for the mortar between the brick and the footing).  On a piece of scrap board, combine a bag or mortar mix with water using a chopping action with your spade.  It should be smooth in consistency and firm enough to hold its shape if you make a hole in it.

Spread one centimetre of mortar onto the footings, and then slap some onto the brick, like you are buttering toast (generously).  The brick’s hollow (or ‘frog’) should by facing upwards.  The bricklayer’s line should guide you but use a spirit level as you lay each row of bricks, tapping them level as you go.  After the first layer, build the wall’s corners first – use a vertical batten the width of the brick and stagger the ends of the rows using half-bricks followed by whole bricks.  Mark mortar-widths along the batten to keep your project level and even.  Use a spirit level to ensure the outer brick faces are all in line.  To finish off, place the final layer of bricks with the frog face-down and tidy up the mortar joins by running a piece of dowel  along them.

A garden office can also be used for other things like a children’s playroom, home cinema, gym or even a home recording studio. They come with PVC windows and doors and electrical sockets, all you have to do is choose a colour and paint the interior.

Fully insulated and waterproofed, a garden room will remain hot in the winter and cool in the summer, perfect for all year round use and the exterior timber cladding can be stained to match your existing garden fixtures.

As long as the garden room will not be used as sleeping accommodation it is exempt from planning permission, making it a great addition to your house if you already have an extension or conservatory. Garden rooms can be installed onsite with the minimum of disruption to the main house and can be completed within 7 days providing a fast and cost effective addition to your house.