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Patios do not require lots of maintenance. They will only need occasional cleaning to make sure that the material keeps its original appearance. It's always best to clean your patio with a pressure washer and occasionally tap each slab or brick just to check the sand underneath hasn't washed away.

How To Draw A Garden Landscaping Plan

Are you thinking about constructing a new garden landscape? Do you have an existing one but forgot where you planted those tulip bulbs the previous autumn? Or perhaps you’re just trying to identify the exact spot where you cut back that clump of wilted foxglove, without mistakenly digging it up. For everything to be much easier when it comes to a garden landscape, it’s always a wise decision to draw a garden landscaping plan.

To get started, let’s take a look at the materials you’ll need to acquire. These includes a piece of white paper on which the existing elements on your garden will be plotted, a piece of tracing paper and tape to give options for planned additions, a pencil, an eraser as well as a measuring tape.

For more accuracy while drawing your plan, you’ll need to measure the garden’s distances, perimeter, the existing garden beds size as well as the trees’ and shrubs’ shape and size.

• Write down the measurements taken on the scrap paper.

• Assuming it’s a medium sized backyard garden that’s 18 feet wide, we allocated a scale of 3 feet to equal an inch.

• Using a piece of white paper (could be graph if you wish) and a pencil, carefully outline the perimeter of the space. Once done, you can then sketch in the existing plants as well as other special features on the space (features that are of a permanent nature like trees, fences and paths).

• Hold a piece of tracing paper and tape in on top. Then you can sketch out the plants you wish to add to fill in the spaces in the garden on the tracing paper.

On a hot summer’s day, we often seek our garden lawn as a cooling place to sit and get some relief from the sun. However, since artificial grass is made from plastic, lots of people ask whether it gets hot, or whether it stays like natural grass. The answer is, it’s somewhere in between.

Of course, we all know to stay in the shade in midday sun and this is when your artificial grass will be at its hottest. Unless it is an extremely hot say and your lawn is in direct sunlight, you should still be able to walk on your artificial grass. The best thing to do is test it using the back of your hand before anyone walks over it with bare feet or children go to play on it.

In the shade, artificial grass should always maintain a cool temperature, although it will never have that refreshing feel of cold grass on a hot day. It will also cool down extremely quickly as the day goes on, so if your grass does get too hot it shouldn’t be unusable for too long.

Artificial grass has to meet high safety standards and most are UV stabilised, which means that they can withstand high temperatures without melting or getting extremely hot. It’s worth remembering that hot countries like Dubai use artificial grass, so the occasional hot day in a British summer should be enough for artificial grass to handle!

If your deck isn’t going to be flat to the ground, it’s a good idea to have some kind of balustrade to avoid any tripping. If the gap between the deck and the ground is less than 600mm, use a 900mm balustrade. If it’s higher than 600mm, the balustrade should be 1100mm tall.

Properly erected fences shouldn’t require a great deal of maintenance. Any rotting boards can usually be replaced without replacing the whole panel. Timber fencing should be stained every 2-3 years. General maintenance is something you can carry out yourself, however, larger works may need a qualified professional to come in.

• The shed doesn’t cover more than 50% of the garden
• It’s not in front of your house
• The shed is single-storey with eaves no higher than 2.5m and the overall height is no taller than 4m for a dual-pitched roof, or 3m for any other type. If it’s located within 2 metres of your property’s boundary, it mustn't be more than 2.5m high
• There’s no veranda or balcony
• The floor area is no bigger than 15m² - up to 30m² may be covered under Permitted Development if other conditions are met
• The shed is for domestic use only by those who live in the property and there’s no sleeping accommodation – that means you can’t run a business from the shed unless you apply for planning permission

• If you live in a listed building, you’ll need Listed Building Consent before you can build a shed in your garden
• If you live in a conservation area or similar, the maximum area of ground covered by outbuildings, pools and enclosures situated more than 20m from any wall of the house mustn’t exceed 10m² if they’re to be considered as a permitted development
• If you own a piece of woodland, you must seek planning permission for any permanent structure
• In Scotland, you’ll need planning permission if any part of the shed comes within 1m of a neighbouring property or is more than 2.5m high
• In Northern Ireland, there are rules about how close your shed can be from a road that passes by the back of your house. It’s best to check for clarification

Whether you’re starting a garden from scratch or adding plants to a garden that needs a big of work, the biggest step in planting a garden is preparation. We’ll give you a few tips on how to plant a garden whatever your garden’s size. Check your soil The most important thing to do before you start to plant a garden is check your soil type. Different plants suit different soils, so you should choose ones that will like the soil in your garden. If your soil is sticky and muddy, it’s referred to as clay soil, but if it runs through your fingers when you pick it up it’s known as sandy. Ideally, you want something between the two to help your plants’ roots spread easily. If you have heavy clay soil, you’ll need to add well-rotted manure or compost to improve the structure, but if it’s sandy you’ll need to add organic matter to improve its fertility. Make a plan Don’t just start planting wherever – make sure you’ve got a plan of where you want everything to go. Do a simple drawing or cut out photos from magazines or the internet. How to plant bare root plants and trees When you’re planning what to plant in your garden, make sure you choose the correct amount and size of trees you’re going to plant. In a small to medium garden you only want one or two trees, and you don’t want anything too large that might spread too far. When you’re ready to plant, make sure there’s enough room for the roots to spread. Look for the soil ‘tide mark’ near the base which will show the depth that it was planted before, and use that as your guide. Dig your hole to the correct depth and width and fork the sides so it’s easier for roots to get in. Add some well-rotted manure and place the plant in the hole so the roots are spread out and fill the hole with soil. Planting potted plants Dig a hole deep enough for your plant – put the pot in the hole to check whether you’re there yet. You want around 2cm around the outside and don’t make the hole any deeper than the pot. If your plant has a tight root ball from outgrowing its pot, gently tease out the roots – it won’t harm the plant. How to plant plug plants in your garden Plug plants are usually mail-order plants that you get in spring and are a great way to start planting a garden. You must handle them carefully and water them before planting. Fill a small pot with compost and make a well in the centre, then drop the plug in. Gently pat the soil around it. You might need to pot them again to the next size up later on, and harden them off outside before planting them in the ground after there’s no risk of frost. With these few tips you can easily get started with planting your garden. But if you need some help and advice, get in touch with local gardeners who will be happy to give you a quote.

• Blade material Artificial grass is made up of lots of individual blades, just like real grass. The blades are made of plastic and are sewn to a backing material. To help keep your artificial grass looking great for longer, a blend of blades made from nylon and polyethylene are best. Nylon is extremely resilient, but isn’t very comfy to walk on, so adding the polyethylene which is still very strong helps to keep it feeling nice underfoot.
• Backing material The backing material holds all the artificial grass blades together. It’s made of two layers: a membrane that the grass is attached to, and a section that’s usually made of latex or polyurethane and bonds everything together. When you’re choosing your artificial grass, ask for samples – try to pull away the backing material. If it comes apart easily, steer clear of that type of grass.
• The artificial grass’ use The lifespan of your artificial grass will depend on how much traffic it gets. It’s best to invest in strong nylon or nylon-blend turfs where it’s going to get walked on regularly, such as on a pathway to a door. Of course, if the artificial grass is more ornamental, a lower-quality product will last a long time.
• Good installation One of the main things that will help your artificial grass last a long time is effective installation. If artificial grass is laid badly, it might suffer from poor drainage and weeds which will reduce its lifespan. It’s always best to get your artificial grass installed by a professional since they’re trained in fitting it to a high standard.