I have always been acutely aware of the amount of paper that our business uses and the sheer waste of resources that this is. To combat the volume of paper that we use we now supply our key staff with iPhones so that they can have their job sheets emailed to them and enjoy all the other benefits of an iPhone for working digitally whilst on site. This small change in our business practices dramatically reduces the amount of paper we use in the office and the amount that ends up cluttering up our vehicles.

I am please to announce another initiative that we have just launched on our website, along with our ‘get an estimate‘ online form we now have an ‘accept and estimate‘ form. This allows our clients to not only request a site survey online but when the estimate is sent to them (electronically of course) they can now reply using the online forms. This will virtually eliminate the need for paper in the whole communication process.

Another step we have taken is to ask all our suppliers to use e-billing and e-invoicing wherever possible when working with Arbworx. We have had great success with this initiative as all but one have now signed up to the practice.

A review of our waste disposal methods has revealed an opportunity for potential timber disposal/recycling. We are now looking for a company that can process our waste timber into a saleable product for the log burning/wood burner community. We already recycle all our green waste and timber logs and soon we will be able to recycle off cuts, old fences and posts as well. Along with recycling all our hardcore waste into crushed concrete for resale we are really making a difference to the amount of waste we as a company generate.

Jon Lee ND arb

We have been busy clearing up wind fallen trees and fences for the last couple of weeks and there seems to be no shortage of it to be done!

The phone has been ringing steadily all of this, usually,  the quietest of months for us as landscapers. Just when I thought a nice little holiday was in order the wind blew and hop to it..we were all going great guns again.

Now as the days start to get longer we all start to think about the coming season in the garden. What to plant, where to put such and such, and how much will it all cost if the weekend is to be kept for enjoyment and not propping up leaning fence panels that we all know need to be replaced…. just not now!

The thing to remember is that although it may not seem the best time to be working out in the garden you are preparing the framework that all the planting will be able to show off later in the year. The amount of times I hear “we want to start in March/April for the summer”. Well I have news for you… If you want to start your project then, when all the other people who have been waiting for the glimmer of light to signal summer will also want theirs done at the same time. Guess what??? “well I Am very busy now but I can do it after May for you!” That is not the answer you want to hear when the first signs of summer are upon you and you’ve just been to the garden centre and ordered your new summer house hot tub and bespoke arbour!!

Start working your ideas out now and plan ahead. It will save you money and having to make those last minute decisions that you are not entirely happy with later. If you intend to spend a serious amount of money make sure that you are getting value and what you actually want, not what the local ‘trendy’ landscape gardener wants to sell you. There are so many contractors out there that do about 3-4 different garden styles and that’s what they are good at. I know ..I used to be one of them. We had our style and that was great for the time when everyone wanted that but I soon realised that I may have been building gardens for myself and not so much my clients.. bad man!

If you are not sure about what you want then fine ask questions and think about the answers rather than losing yourself to the first idea that you see. (although I have to confess that some of my best work may have happened like this). Its all about having the time to plan for the coming months and getting the right result from your garden.

And remember if its instant then you haven’t given it time to GROW!!

Enjoy the coming season, its going to be fun…

Jon Lee ND Arb.

Arbworx

With the days getting shorter and the air getting colder winter is well on its way, which means your pond will need a little maintenance to ensure it will look good throughout the winter and your fish have no problems during the colder months.

Plants

Before winter really sets in it’s worth going round your pond cutting back any dead vegetation left over from the summer. This will help to reduce the amount of organic matter entering the pond during the winter which will, in turn, reduce the risk of any water quality problems in the future. It will also make your pond look much tidier.

Any hardy water lilies you have in your pond should be moved to deeper water and any non-hardy lilies, such as pigmy lilies, should ideally be removed from the pond and placed in a large container of water and stored somewhere away from the cold, such as a garage or garden shed.

Fish protection 

Being cold blooded creatures, fish will start to enter a semi dormant stage with the onset of winter becoming a lot less active and feeding less frequently. As the temperature of your pond reaches around 10-12^oC you should switch to a good quality wheat germ feed for your fish and reduce the frequency and quantity of their food. Any uneaten food should be removed from the water.

Once the water reaches around 7^oC the fish will stop feeding completely and will enter their semi -dormant stage, spending most of their time in the deeper areas of the pond where the water is likely to be slightly warmer.

It is worth moving your pond pump and the out flow from your filter to ensure this layer of warmer water in the deeper areas of your pond is left undisturbed; alternatively you can reduce the flow on your system. Whatever you choose to do, mixing the colder upper layers of water with the warmer deeper parts should be avoided.

Ice can be a problem in the depths of winter; a solid layer of ice will stop the exchange of gases in your pond, preventing oxygen entering the pond and stopping the carbon dioxide produced by the fish from exiting the pond. Pond heaters are available but these only raise the water temperature by a few degrees and are expensive to run, instead it is better to keep the surface of the water moving by keeping your pump running throughout the colder weather or by placing an air stone in your pond.

Sandra Packham and the giant 11 foot 6 inch sunflower

Sandra and her husband David are foster carers and encourage the children in their care to grow sunflowers from seed every year.

Sandra believes that seeing such wonderful flowers grow from their own small sunflower seeds gives the kids a real sense of achievement and everyone enjoys the sight of those cheerful yellow blooms out in the garden.

This year their tallest sunflower measured an incredible 11 feet 6 inches and was a clear winner in our competition.

Our runners up

Our runners up were Beth Spencer from Virginia Water in Surrey whose tallest sunflower reached over 9 feet tall, Elliot (6) and Darcia (4) Payne from near Cambridge, and nine year old Colin Gallagher who grew his sunflower from a seed at school. Colin lives in Madison Heights in Michigan USA and I must say we were amazed at the number of entries we received from outside the UK.

Entries from near and far

When I received Colin’s entry from his mother, Stephanie, I had to ask her how she had heard about our competition as we hadn’t expected entries from so far afield. Stephanie told me that the family had originally posted the picture of Colin and his sunflower on Facebook and people commented that they should put it in a contest. So Stephanie googled ‘biggest sunflower contest’ and up came the Arbworx competition on the first page. Oddly enough there didn’t seem to be any competitions in the States so Stephanie figured that they would give us a try and sent in the picture of Colin and his sunflower.

Stephanie told me how Colin had come to grow such a great sunflower. “In school they always do an art project to give moms a gift for mother’s day. The third graders this year made little ceramic pots and tossed in some seeds. When he gave it to me I put it on the window sill. After a few weeks Colin and his grandma planted it in the backyard with some pumpkins. He watered it and next thing we knew it was this huge sunflower!”

Congratulations to all our winners and to everyone who took part in the competition. Thank you for your entries and I hope you enjoyed growing your sunflowers.

How to harvest your sunflower seeds

To round off the competition here are a few tips on how to harvest your sunflower seeds once the plants have finished flowering.

• Wrap the heads of the sunflowers in paper bags and secure with string or twine. Cut the bagged flower head from the plant about 12 inches below the paper bag.
• Hang the flower head upside down somewhere warm and dry.
• When the back of the flower head has turned dark brown and gone very dry the seeds will be dry and ready to harvest.
• To remove the seeds rub your hand across the flower head and the seeds will just pop right off the sunflower. Collect them in a colander and rinse well with cold water. Drain them thoroughly and spread them out on a paper towel to allow them to air dry for a couple of hours.
• They will be ready to eat from their shells just as they are and are a great addition to any lunchbox.

Beth Spencer's 9 foot sunflowers

Elliot and Darcia Payne's 8 foot 7 inch sunflower

Colin Gallagher and his sunflower from Michigan, USA

APL & HTA

Balau screen for contemporary garden makeover

We heard this week that our application to join the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) and the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) had been successful. The application process meant that in addition to detailing our experience in the landscaping industry, providing evidence that we are committed to customer satisfaction, and that we are fully insured, we also had to provide a list of customers who would be happy to stand as our referees, confirming that our work was of a high enough standard to qualify for membership.

All our referees were contacted to confirm that we had carried out the works ourselves and to a high standard, and that they were happy with our services. The APL assessor also visited one of our sites this week to check on the quality of our workmanship for himself and we hope that he went away as impressed as our client was!

The APL represents the UK’s best individual landscape professionals and their companies, and our membership of this organisation means that we have joined a select group of around 180 firms who design, construct and maintain gardens and open spaces for domestic and commercial customers. Joining the APL also means that Arbworx receives the TrustMark accreditation confirming that we are a reputable and trustworthy organisation and that we adhere to a strict code of practice that includes insurance, good health and safety practices and customer care.

Our next step will be to enter the APL Awards 2011 where we hope to scoop one of the coveted prizes for outstanding landscaping work!

Marshalls

In addition we have also been approved to join the Marshalls Register of Approved Landscape Contractors and Driveway Installers. The application process was similar to that for the APL and HTA in that we provided references and all of the sites were visited, but this time our MD, Jon, also had to undergo an intensive two hour interview so that the Marshalls assessor could be satisfied that we really know our stuff when it comes to landscaping, paving and driveway installation.

We would like to say a big thank you to all of our customers who were kind enough to stand as referees for us. We appreciate that it can be a nuisance being asked to complete reference forms when you are so busy, and we are very grateful both for your time and for the very nice things you all said about us.

CHAS

Last, but most certainly not least, and thanks to some painstaking hard work by Gavin, our Health & Safety Supervisor, we have finally been confirmed as complying with the very strict standards of the Construction Health & Industry Scheme (CHAS). This not only reassures our clients that we are compliant with important parts of health and safety law, but will also help us save time and resources when tendering for larger projects in the future.

It has been a long process since although we have always been very conscious of the health and safety of our team and the general public on site and in our yard, we have never had to document everything as is required by the CHAS scheme. Gavin has spent long hours cataloguing all our equipment, producing risk assessments and drawing up our health and safety policy but his efforts have paid off and we received notification earlier this week that we had at last been confirmed to the scheme.

Constructionline

The CHAS accreditation is also the last piece of documentation I needed to complete our application to join Constructionline, the UK’s largest online database of pre-qualified contractors and consultants. It’s another long process as we have to satisfy a wide range of requirements as to our qualifications, experience, insurances, licences, company policies and finances, not to mention providing references for all the categories of work we undertake, but it will definitely be worth it in the long run as we will be pre-qualified to supply work to UK government standards and will be able to whiz through the tender process for many large projects.

Congratulations to Gavin for all his hard work and to all of the Arbworx team who continue to produce quality workmanship on some really outstanding  projects. Keep up the good work!

These oh so cheerful plants are native to central America but thrive in the UK and across Europe. Hugely popular with gardeners of all ages, sunflowers are loved by bees and butterflies whilst in flower, and by birds as soon as their petals have fallen and the seed heads mature.

To encourage even more of our lovely friends and followers to grow a sunflower or two in their gardens this year, Arbworx is running a ‘Tallest Sunflower’ competition so to be in with a chance to win, get planting!

We will be offering a deliciously colourful and practical prize for the winning entry and the three runners up will be rewarded too with a little something for their gardens in 2012.

It’s super simple to enter – all you need to do is:

• Grow your sunflowers as you would normally do (see our helpful hints for successful growing below)
• Then, when you’re absolutely sure your sunflower won’t get any bigger
• Take a picture of yourself standing next to it and
• Send the picture to us along with its measurements (the flower’s measurements, not the photo’s…) and your name and contact details.
• You can send in your entry by post to Sophia Lee-Spencer, Arbworx Ltd, 51 The Gardens, Southwick, West Sussex. BN42 4AP or by email to sophia@arbworx.com
• The closing date for entries to be received is 5pm GMT on Thursday 1st September 2011 and the winner will be notified on Monday 5th September and will receive their prize as soon as possible after that date. We will also be publishing a photo gallery of all the pictures we receive so we’ll have something cheerful to look forward to as we head into the Autumn…

If you will be posting your entry to us and would like your photo returned to you, please ensure you include a stamped, self-addressed envelope along with your entry.

How to Grow Super Sunflowers

Dig over your soil, compost it well and rake it finely.

Sow your seeds thinly, 12 mm (1/2 inch) deep in drills 30cm (12 inches) apart and watch them sprout. Germination takes only 21 days.

When they’re large enough to handle thin the seedlings to 30cm (12 inches) apart.

Nurture your sunflowers throughout the summer, water them regularly, talk to them, even sing them songs – anything to encourage them to reach up as high as they can.

Most sunflowers will have grown to their full height by August so measure them regularly that month to make sure you get them at their tallest.

Watering in a new lawn with 'everedge' lawn edging fitted

We have completed three decking builds, three paving projects, 320 square metres of turfing and over 450 metres of fencing this month alone!

A cost effective way to cover old paving and brighten up the garden

I suppose this was all helped with the Chelsea flower show getting so much attention in the media and companies like ourselves seeing the increased interest from the nation of gardeners that we all are!

Arbworx director Sophia Lee-Spencer with Gavin and Alex at Chelsea

One special little treat that the team got was an all expenses paid trip to Chelsea to see the standard of work that we all strive for. The attention to detail that was to be found at the show gardens at Chelsea is unrivalled across the world and I was keen to point out the craftsmanship that had gone into producing some of the hard landscaping features that complimented the planting so well.

A superb water feature, my personal favourite of the show

When you look at a water feature and see the water flowing perfectly over a long edge it is very difficult to achieve. Water will always find the lowest level and so it needs to be perfectly level and the flow even.

Water flowing across the stainless steel

We all left Chelsea with ideas and inspiration to pass on to our clients and improve our skills for future projects.

Our supervisor Gavin examining the water features at Chelsea flower show

May also saw two new members of staff join the team, Nathan Orrell and Martin Eccles.

Nathan learning the ropes on a decking project

Nathan has joined us  from a London based tree house installer and has really had to hit the ground running with the decking projects that I had lined up for his arrival. To say that the learning curve is steep is an understatement but he has grasped the challenge with both hands and soon will be producing works to our high standards without supervision form his mentor Gavin.

Martin Eccles

Martin has come to us from another local landscaping company and has stepped up to the mark already leading a team looking after a complete garden makeover in Crawley when Ben managed to crack a rib. (Not a good injury when you lift things all day!) Martin has a solid background in landscaping after completing his National Award in Horticulture (Garden Design) with a distinction grade.

Our new re-branded Arbworx vans

If you live in the Sussex area you may well see our new liveried vans around now too as we are nearing the completion of our re brand after a delay due to being just ‘too busy’ to pull them off the road to be sign written. The team are now in their new summer uniforms changing from our navy blue over to the new green layouts with our tag line embossed on the back.

Arbworx

Nature……by design!

The days of packing my gym bag each night in anticipation of an endorphin generating session in the circuits studio after work are firmly behind me.

Poppy looking at poppies on the Downs

These days my fitness requirements are much simpler and considerably less expensive. Every day I pack the baby into her car seat, grab my car keys and the Baby Bjørn sling (possibly the best baby buy I’ve ever made), and whistle up the dogs for an hour’s jolly up on the Downs.

We’re lucky enough to live only five minutes from six good walks – beach, river and hills – and some really excellent National Trust routes are only 15 minutes’ drive away.

All roads lead to Rome, or at least to the top of the hill...

One of our favourites (dogs included) is Newtimber Hill / Saddlescombe Farm opposite Devil’s Dyke. Less famous geographically than its hellishly steep neighbour, it offers rolling downland, interesting wooded areas and some rabbit infested gorse patches on an incline which really gets the heart beating!

However, it’s not just the variety of the terrain and the spectacular views over Sussex and out to sea that make this one of my favourite spots in the whole county, it’s the many different species of wildflowers that carpet the fields and hedges every spring and summer.

Earlier this month Poppy and I took our camera along with us to photograph every different type of flower we could see, and we were delighted with the results. Not just pretty pictures, but a wealth of botanical information as we carefully identified the different species we had found.

Here’s our top ten…

Speedwell, Veronica chamaedrys

The pretty blue flowers of Speedwell, veronica chamaedrys

Very common across British grasslands this variety of speedwell is a welcome sight each spring with its tiny, vivid blue flowers and almost furry leaves. Veronica is the largest genus in the Plantaginaceae family with about 500 species.

Although this variety can invade lawns and be hard to get rid of, other members of the Veronica family are a delight in the garden. It was only through researching for this blog that we discovered that what we had hitherto taken to be a Salvia nemorosa in our own garden is actually a Veronica longifolia! No matter what its name the bees still love it…

Daisy, Bellis perennis

The cheerful white & yellow daisy, bellis perennis

Who among us has not sat in the sunshine making daisy chains at some point in our lives? One of the most common English flowers, believe it or not the daisy is not actually a white flower with a yellow middle, in fact each white ‘petal’ is actually an individual flower and the yellow centre is made up of lots of tiny, individual yellow flowers too – every day’s a school day huh?

Daisies were used in traditional medicine thanks to their astringent properties. Roman army surgeons would order sacks of daisies to be collected and their juices extracted. Bandages would then be soaked in this juice to bind sword and spear wounds and stop bleeding.

Hawthorn, Cratageus

Frothy white hawthorn blossom

Another native species yet one shrouded in myth and folklore is the Hawthorn, or May tree. I’m sure we’re all familiar with its frothy white blossom in Spring, and its diminutive, bright red berries in Autumn, but did you know that people in England have used hawthorn branches as May Day (1^st May) decorations for hundreds of years? Oddly though, since the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1752 the tree is rarely in bloom before mid-May!

In Celtic lore, the hawthorn is said to heal broken hearts, but in Serbian and Croatian folklore it does just the opposite – it’s reputed to be the only timber from which you can make vampire slaying stakes…

Silverweed, Argentina Anserina

Looking sneakily like a buttercup, this is actually silverweed, argentina anserina

Often mistaken at first sight for the buttercup, Silverweed is actually a completely different plant which can be easily differentiated by its leaves which are silvery and slightly feathery. It is these leaves which give the plant its name.

Its root can be used to make a herbal tea which is said to aid delivery of a baby and to be helpful in treating an upset stomach.

A favourite food of cattle, horses, goats, pigs and geese, oddly enough, sheep won’t touch it…

White deadnettle, Lamium album

A pretty stand of white deadnettle, a bee favourite for their sweet nectar

Strangely these don’t seem to be as common I remember them from my childhood, but then maybe that’s just age playing tricks on me… However, I did spot several drifts of them as I was driving to Saddlescombe Farm and came across a particularly fine swathe of them at the bottom of the field.

Unlike their feisty cousin the stinging nettle, these are gentle and don’t sting at all. The young leaves are edible and good in salads, and can also be cooked and served as a spring vegetable. As a child I remember gently plucking the flowers and sucking the nectar from their stems…

Red Campion, Silene dioica

The vibrantly pink flowers of the red campion blooming among the brambles

I always think this plant looks completely out of place in the wild as its garish colour seems far more suited to the herbaceous border. However, it really is a native of the hedgerows, woodlands and rocky slopes, along with its cousin the white campion.

The first part of its name, Silene, refers to Silenus, the drunken, merry god of the woodlands in Greek mythology. The second part of its scientific name, dioica, means ‘two houses’, and refers to the fact that each Red Campion plant has either all male or all female flowers so that two plants are needed to make seed.

The crushed seeds of red campion have been used as a cure for snakebites and the root, when simmered in hot water, can be used as a soap substitute.

Cow Parsley, Anthriscus sylvestris

Cow parsley flower heads, nodding lazily beside a wooden fence

Cow parsley grows rapidly in the spring and its gently nodding clusters of white flowers are a common site on roadsides and along pathways. A relative of both parsley and carrots, cow parsley can be eaten although you wouldn’t necessarily want to do so as it’s quite bitter.

It has a plethora of alternative names throughout the northern hemisphere including Queen Anne’s Lace, Cow Mumble (love it!) and Grandpa’s Pepper in the UK. I also learned from reading James Alexander-Sinclair’s blog that in Norway it is called dog’s keks!

I haven’t been able to find references for many uses for cow parsley but some of these are as a natural mosquito repellent if rubbed on the skin, and to remove stones and gravel in the gall bladder and kidneys. If I were you I’d stick to feeding it to goats and using the stems as pea shooters like I did when I was little…

Red Comfrey, symphytum rubrum

The bell shaped flowers of the red comfrey are a delight for bees

Goodness knows how this ended up growing wild as it seems to be quite highly prized by gardeners, but we spotted it growing near the chalk pit at the bottom of Newtimber Hill.

Comfrey’s list of attributes is impressive in the extreme. Not only is it a recognised slug deterrent but thanks to its high levels of potash it also makes a fabulous natural fertilizer for tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and potatoes. This comfrey tea is obtained by soaking the leaves in water for between 2 and 4 weeks and using the resulting ‘tea’ on the garden.

Medicinally it is known to be effective in healing wounds, broken bones, burns, sprains, sore joints, dry skin and for reducing the swelling associated with fractures.

Mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris

Elegant, pale yellow spires of mugwort

Although it sounds like something straight out of Harry Potter, mugwort is actually a fantastically useful plant. Traditionally used to flavour drinks it has also been used as a tea substitute and is often used in continental Europe as stuffing for roast geese.

There are many superstitions associated with mugwort including its ability to protect from fatigue, sunstroke and even evil spirits.

Medicinally it is said to be a remedy for epilepsy and an infusion of the leaves and flowering tops is used to treat digestive problems.

A weak tea, similar to that made from red comfrey, is a good, all-purpose insecticide.

Red sorrel, Rumex acetosella

Red sorrel had turned large areas of the ground a rusty red colour

I was intrigued to see that the ground stretching away from us at the top of the hill had turned a rusty red colour. As we got nearer I realised that this colour came from the plants growing thickly in this area.

Red sorrel, also known as sheep’s sorrel, is an important source of food for caterpillars of the small copper butterfly which native to the UK, and Poppy and I saw several of these pretty, fast flying insects on our walk.

One of the biggest challenges of this blog has been to find some useful information about these plants, aside from ‘it’s a weed’ and I think the only one I really failed with was the cow parsley although red sorrel came a close second. In the end, however, I was able to discover that with their lemony, tangy and slightly tart flavour, the leaves can be used (sparingly) in salads and also as a curdling agent for cheese.

Medicinally it seems to have several uses, primarily as a detoxifying herb as the juice of its leaves are an effective diuretic.

Maternity leave may be many things – bewildering, rewarding, hard work, long nights – but it’s certainly given me the opportunity to get out and about with Poppy and visit some really beautiful gardens this Spring.

The beautiful bog garden

Over the last two weeks not only have we been treated to the blossoming, burgeoning bounty that is my mother’s garden in Surrey– four acres split between working kitchen gardens, floral borders and a hosta haven of a bog garden – but we have also taken advantage of the National Garden Society’s Gardens Open for Charity scheme and visited Vann, near Godalming, and Parham, closer to home near Storrington.

Vann House, Godalming, seen from the lakeside

I must say that Poppy could well be the next Capability Brown or Rachel de Thame, given the thorough horticultural education she is getting at such a young age!

Vann House, Old Garden

Exploring Vann with my mum, no slouch in the garden herself, was a revelation. We began with the pretty formal garden by the entrance where the Grade II listed Tudor house forms a perfect backdrop to the Old Garden, with its brick paths and topiaried yews.

The planting here features a variety of native and non-native species, including hyacinths, geraniums, cowslips and primroses, interspersed with the more exotic aquilegia and other eye-catching blooms.

Vann House, Bargate stone pergola, clematis

Following the path around the corner of the house – admiring the glorious wisteria clinging to the brickwork as you go – you are treated to your first glimpse of the lake and the remarkable Bargate stone pergola.

A magnificent clematis armandii festoons the corner of the house, and I’m stepping up my (now four year long) campaign to persuade Jon to let me have one for our garden as well.

The pergola itself leads you down to the lake which is surrounded by cherry blossom, with iris and marsh marigold rampant along its banks.

Follow the stone path to the right and you enter what is, for me at least, the crowning glory of an already spectacular garden, the Water Garden – designed and laid out in 1911 by the famous Gertrude Jekyll.

Vann, water garden, fritillaries

Fritillaries abound on both banks of the stream running through this garden, interspersed with martagon lilies, a variety of narcissi, wild garlic, violets and bluebells. Closer to the water you can find ferns and kingcups.

However, I really fell in love with the trees here; glorious, soaring beeches with their silvery bark and palest green, lace-like foliage. The birds must love them too as the garden rang with the sound of birdsong making our wanderings a really magical experience.

If you would like to take a virtual walk through this part of the garden please visit our Flickr site by following this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sophials/5683403109/

View down the Yew Walk, Vann

I could happily have spent the rest of the afternoon in that one section of the garden, but we had to move on and so entered the Yew Walk – formally planted out and with two fabulous wisteria trees flanking the end of the walk.

A quick visit to the vegetable gardens revealed asparagus, artichokes and raspberry canes, as well as a surprising number of flowers, including peonies and poppies, alongside a profusion of herbs – lavender, rosemary, thyme, sage and hyssop to name but a few.

We completed our tour with a stop off in the children’s area so that Poppy could have a ride on the swing, then headed back to the car having managed to restrain ourselves from buying any of the multitude of plants for sale. Next year, I told myself, next year…

Although Parham was also constructed in Tudor times, it is quite a different proposition from Vann. Much larger and more commercial, it is a National Trust property and both the house and gardens are open to the public on various days from April to October. You can find out exactly which days by visiting their website at http://www.parhaminsussex.co.uk/.

Parham House, Elizabethan architecture and fountain

Sunday 10^th April was the annual Spring Fair at Parham and we took advantage of the Brighton Marathon drawing large crowds into town to head for Storrington and the peace and tranquillity of Parham’s beautiful gardens.

We parked Granny in the shade of a market stall in the entrance courtyard, from where she could admire the sparkling fountain and Elizabethan architecture of the house, and went through a small archway into the gardens.

Timber feature in the Walled Garden at Parham

Passing various stalls, including SAGA (no, not the over 50s holidays – the Storrington Allotment & Gardens Association) we entered the walled garden – mum remarking on just how much she’d love a walled garden…

Espaliered apple trees, Parham, Walled Garden

For me the highlights were the espaliered apple trees in full bloom, and the herbaceous borders with their drifts of tulips in all colours, including an unusual green and some beautiful doubles. Peonies too are everywhere, their buds fat and glossy with the promise of blowsy blooms to come.

Parham's Tamworths bask in the spring sunshine

On the other side of the wall a pair of Tamworths basked contentedly in the sun – as would I with their view! All the way down a gentle grassy slope to the lake.

Saving that section of the gardens for later we meandered along the inside of the wall, admiring the crown imperials which, although impressive, seem somewhat incongruous amidst the less flamboyant glories of the rest of the herbaceous border.

Antique water pump feature, Parham

Placed midway along some of the paths are antique water pumps – sadly no longer in use (we could certainly have done with a refreshing splash of cold water) but providing beautiful feature points nonetheless.

The little summerhouse along the wall furthest from the house contains an interesting wall relief of two skulls overlooking a coat of arms reminding us, perhaps that ‘in the midst of life, we are in death’…

Bursting with life at the corner of that path stands an exceptional weeping pear tree, which must be at least 10ft tall. I had never seen one before but it is now firmly at the top of my list of favourite trees.

Flowers in regimented lines, ready to be cut for use in displays

Continuing through the cutting garden, we moved swiftly through the plant sales area – more self restraint! – headed out of the walled garden and walked along a woodland path under some magnificent aged beech trees, down towards the lake. Wild flowers bloomed in profusion here, all the species you would expect at this time of year; bluebells, daffodils and primroses.

Magnificent view down the lake, Parham

Watched over benevolently by the pigs we dawdled by the lake, leaning lazily on the bridge and daydreaming that this marvellous view was ours to wake up to every day.

All too soon it was time to head back to Granny, bearing a placatory ice-cream, and we had just enough time to make a quick trip to the gift shop to stock up on birthday cards and add a new mug to my collection.

I can thoroughly recommend this shop as whoever is in charge of sourcing their stock has chosen some really nice pieces. The friendly lady on the till told me that the buying manager is new this year and has arrived armed with lots of inspiration and fresh ideas – keep up the good work is all I can say!

Poppy watching the rainbows in the fountain spray, Parham

Poppy enjoyed a little splash in the fountain on the way out and was transfixed by the rainbows she could see in the spray – a well timed and refreshing episode to round off our visit to this gorgeous garden.

We will definitely be revisiting Parham again soon.

I have recently been working on the design work for a big Arbworx project in Brighton. The main part being a large multi-levelled hard wood deck with a timber summerhouse on top and a sunken hot tub in the middle.  With larger projects like this some forward planning is essential in terms of sketches, construction drawings and visuals.

The initial consultation will reveal the client’s ideas and ambitions for the project at this point we come away and work out how to make there perfect garden design a reality, this is were a little computer intervention can be very handy.

The natural association between computers and design is of an image of hi-tech, schematics and endless complicated drawings. The reality is, it is a bit like that but computers can serve a number of purposes and not just to confuse us. I’m going to this recent project as an example of the kind of process you can expect of an Arbworx design project.

First off here is an example of a finished design render this is the kind of image that can be produced as part of a finale design presentation. The idea is that the image reveals the proposal in more detail that a black and white plan drawing. A sense of atmosphere, colour, materials and planting can be seen, capturing the essence of the design as would be in real life.

Design impression of the finished build

Step one – Basic modelling

Once a basic layout plan has been established through the initial consultation, survey and sketch ideas a basic model of the design can be made. This helps us understand the scale and proportions of the design, highs of walls or areas of paving for example. At this point the bigger elements of the design can be changed and tweaked until every one is happy with the layout.

Here we can see the house and the larger elements of the design and how they relate as well as a light study, we don’t want the main seating area in the shade.

Basic modelling of the property

Step Two – A little more detail.

Once larger elements of the design are in place we can start looking additional details a good example of this would be seating, pergolas and planting etc. For this design the client wanted a hot tub as well as a Fin-life summer house. Items like these are modelled individually and added to the design separately allowing flexibility to move the object within the design.

summer house /changing room

Here is the finished summer house model models like these are saved as components as they will normally form part of larger scheme this way they can be used again with out having to remodel them. The reason for the odd colouring is for next stage.

Step Three – Texture mapping on the finalised wire model.

At the moment our model looks something like this………

further detail being added to the garden design concept

A sketchy wire framed model, this image has a style applied to it to make it a little easier on the eye. One thing to remember is that whilst the model is being made it is possible to walk around, zoom in, and zoom out and take images from any angle. I like to produce a short walk through of the design and e-mail it to the client. This is a good way of communicating the design clearly and simply.

We now need to bring the model to life in terms of materials, colour and atmosphere. The basic model is now colour coded (think back to the red summer house) ready to go into photographic rendering software every thing being clearly defined by its own colour makes this process alto easier especially if there are many types of wood or similar materials each colour is then allocated a photographic texture. This could be a particular photo of a martial the client likes or come from library of textures.

Once this is complete the finished render is then carried out, because the garden is a complete computer model we can produce images for were ever is appropriate we can also use the model to produce construction drawing and marital specifications making for a very complete work flow from concept to reality.

Step Four – The finished Render

Ben Biggs       Ba Hons

Garden designer, Arbworx