Delighted with a review just posted on yell.com site for my design work and project management

Rated 5 stars out of 5

Mark Pumphrey has always delivered great designs for us. We have asked him to apply his talent and plant knowledge on 3 occasions at two different properties over the last 10 years. Always listens to client brief and interprets in a very creative way. We have always been delighted. Mark is has great connections to skilled craftsmen to ensure that the implementation of the design is as high quality as the concept.Would certainly have no hesitation in recommending Mark.

This is a small rear garden that required a re design.  The existing paved seating area was totally inadequate for the way the client wished to entertain.  With a great deal of glass facing the garden the space is extremely important and my design aims to reflect the clients modern tastes.  The use of materials has been carefully considered to add details to the project with features such as bull nosed step treads and granite sett plinth details.

To provide screening to the site we have elected to use a woven softwood panel.  This adds to the landscape ameinty value and will provide the additional height needed to screen the clients from the surrounding road and adjoining buildings.  The trees on the boundary are all protected and care has been taken not to interfere with these.

Having experienced an extremely dry winter and spring there have been some hose pipe restrictions placed on the public by some water authorities (see water company information for details on which authority and what is and is not permitted).

The annual rainfall in Alvechurch has fallen every year since 2008,  with the  annual rainfall recorded for 2011 less than half the total for 2008.  If this is a trend we need to making allowances for this in both the design of gardens and our planning of water storage within the property.   Using planting that will tolerate these conditions and managing the water better will help greatly and an experience designer will be able to advise on which plants will be best suited for these dry conditions.  Rain harvesting must be an option for the future particularly when planning a new build.  Such storage facilities can be easily buried and can utiliserainfall collected from the roof surfaces and drive offering 50% savings to your mains water usage.

The current situation is alarming having hose pipe restrictions so early in the season.  There are some simple tasks that will help and I hope these will ensure clients and visitors to my site will gain from the information posted.

Water Company information on hose pipe ban 8/4/2012.

Turf grass Growers Association’s advice

HTA Information Temporary Bans on Water Use – Landscapers – FINAL

The Changing Landscape

Garden Design has over the many years since the early Arabian wall ‘paradise gardens’.  These changes to how we use the exterior spaces respond to styles and wealth of the nation.  Gardens have always reflected this and the fashions of the times.

As garden designer I am acutely aware how garden styles have changed and are still changing.  These changes are both exciting and challenging as the garden becomes more and more an extension of the house.  Offering clients the features to form entertaining areas for friends and family. Creating play areas for young children and visually important spaces viewed from the house.  All these elements are often considered an important and are desired to provide the additional room for the home owner.

With The Royal Institue of British Architects (RIBA) reporting that the new build property has just 76 sq m compared to the Netherlands where they have an average of 115 sq m our housing is often cramped.  This limited interior space makes the garden a valuable asset both in terms of extensions and also in creating a visual and physical space that can be developed to add value to the house.

Clearly adding a conservatory will increase the useable space and this is often undertaken providing the additional space so often needed to the new build property.  The conservatory provides an ideal location to enjoy the garden and often clients have approached me following such an extension saying it has become their preferred space because they can see the garden.  However because the garden is now on view they wish to make the most of it’s potential.

At external designs we help our clients realize the potential of the garden.  Often approaching us as non-gardeners and often with little interest in gardening we work with our clients to create gardens that respond to the way our clients live.  For too long gardens have been churned out by landscapers using the same old materials and formulaic styles.  Whilst often accepted by clients these gardens often do not fully address the needs of the client and how the wish to use the space.  They are often designed based upon assumptions and styles determined by how gardens were used in the 1960’s and do not address the pressures and demands made upon clients time and desired time spent maintaining a garden.

What do I think will happen in garden design in the future?

This is very difficult to predict.  I believe gardens have become far more that just a lawn and some shrubs with a patio thrown down to provide some seating.  Creating a external entertaining area where clients can effortless transit from the interior of their property into the garden entertaining space is fast become how most people see the garden.  The introduction of modern concertina doors that open up effortlessly to allow the interior and exterior to become one positively engage the viewer to see the garden as part of the internal  space.

If you often wish to see what is likely to happen in terms of design it can be useful to look to America as a guide.  We are probably 10 years behind them in developing gardens as more than just lawns and shrubs.  Americans have been valuing gardens as entertaining areas more and more.  The inclusion of features such as an outdoor kitchen or pizza oven as part of the entertaining area is big business in America.  Units can be incorporated providing the cooking grill, fridge and work surfaces needed for an outdoor lifestyle.  This style is not just restricted to the Los Angeles West Coast but has taken of too in the East Coast where companies such as Stone farm based in Newtown, Connecticut supply and install outdoor kitchens.  They see the installation of such a feature within a garden as a way of providing more time for family and friends to meet and entertain.

Whether this will take off as strongly in the UK will be seen but it does show how creating an external entertaining area is valuable and adds to the enjoyment of the property and your own time.   Companies such as Orchard oven partly owned by Jamie Oliver have a belief that the out door living will develop and I am inclined to agree.

We have already seen how hot tubs came to the country but are we seeing them disappearing.  Were they just a passing heat of the moment must have feature.  On this point I do feel we have seen the peak of hot tubs in gardens.

As with all my gardens I take my brief using information gathered during meetings with the client.  Listening to what they have to say and how they wish to use the garden.  It would be therefore great to hear how others see the use and style of garden design going.  Am I right in thinking entertainment in the garden is going to become more important and more desired as a response to limited space internally and a desire to make more of our free time enjoying the company of our friends and family.

Article by Independent re pizza ovens 

Delighted with another client review posted on Yell.com site  rated 5 stars out of 5

“Great imaginative designs that made the best of our space and took account of all our requirements. Fantastic personal service which was prompt and great value. Highly recommended.”

Great feed back and reinforcing the way I aim to deliver my service.

Why use a specification?

The purpose of a specification.

The main purpose of a specification is to provide sufficient descriptive information about the project including the quality of materials and workmanship.  This information together with the completed drawings provide the necessary information for a contractor to realistically price the work and subsequently build the project to the standard required.

For the client:

• The information enables them to obtain like for like quotations ensuring all tendering parties are quoting for the work described rather than based upon their interpretation of the drawing.
• Ensures the client will get best value of the job.
• Conveys best practice ensuring the site will be kept tidy, that the storage areas will be placed where they cause minimal disturbance.
• Protects clients from added extras that were missed out from the costs because the scope of works was not clearly defined.
• Should there be a disagreement over the building of the garden the methodology can be tested against the specification and if the contractor or designer are at fault there is course for address.

For the designer:

• The specification provides the opportunity to convey information that could not be shown within the drawings alone.
• Ensures the contractor and client have all the information to make and receive accurate costs for the project.
• Ensures the project will be built in an approved manner following best practice.

For the Contractor

• Accurate costs for the project can be determined as the information is available supporting the drawings.
• Provides a fair quotation framework ensuring the prices can be compared.
• Prevents competitors undercutting their quote by using inferior materials or omitting elements to secure the work.
• Protects the contractor by detailing all elements and materials required.

From whatever side of the fence you site be it as the designer, contractor or client a specification is a must for most projects.  External Designs has recently invested in a detailed specification model and will be urging clients to consider the fee as an essential part of their projects costs.

Maintaining your Ornamental Grasses

If like me you will enjoy the benefits ornamental grasses can add to a planting scheme.  Their height and movement add vertical elements into a flower planting scheme that  few other plants can.  Their presence can serve as either an accent in a planting scheme or as a dramatic mass planting.  Added to this movement you have a wide range of habits, forms and colours which if used carefully can provide tremendous value to the winter garden.  With a range of seed heads that can be extremely fine such as those of Deschampsia or more dramatic such as the large and well know feathers of the Cortaderia

Maintaining ornamental grasses is straight forward and easiely managed by even the novice gardener making this an ideal plant for those new to gardening or those wishing to have an easy plant within their garden. Observation is the key to a successful gardener and visiting the garden at regular intervals will often provide clues as to how to treat the grasses.

To begin with you need to identify whether your grass is a deciduous grass or an evergreen.  The term deciduous within the grasses refers to the fact the grass turns a golden yellow/brown colour in autumn rather than maintaining its foliage colour.  Grasses such as Stipa, Miscanthus, Deschampsia and Calamagrostis are all deciduous whereas Festuca and Carex would be considered evergreen grasses.

Grasses within my garden such as Stipa tenussima, Calamagrostis ‘Overdam’ and Deschampsia ‘Goldtau’ are all cut back to about 100 mm above the ground in early spring (early March) the new growth then emerges providing new stems and leaves aplenty.  I am more careful with my Miscanthus varieties and tend to leave the stems until the end of March allowing for the early signs of growth to show.  Then using my faithful pair of Felco’s I cut the culms (old stems) away. I usually cut my Miscanthus down in stages firstly cutting the stems back to about 300 mm above ground level allowing me a better view of the emerging new growth.  Then carefully reducing the stems to about 150 mm.  Once completed tidy up the crown removing any dead leaves and weeds.  Appling a general-purpose fertilizer to the surrounding area once completed will encourage new lush growth in the spring.

Evergreen grasses such as Carex require a different approach.  They are not cut back hard instead the objective is to tidy the plant up removing spent flower stems and dead leaves.  This is a slow task but worth undertaking.  Event drawing your hand through the leaves will dislodge spent stems making the grass look more attractive.  Once this task has been completed you can tidy up the surrounding area and feed the grass in the same manner as the deciduous grass.

There comes a time when grasses become too large for the space or have become old and tired and would benefit from a new start.  Dividing achieves these two objectives and will produce multiple new grasses that can be given to friends and family or simply utilized in your own garden to create a more dramatic group of plants.

Understanding the type of grass again is important and like the previous section you need to know whether your grass is either a grass from a cool or warm climate.

A quick guide:

Grasses from cool climates will include Carex, Molinia Calamagrostis, Festuca, Chasmanthium, Deschampsia, Hakonechloa, Helictotrichon, and Stipa.

Grasses from warmer climates will include Miscanthus, Phalaris, Cortaderia, Imperata, , Panicum and Pennisetum.

Cool Climate grasses require frequent division, perhaps every three years, to prevent root congestion and loss of vigour.  They are best divided as they come into growth in late winter to early spring and within a season will have started to make a mark within your border.

Warm climate grasses will only gradually increase in size and will require infrequent division to manage this slow spread. As these grasses don’t come into growth until late spring, they are best not divided until late spring.

To divide the grasses you need to initially lift them out of the ground to then allow you to split them with either a pair of garden forks or by chopping them with a spade.  Some grasses such as Miscanthus have a very tough root and I tend to uses an old but sharp knife to cut my way through the roots.  When dealing with smaller grasses such as the Festuca it is possible to use your hands to split the clump. Some Miscanthus and Cortaderia can be tough on your hand producing deep ‘paper cuts’ that sting disproportionately to there size.  To protect your hands when dividing it is therefore advisable to use a good pair of gardeners gloves.  Eye protection is advisable as it is easy to become so focused on the root and ignore the stems, which can stab into the eye causing permanent damage.  Try to keep your grass divisions as large as possible.  If the divisions are going back into the garden immediately you will find they establish faster if they have not been reduced too greatly.  Small divisions can be potted up in a John Innes No.2 compost before planting in the garden once the root system has established-lift the pot to see if roots are showing through the drainage holes.

Throughout the many years I have been designing gardens I have often been asked questions relating to the garden in winter and potential damage to shrubs and herbaceous plants.  With the recent cold snap I thought it prudent to pass on some of the comments I share with my clients in order to educate and to help you prepare for such cold weather.

The most obvious cause for concern in the winter comes from a fear of frost damage to new plants.  This is where the plants following a frost display damage to their leaves often resulting in brown leaves and in some cases the death of the plant.  This was extremely noticable in the West Midlands following the winter 2010/2011 where a great number of Phormiums and Pittosporums died.  This damage displayed itself very quickly but sometimes the damage can take many months before any visible signs present.

What causes the damage?

Ground Frosts are when the temperature of the ground falls below freezing point (0ºC/32ºF) and air frost occurs when the temperature of the air falls below freezing point. Damage is often greater when there is repeat freezing then thawing and also where there is a rapid thawing.

Strong winds will increase plant water lose particularly with evergreen shrubs.  As the ground is frozen the plants can not replace this lost water and the leaves brown and wither as a result.

Tender plants survive the winter better when they are planted in a sheltered sunny position. This is because new wood is ripened by the sun during the growing season, making it more frost resistant.  Newly planted nursery stock is more prone to frost damage particularly if we have a prolonged winter.  They will tolerate a reasonable level of cold (most plants are grown in container and these plants and the conditions prior to planting do not differ greatly from them being on the nursery growing beds).

Living in Alvechurch which is situated in a naturally formed bowl formed by the hills surrounding the village.  This creates a frost pocket with the cold air travelling down the slopes often resulting in temperatures that are 2 ºC  colder than Solihull.

There are things however that can be done to reduce the risk of frost damage.

Avoid feeding your plants with a high Nitrogen feed late in the season as this will encourage the plant to make soft tissue growth which is likely to be checked by the cold weather.

We have already mentioned planting tender plants in a sheltered sunny location.  Applying a mulch to the surface will help, I like to use bark mulches but always keep this at least 600 mm/2′ from the border edge to avoid it being flicked about by black birds.  This provides a blanket over the soil protecting the plants roots and reducing the depth of frost penetration in the soil.

Tender plants such as Penstemons benefit from a shelter over them, this can be achieved using the old plant growth and also using the dried fronds of ferns.  This helps keep the cold off the plant and helps shed surplus water off the plant.

Selection of suitable plants is also important and if you know you are in a frost pocket adjust your plant range to reflect the colder conditions.  I live on a heavy clay soil and know to my cost this combination together with the frost pocket make growing Hebes difficult unless I spend time providing them with greater protection.  If very cold bubble wrap can be used to insulate the plant but do not leave it on too long.  It looks unsightly and unless we are having very cold weather I find it can encourage the plant to put on growth too early.

Protection of fruit trees can be achieved by wrapping straw around the trunk.  With standard bay trees I have even suggested the use of pipe lagging foam which will help protect this vital part of the bay.  Even if the upper growth suffers the protection will help the plant to recover in the spring.

What to do if your plants are damaged.

Newly planted shrubs can be lifted out of the ground caused by the frost heave.  Check the plants and ensure they are healed in once the weather improves.

Prune out the damaged growth once the risk of frosts has past ensuring you cut the plant back to the next viable bud.

Apply a slow release fertiliser such as Growmore to encourage the plant to put on new growth.

If the site is exposed consider planting a shelter belt to reduce the wind speed through the garden.  Also you can erect simple structures such as hazel hurdles that will allow wind through but at a reduced speed.

Sometimes you need to be patient with what looks like a dead plant.  Last year the number of Phormiums that looked completely dead put on new growth.  Check to see if the plant is still alive before you throw them away.  If you have cut them back and feed them there is always a chance the effort is rewarded by the sight of new growth.

We are expecting more snow in the next few days.  Heavy snow can cause limbs to break due to the physical loading upon a plant.  This is particularly valid for conifers and evergreen shrubs.  If we have a heavy fall of snow it is important to reduce the weight of this upon the plant by brushing it off the shrub or conifer.  This is a simple task and only takes seconds but can help protect a shrub from recognisable damage.

The current weather for the West Midlands can be found on the Met Office web site Met Office West Midlands

This is a scheme I am currently working upon.  A difficult brief where the practicalities of the brief are as important if not more important than the aesthetics.  Ensuring the clients has sufficient turning on the drive has shaped the design. With a fine Edwardian property this concept design aims to lift the frontage by creating an exterior to match the modern interior detailing.  We have yet to confirm materials but the focus has been on determining the use of space and how we can achieve the look the property and client are after.  The client is keen to maintain the conifer screen that provides privacy to the house frontage and this forms the limit of how far I can extend the drive.  We also have to work with an existing cedar and yew tree as you enter.  I have responded by creating a new retaining wall on the left of the drive as you approach adding a flight of steps to enable better access to the side gate.  The retaining wall has been designed to provide the client with a readily available parking space close to the preferred access door.  The yew hedge to the right has been shown to run parallel to the drive providing the formality the property demands as you approach the house and directs the eye towards the main visitor door.  The border in front of the yew hedge will consist of shrub planting predominantly of an evergreen nature.  A gravel path has been shown to allow access to a storage area behind the yew hedge where the client can form a log store that will be concealed.  Sett detail in a material to be determined adds detailing to the site and with the inclusion of box cubes will provide interest and movement to the property.  The approach to the main doorway has been enhanced by creating a paved standing area in a material that is not the same as the drive.  This makes the visitor feel comfortable when awaiting a response at the door.  I have shown a central sett detail to break up the main drive and to serve as a focal point from the door helping to increase the depth of the frontage by slowing the eye down into the central area.  Hornbeam trees clipped as cubed crowns will act as a releif to the dark conifers adding a mid green deciduous leaf that conveys the seasons and adds a classical but modern feel to the drive.  Edging the drive we have proposed the favourite box hedge which will help define the drive and add a classical feel to this fine house.

There will be some changes to the concept and we need to confirm and agree materials but the feed back to date has been promising and I look forward to developing and confirming the details as part of the next stage in the design process.

Over the many years of being involved in horticulture I have noticed that most people who are interested in their garden share a similar passion with nature.  This may be down to the relationship gardeners have with nature from the pests that cause damage to their plants down to the friendly animals and insects that assist in the garden.  Any good gardener will therefore work to establish a strong understanding of the needs of his friends and encourage them to stay within the garden.  By friends I refer those animals and insects like frogs and birds that predate upon the gardeners foes such as slugs, snails and aphids.

With this cold weather it is important to assist animals such as the birds with additional food.  By providing birds with this supplementary food you will bring them closer for you to marvel at their fascinating behaviour and encourage them to nest and value your garden as a known feeding location.

Such supplementary feeding can’t provide all the natural proteins and vitamins that adult and young birds but it will help them weather the winter.  It is also important to create and manage your garden so as to provide a source of natural foods as well, through well-managed lawns, shrub and flowerbeds and features such as log piles that will encourage a natural food source.

If you provide both natural and supplementary food, your garden will be visited year-round by a host of different birds.

It is important to feed your garden birds responsibly and safely. By following a few simple guidelines, you can play a valuable role in helping your local birds overcome periods of natural food shortage, survive periods of severe winter weather and come into good breeding condition in the spring.

There are different mixes for feeders, bird tables and ground feeding birds. The better mixtures will contain plenty of flaked maize, sunflower seeds, and peanut granules.  This type of seed mix will encourage a wide range of birds as the food source will have elements that appeal to particular species more.  Flaked maize is favoured by blackbirds whilst millet will attract mostly house sparrows, dunnocks, finches and collared doves. We all know how much tits and greenfinches favour peanuts and sunflower seeds as they are some of the most common birds to visit such sources of food.  Other birds will come to peanut feeders as well.  The peanut feeded we have secured to a dying damson tree attracts a lesser-spotted woodpecker on a daily basis and we often catch a glimpse of nuthatches in the spring.  The later been a beautiful bird with lovely colouring. Salted or dry roasted peanuts should not be used. Peanuts can be high in a natural toxin, which can kill birds, so buy from a reputable dealer to guarantee freedom from aflatoxin.

Seed mixtures that have split peas, beans, dried rice or lentils will appear mainly to only the large species can eat them dry and birds such as pigeon are often undesirable from the garden particularly if you grow peas which are readily eaten as they emerge by these birds. Likewise seed mixtures containing green or pink lumps should also be avoided as these are dog biscuit, which can only be eaten when soaked as they will swell and cause problems to the birds.

Black sunflower seeds re an excellent year-round food, and in many areas are even more popular than peanuts.  The black sunflower seed is preferred as the oil content is greater than that found within the stripped seeds. Sunflower hearts can be purchased providing a package free food source.

My wife has recently started feeding the birds with mealworms and this has been a great hit particularly with our robin and song thrush.  Other birds that enjoy this protein rich food will include blue tits and pied wagtails.  We are using a mealworm plus mixture from Gardman as it also contains added seeds and fruit.  This mixture comes recommended by the British Trust for ornithology which is Britain’s leading wild bird research organisations.

Niger/nyjar seeds can be used providing you place the seed within a special feeder and this will encourage goldfinches and siskins.  Our feeder however has been extremely disappointing and I have found the group of globe thistles within the plant border attract far more interest from the goldfinches.  We will look to move the feeder in the spring to see if it is down to the location of this feeder rather than the food source itself.

Fat balls and other fat-based food bars are excellent winter food. If they are sold in nylon mesh bags, always remove the bag before putting the fat ball out – the soft mesh can trap and injure birds. As a child we used to make such fat balls using melted suet and seed mixes placing this into a plastic cup with a string running through to facilitate it being hung to a suitable tree branch. Alternatively, you can turn it out onto your bird table when solid.

Give fresh coconut can be used but it is important to wash out with water to remove the sweet coconut milk as this will encourage black mildews.

I love the occasional curry and we always tend to cook too much rice.  This is shared between my dog and birds and is devoured readily by most when scattered upon the ground.  I do not use much salt when cooking my rice but if you do I would advise against using this as it would probably be harmful to the birds.

Like most people I would not wish to eat mouldy food and it is good practice not to feed birds such food. If you are finding food turning mouldy or stale on your birdtable, you are probably placing out too large a quantity for the birds to eat in one day. Always remove any stale or mouldy food promptly. Stale food provides a breeding ground for salmonella bacteria, which can cause food poisoning. At least one type of salmonella causes death among such species as greenfinches.  This has caused a great depletion of this once common bird and care should be taking to ensure we do our bit to build up their numbers by careful feeding.

Large quantities of food scattered on the ground may attract rats and mice and such a practice should be avoided for obvious reasons.

Encouraging birds into the garden is beneficial to gardens providing predators but also you will gain hours of fun watching new visitors to the garden.  Only the other day we had a sparrow hawk perching upon a trellis panel.  Both my children were thrilled by the sight of this bird and seeing their pleasure in this find made my day.