art of gardening :: Hebden Bridge :: Phone 01422 847890 :: info@artofgardening.co.uk

1.0 Profile

Art of Gardening was established in 2005 by Deborah Oakley, to provide a high quality landscape consultancy, design, construction and planting service to the private and commercial markets.

Deborah has 11 years combined experience working as a Landscape Architect and horticulturalist to Private Households, Architects, Housing Associations, Local Authorities, Schools and Colleges.

Deborah and the Art of Gardening team designed, built and exhibited a back to back garden at the 2006 RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park winning a Gold Medal.

2.0 Philosophy

Art of Gardening’s philosophy is to provide a Smooth Transition from Planning to Planting.

This philosophy is facilitated by combining Deborah’s skills as an experienced landscape architect and horticulturalist with our specialist teams of in-house hard and soft landscapers.

Enabling us to provide concept driven designs that consider the architecture, setting and use of space to create and build innovative yet practical landscapes to suit all requirements, efficiently and on budget.

3.0 Process

The design process unfolds in several key stages to enable us to provide you with the garden of your dreams with the minimum of stress.

Although the majority of our work is Design, build and plant, we are more than happy just to revitalise your planting scheme and offer friendly professional advice on: Plants, planting, trees and materials that are best suited to your particular garden.

3.1

• Initial Consultation, the initial consultation takes place in your garden and involves a discussion of your requirements. This discussion, which usually takes between 1 and 2 hours will help form the basis of your design and enable us to provide a cost estimate for the design work.

3.2

• Master Plan Design, after a site survey either a sketch plan or a CAD drawn plan is created detailing hard and soft landscaping designs showing how your garden would look. A mood board and plant index is also created showing details, ideas, themes and plants that could be incorporated into your garden.

3.3

• Second Consultation, when the master plan, mood board and plant index have been completed a further consultation takes place, usually in our design studio, to discuss the design and incorporate any changes that are derived from the discussion.

Once you have approved the design brief, detailed designs, plans and specifications are drawn up incorporating the exact requirements for both the hard and soft landscaping.

3.4

• Final Consultation, a final consultation takes place to ensure that everything is to your exact requirements and to enable us to produce a detailed cost estimate for the works.

3.5 (process construction)

• Construction, we provide our own specialist in-house construction teams to carry out the hard landscaping work, however, if you wish to employ your own contractors we offer a project management service to ensure you get the best from your contractors and the design.

3.6 (process planting)

• Planting, all our plants are obtained from specialist nurseries and are individually chosen by us to ensure only the best plants reach your garden. Again we provide our own specialist in-house soft landscapers to lay out and plant in accordance with the design.

4.0 Gardens

Gardens can provide what should be an essential part of our busy modern day lives, a place of piece and relaxation at the end of a stressful day or week.

Regardless of the size, style or condition of your garden Art of Gardening can provide professional, creative and intelligent garden designs that consider your specific requirements, providing you with a garden that will enhance your living space and your quality of life.

4.1 Rough bottom, Mytholmroyd

Designed and built in Summer 2005 this exposed cottage garden benefited from high dry stone boundary walls and shelter belt planting affording the garden an enclosed sheltered feel. It incorporated a small flagged area and a neglected exposed natural spring which gave the garden an extra dynamic. A raised overgrown terrace to the side of the spring at the rear of the garden required considerable renovation. The garden including a vegetable plot had been previously neglected and was disorganised, tired and very overgrown.

The client brief was to design a garden that “must respect its surroundings; be traditional, to fit the setting, but have a contemporary twist and be relatively low maintenance.”

Construction and planting

We began by clearing the garden of several small trees and lots of overgrown shrubs and plants. The flagged area was relayed and extended to allow space for outdoor dining. A dry stone wall surrounding the rear of the cottage was rebuilt and contemporary railings supplied by a local artisan were fitted. The raised terrace was partially rebuilt and was furnished with solid oak seating and a table designed and constructed by Art of Gardening. The spring was cleared and incorporated as a feature into the garden. The existing vegetable plot which also housed the gas supply tank was screened from the main garden using decorative panelling and a rose arch. Finally a contemporary mixture of herbaceous and shrub planting complimented by a newly laid lawn completed the garden.

4.2 Green Croft Mews, Guiesley

Designed and built in summer 2006 this small front garden on a newly re-developed plot was overlooked on all sides and sloped severely away from the house. There was an existing flagged path and raised patio area. The newly constructed dry stone wall formed the boundary to the front of the garden.

The client brief was to design a “contemporary front garden with ‘wow factor’ that respects its traditional surroundings. To create a more private space that is user friendly and relatively low maintenance.”

The garden also had to be Child friendly, incorporate herbs and flowers. Consider the Slope, the possible use of different mulches and the use of pots and troughs to allow more plants and colour into the garden.

Construction and planting

We began by constructing a tanalised timber retaining wall to the same height as the raised patio to provide a larger, level planting area. 3 tons of top soil was imported to fill the newly constructed raised bed. Privet hedges were planted along the two external boundaries to provide privacy. The raised bed was divided into two distinctly different planting schemes. One half, nearest the kitchen door was planted with contemporary culinary herbs chosen by the client, on a diagonal axis with bay topiary as the centrepiece and gravel mulch. The second half was planted with herbaceous plants and a few evergreen architectural shrubs in the style of a romantic English cottage garden and covered with bark mulch. A box hedge was planted around the edge of the two areas to provide separation of the two distinct planting schemes.

4.3 Show Garden

In July 2006 Deborah built her first show garden at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show. A bare patch of field measuring just 4 meters x 6 meters was transformed into a Gold Medal Winning garden in just 7 days by Deborah and the Art of Gardening team. The Buddhist themed garden, entitled ‘A Meditation Garden’ was intended as a place of quiet calm for contemplation and meditation.

A York Stone path carved with the words ‘Liberating Path’ with a meandering channel of low growing scented Thyme down its centre, representing ones journey through life, lead you into the garden. In front of you, and the focal point of the garden, was a statue of Buddha mounted on a dry York stone and timber plinth. Below the statue was a circular pebble mosaic representing the circle of life. In the centre was a dark still pool where one would see the sky reflected. Surrounding the mosaic were 6 low individual Oak seats for sitting and meditating.

The rendered boundary walls where painted a soft cream colour to match that of the Buddha statue. One wall had 7 mirror-lined alcoves set into it as offering spaces that were lit by candles. The restful orange and maroon planting was designed to reflect the colours of the robes worn by Buddhist monks and nuns, whilst two Betula Jacquemontii trees provided height and interest.

5.0 Testimonials

5.1 Simon Anderson, Greencroft Mews Guiesley

“I would cheerfully recommend your services to any prospective client, and think it evitable that the minor miracle you have performed in my front garden will attract referral business. Your conformity with the brief was perfect. Indeed, the scheme probably achieved more than I thought imaginable. The final result is impressive to the point of being enviable. I am a firm believer that anyone wishing to have a task performed professionally should ask a professional to perform it. The wonders you have achieved clearly prove my point.”

5.2 Anita and Rod Watson, Paddy Bridge Road , Mytholmroyd.

We are pleased with Deborah's transformation of our garden. She was hard-working, full of ideas and enthusiasm yet understanding of our needs, questions and concern to have a low- maintenance style garden that would compliment our house. “

5.3 Jane Herbert, The Brantoms, Luddenden foot.

“We were really pleased with the work that Deborah and the team did to transform our garden. Deborah took on board our suggestions and came up with some innovative yet practical solutions for a new garden design. We were really pleased with the plant recommendations which met with our requirements of generating all year round colour and being low maintenance. The team was reliable and the standard of workmanship, particularly the dry stone walling was of a high standard. I’d have no hesitation in recommending Deborah’s services to friends and family”