Who should I hire to build my new garden?
Garden construction in north London
Creating a new garden is an investment in your home and it is important that is well constructed and brings you many years of enjoyment. Therefore it is obviously essential that you employ the correct tradesperson to build your garden.
So who should you hire to construct your dream garden? It may be tempting to ask your house builder to create your new outside space, particularly if he is already working in your home, but in our experience a house builder is rarely the right person for the job of constructing a garden. Equally you wouldn’t ask a garden landscaper to build your new kitchen extension…. Both tradesmen may be specialists in their own field but house building and garden construction require two very different skill sets.
Garden landscapers have experience of working outside and, most importantly, of how to use materials which will tolerate extremes of temperature and rainfall. Our experience is that when builders do not have this expertise, the following problems can occur:-
Patio paving can be laid on a base which is not fit for purpose. The result is that the paving slabs are likely to shift and crack, particularly if porcelain paving is being used or the paving is being laid for a driveway.
The paving pointing joints can be of a poor standard, so that the finish does not look professional and the pointing quickly cracks and ‘pops’. This is particularly important if you are looking to create a sleek, contemporary styled garden with sharp looking, narrow pointing joints.
Your house builder may not understand the complexities of garden drainage which are naturally quite different from plumbing and draining a house. The result can be that garden soil becomes waterlogged, leading to plant losses. Poor drainage of paving surfaces often leads to puddling of water and green staining on your paving.
Walls built to retain raised planting beds may not be constructed adequately to retain soil and have no waterproofing or drainage. This can lead to the walls cracking, staining occurring on the face of the walls and plants becoming water logged.
Finally and very importantly, your house builder may not know how to properly protect your garden soil during hard landscaping construction or how to prepare the soil correctly for planting. This can lead to the soil becoming compacted and waterlogged, resulting in plants which do not not thrive and may even die.
So, to protect your investment in your garden, it is best to hire a garden landscaper to build your new outside space. This can be more expensive initially, but guards against costly repair works in the future.
Some of the benefits of hiring a professional landscaper to create your new garden
A good garden landscaper will have a wealth of experience in laying paving correctly and on the correct bases. This means that your patio paving will last for many years, looking smart and draining well.
A garden landscaper knows how to correctly point your paving. Therefore the pointing will last longer (reducing the need for future repair works) and will look aesthetically more pleasing from the outset.
A landscaper will construct any retaining walls so that they are strong, fit for purpose and look great for many years to come.
And finally a garden landscaper will also understand how to protect the soil during the hard landscaping phase of construction, so that it does not become compacted and damaged. They will also correctly prepare planting beds so that the soil drains well and your new plants thrive.
Here at Hampstead Garden Design, we only work with skilled landscapers who have many years of experience and who will expertly construct your new garden. Do give us a call to find out how we can help.