LANDSCAPING
SOLUTIONS TO MAXIMISE OUTDOOR SPACES
Outdoor spaces have taken on a new prominence for people spending longer than ever at home due to the new hybrid working revolution. BMJ looks at some of the opportunities for merchants.
A
t the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, 60% of the UK adult population were
working from home according to
Finder.com, who say 26% plan to continue working from home permanently or occasionally. This shift has created a spike in home improvements, specifically in the garden.
Garry Gregory, packed products director at Tarmac , says that one of the biggest trends in landscaping is to create different zones for different purposes. Distinct zones can be easily achieved using a combination of walls, paving and different aggregates.
Decorative aggregates “An effective way to create zones in the garden is through decorative aggregates. Merchants can offer a range of materials, from chippings and cobbles, to slate and bark, to help create zones and borders,” he says.
Gregory adds that different textures can be used to contrast
each other, providing low- maintenance solutions that can complement existing planting or landscaping. “For example, Tarmac’s White Dolomite 10mm chippings provide the perfect contrast to blue or green 40mm. One could be used to frame a path and another for dining and cooking spaces.
“Decorative aggregates are easy to lay and require little maintenance. Simply remove any plants and weeds, cover the area with a weed membrane and distribute the materials evenly. Stones, bark or chippings should
be laid with at least 50mm depth to prevent the membrane from becoming visible.”
Creating concrete walls Gregory explains that walls are another good option to create zones in the garden and they can deliver a standout centre piece. They can frame a space and separate zones with tall walls to provide privacy and security. “Concrete offers greater design opportunities. By building forms and pouring a high-strength product such as Tarmac Blue Circle High Strength Concrete (40N),
it is easy to create eye catching dividers,” he says
Luxury living walls The Horticultural Trades Association reported an increase in sales for bedding plants (29%), seeds (59%) and gardening equipment (51%) over the last year as people turned to plants to create more attractive outdoor spaces. Gregory adds that, even in smaller gardens, vertical living walls can combine the two. “A vertical wall can be trailing or climbing plants which are planted in wall-mounted containers or pockets, sometimes with a sheet of polythene behind. Lower maintenance solutions, such as tiered wood shelving planters can also be used, providing a cost- effective vertical growing option,” he says.
“For real visual impact, a new or existing wall can be turned into a vertical garden. By using complex moulding forms and pouring concrete, trade customers can create stylish designs for relatively low cost.” BMJ
26
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net April 2022
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