We were pleased to be asked for some advice on future gardens for Netjets Magazine this month. Especially as we got to talk about the opportunities that planting can have towards more sustainable landscapes solutions and about using craftspeople for bespoke solutions – two issues close to our hearts and we suspect those of the readers.
Over the past 10 years we have designed and installed many new swimming pools but the past year has seen a surge in interest as we stay at home more and enjoy longer, warmer Summers. Dan answers some of your questions about adding a pool into your garden.
1 A bright blue pool is fine for summer, but what do I do in the winter?
One of the best new swimming pools I’ve seen was in the US where the owner had used a very dark inky blue tile to line the pool. This gave great reflections, particularly from lighting at nighttime but it also gave the pool an unusual lake-like quality when not in use. The colour was set off by the winter snow as well as looking good in the summer. So my advice is not to go with the usual bright blue and consider a colour that will add a new dimension to the garden.
Of course in a UK garden you might want to protect the pool with a retractable cover through the seasons when you aren’t using it but also as a safety measure from day to day. Pool safety is important and advice should be taken from your pool company as to the best measures to take to protect against anyone accidentally falling into a pool and especially for young children being protected from possible accidents.
2 Will an infinity pool or a lap pool work in my garden?
Infinity pools work best where there is a good level change that opens up onto a distant view. Some of the pools we design have a great coastal view and lend themselves naturally to an infinity pool. But in the absence of that distance I would always opt for something that focuses on the space and away from surrounding distractions such as other houses.
Lap pools are a good investment for serious swimmers and look great in a contemporary space where they can double up as sleek reflective strips of water. But you need at least 15m for a decent length. If you have limited space consider a counter-current pool – great for city bachelor pads or roof gardens and you only need 5-8m! Remember that only one person can use it at a time for swimming but they double up as spas for evening entertaining.
3 How can I integrate the pool with my garden design?
The biggest mistake we see is when new swimming pools are located where they divide the garden. If you have a large garden then create a separate space for the pool. Give the area around it structure – maybe through planted beds and, even better, its own boundary wall that will also make it more secure and safe. A separate garden space can also mean giving a different planting theme to the pool area. But if the garden is small and chic then make the pool the focus of your space and entertainment, add some glamour from lights and exotic planting and invite some friends over!
4 How do I plant a pool area?
As with any garden plants integrate the elements and this is especially true for a pool. Plants need to take some reference from the garden’s location as well as the pool which is why a garden designer is as important as a pool specialist when designer your new swimming pool area.
It’s a little dull and very wet in January but we want you to think about the summer. A long hot summer.
We’re already really busy this year and have been commissioned for lots of new gardens in 2021 from small courtyard gardens to large countryside gardens. From bird baths to swimming pools and raised vegetable beds to greenhouses.
If you got the gardening bug last year why not try out a new online course from gardencourses.com the online partner of the London College of Garden Design? They are running courses on planning to grow vegetables and fruit in small spaces and creating wildlife gardens. Both great activities for families to do together.
If you just want to relax in your garden many furniture suppliers sold out early last year so start looking for the perfect lounger, a firepit or a large dining table and chairs for when we’re all allowed to mix in our gardens again.
Plants are a little in short supply at the moment because of Brexit more than anything but we know our nurseries and garden centres are growing more for the Spring so plan your planting ideas now and get ordering. Remember always to be sure where your plants come from – use a local nursery, garden centre or small garden shop and ask them where their plants were grown – let’s support small businesses!
And if you need some help, well you know where we are!
As you may know we have worked on many projects related to our Veterans over the years including permanent community gardens for Blind Veterans UK, designs for the RAF100 anniversary and our current support of Veterans Growth in Sussex.
Probably the most conceptual piece of work was this installation of a garden at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Thiepval Memorial in Northern France. With the help of our friends at Oxford Planters we created a 100′ long bench to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. The bench wove around existing trees in the woodland that stands where some of the worst fighting of WW1 occurred – the Battles of the Somme.
The garden was dedicated to the Welsh soldiers who died and went missing at the Somme and so the ground was simply sown with Welsh primrose seed. The garden was designed to last another 100 years. It’s not in an obvious place and that’s deliberate so that you might come across it and spend a few minutes in quiet reflection of the lives that so many gave up for our freedoms today.
This Remembrance Day please reflect on the freedoms we have rather than their temporary loss in 2020 and support our great Veterans charities.
Image Autumn 2020 courtesy of CWGC
Fisher Tomlin & Bowyer have been listed as one of the UK’s top garden design companies by the landscape industry publication Horticulture Week. The magazine has previously won many awards including best trade journal and regularly supports the work of UK designers in its pages.
A design project of our own at the Roehampton Club was recently featured in a 3 page article that focussed on the planting designs we have carried out to develop the Golf Course (see our portfolio for more images).
It won’t have escaped you that many of our trees are suffering from climate change and the direct impact of population growth. HS2, the current Government’s flagship capital investment project is currently cutting a swathe through ancient woodland, removing centuries old iconic and ordinary trees alike.
Possibly one of the greatest impacts that humankind is having is on the loss of biodiversity. A simple example of this is that on one hand we are losing colonies of bees and populations of birds whilst on the other we are also experiencing new diseases and pests that survive due to climate change. In the UK today, pests and diseases arrive on high-sided trucks or on a consignment of timber which is how Dutch Elm disease originally came into the UK from Canada. So here are some key issues for trees that you may have and what you can do about it.
Ash
Lets start with Ash because we’ve all heard about the problem. Chalara fraxinea is being treated as a quarantine pest under UK national emergency measures; it is important to report any suspected cases. The disease caused by the fungus results in leaf loss and crown dieback in ash trees, which can lead to tree death in affected trees. Symptoms can be visible on leaves, shoots and branches of affected trees. Leaves can suffer from wilting and a black-brownish discolouration can occur at the leaf base and midrib. Dieback of shoots and twigs is also very characteristic. If you are in any doubt about ash trees in your garden then call an expert such as our own tree specialist www.thetreecompany.co.uk
Horse chestnuts
Horse chestnuts are threatened by a leaf mining moth (Cameraria ohridella) which is believed to have come from the Caucasus, turning leaves brown and gradually weakening the trees. It arrived from France and was first found in a few trees on Wimbledon Common it has now spread across the south of England and the Midlands. You cannot treat the tree and it unlikely that you will be given permission to remove it but some years can be worse than others and indeed in 2020 the problem didn’t appear locally as bad as other years. But these trees are also under attack from a bleeding canker bacterial infection (Pseudomonas syringae pv aesculi) that is believed to have originated in the Himalayas and more seriously can kill the tree.
Alders, Larch and Oaks
Phytophthora Alni is now killing alders in large numbers and is believed to have hybridized in a nursery in Europe. Plantations of larch in South West England, Wales and Northern Ireland are being rapidly infected by another related and recently arrived species, Phytophthora ramorum. Over half a million larch trees have had to be felled last year in emergency sanitation measures.
The disease is typified by lesions on the trunk of the tree and rapid die back. Phytophthora ramorum also affects other trees, spreading from larch to beech and it’s seen in oak as ‘sudden oak death’. Whilst Phytophthora ramorum has been more of a threat to the American red oak in the UK than to our native oak trees we must expect that our iconic English oak will come under threat at some time in the future. And of course the Oak Processionary Moth is now found in oak trees across the main boroughs that we work in including gardens in Wimbledon, Richmond and Putney.
It’s not all doom and gloom though and after the Government’s consistently poor management of tree policies over the past few years we seem to be moving to a moment where there is now investment in research to find solutions, not just government but also privately funded. There are some new tree planting programmes including re-planting new disease-resistant forms of Elm across London. But remember if in any doubt some of these diseases are now reportable so keep an eye on your trees, find out more at great websites such as rhs.org.uk, get advice from the local authority registered companies and call an expert in if you are in any doubt