Holiday Gifts for Gardeners 2014

With Christmas just around the corner, you may want to be thinking about buying an avid garden lover something special for Christmas. Derby paving think some of these gift ideas are great, and are perfect for any garden or landscaping lover.

See the guide here: http://yougrowgirl.com/holiday-gifts-gardeners-2014/

Sheep Provide a Green Solution to City’s Landscaping Problem

If you're ever looking for a cheaper and more inventive way of pruning back your garden and lawn area, you could always do what this organisation have done, and use sheep to trim back their lawn, rather than use the expertise of a landscaper. Derby paving experts think this is a funny way of trimming your lawn, but would perhaps prove more difficult when needed to trim back your plants!

See the full story here: http://smallbiztrends.com/2014/12/sheep-provide-a-green-solution.html

Home Landscaping Ideas

It's often known for people to spend more time on making the interior of their home look cosy and inviting, as it's often where people spend most of their time, but Derby paving experts think people can often neglect the exterior of their homes, and the landscaping aspect of their garden. Truth is you don't have to put in tremendous effort to make your garden look organised and attractive, and you can even do it on a budget too. Check out these great tips believe on some of the landscaping ideas you can implement into your homes exterior.

• Think about the entrance to your home
  If you have a driveway leading up to your front door, then think about the landscape, is it easy for people to find their way up you drive? Ensure you install lighting to ensure people can easily find their way at night. Hanging baskets and trellis plants can make an entrance into your home look impressive.
• Think ahead
  When it comes to planting trees or shrubs, always think about the temperature, time of year and climate. Planting the wrong kinds of greenery can cause overgrowth and can spoil the landscape. Also think about how much maintenance you will have to put in for certain plants, if you're busy working full time every week, then you'll most likely need plants that require minimal effort to look after.
• Express yourself and your personality
  Express yourself with creativity when it comes to your garden. There are no rules, and even if your house is of a certain style, doesn't mean you have to stick with that style when it comes to your exterior. 
• Make the most of the seasons
  The different seasons are great when it comes to your gardening and landscaping. When spring and summer come around, your garden can really come to life with a vast range of different plants in varying colours. It's also the time of the year where you will get to use your garden the most, so make the most out of making it look beautiful.

For more advice on landscaping your garden, read the full article here: http://www.bhg.com/gardening/landscaping-projects/landscape-basics/home-landscaping-ideas/

Garden Bridge likely to blossom over the River Thames (and not everyone's happy about it)

Just like Derby paving experts, many of you may have heard about the proposed garden bridge to be built in London. The bridge is designed to offer some calmness through the centre of London, with trees and plants surrounding the bridge, and no cyclists allowed. But there are many concerning thoughts surrounding the idea, too much money, and a silly idea when there are other pressing issues such as housing and transportation that need attention. What are your thoughts on the garden bridge?

Read the full story here: http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/blogs/garden-bridge-likely-to-blossom-over-the-river-thames-and-not-everyones

Understand Your Site Plan for a Better Landscape Design

If you're thinking of redesigning your garden landscape, derby paving experts believe its a great idea to look at a site plan first, this will help you to plan effectively and methodically, and avoid any costly mistakes when it comes to your garden redesign. Drawings can help you visualise the garden as a whole much better.

Take a look at this guide on planning for a better landscape design

10 Garden Ideas to Steal from Japan

Japan is renowned for the peaceful and calming nature of their gardens. They often use clever landscape designs to help create gardens that are simple yet stunning. From feature waterfalls, boulders and rocks, to patterns made from gravel and paving slabs. Take at look at this great guide that block paving derby experts have found on how to take inspiration from Japanese gardens.

Read the full story here: http://www.gardenista.com/posts/10-garden-ideas-to-steal-from-japan

DOES LANDSCAPING INCREASE YOUR HOME'S VALUE?

There are many reasons why people opt to landscape their garden, often its purely for aesthetic purposes, but sometimes it's to increase the value of their property. Block paving Derby experts believe that landscaping your garden, whether thats putting in plants and flowers, or adding paving slabs and walkways, can actually help to increase the value of your home.

Read the full article here: http://realtytimes.com/consumeradvice/sellersadvice1/item/31129-20141014-does-landscaping-increase-your-homes-value

9 Jaw-Dropping Home Exterior Makeovers

It's often thought that the exterior of the home gets neglected, while most homeowners concentrate heavily on the interior, it's also worth thinking about the exterior and how the front of your home looks to people coming onto your property. Whether this means improving the exterior of the home itself, or whether you carry out work on your front lawn by tidying it up with paving slabs or tarmac, block paving derby experts think you will find this gallery of home exterior makeovers a great inspiration!

See the gallery here: http://www.countryliving.com/homes/renovation-and-remodeling/home-renovation#slide-1

Keeping Up with the Joneses: How to Make the Most of Your Small Backyard with Block Paving Derby

Your backyard is an important spot especially in the warmer summer months, and is a place for you to relax and unwind when you've had a long day, and somewhere you can bask in the sunshine. Read up on some of these great tips from block paving Derby experts on how to make the most out of your small back garden.

1. Get rid of your clutter
If you have a small back garden, the last thing you want is for your garden to be cluttered up with mess making it look even smaller than it already is. If you have lots of plants taking up your space, scale it back and just have a few stand out plants instead.

2. Evaluate your needs
Think about what you'll actually use your garden for, will you use the lawn, or would it be more beneficial to have paving slabs?

3. Add elevation
This will create the illusion of more space and a much bigger garden. You could create different levels using different styles of paving slabs.

4. Create a stand out focal point
Whether you opt for a fire pit, a water feature or a sculpture, every garden needs a focal point, this will help bring the landscape of your garden together.



5. Think about the details
Even thought your garden landscape is small don't forget about the small details. Try adding lighting or lanterns to help add detailed interest to your garden, this will help prevent it from looking too simple.

Before carrying out extensive work on your garden always ensure you get the help from paving Derby company who will be able to guide you on what will suit your property best.

Read the full article here: http://blog.century21.com/2014/10/small-backyard-bigger/

Benefits of Tarmac Driveways

Tarmac Derby experts at S Brown Paving have curated this great web resource on choosing the right surfacing type for your tarmac driveway. Take a look at this guide which contains a vast range of knowledge and inspiration for your new driveway.

Type of Surfacing for Tarmac Driveways

So, you’ve now decided to have your driveway for asphalt or tarmac derby paving. What road surfacing should you choose? Yes, there are different types of road surfacing when you choose Tarmacadam for your driveway. The different types are appropriate for varying amounts of traffic the road or driveway will be used for. With that in mind, it is essential that you have a general background on the types of road surfacing available.

Basecourse Bitumen Mix. This is the type of mix that is used when your driveway is uneven. It is composed of well graded large stone, dust mix and bitumen. Bitumen is the viscous material that holds all the materials together and is responsible for creating a firm surface. This is the type of mix that is commonly used with residential driveways, tennis court and playground areas. If you are doing a DIY project for paving your driveway, this is the best mix for you. It is also the mix that is recommended when you do not have a base foundation before pouring the asphalt.

Macadam Mix. This is the mix that you’d require for areas with high traffic. However, this type of mix is composed of different thickness dimensions. This mix is available in 6mm, 10mm and 14 mm wearing course. It can be tailored according to a consumer’s specification. Additional stones can be included in the mix if the tarmac driveway requires drainage. If you want a smoother finish, the mix can be altered with additional fine dust mix. The 6mm wearing course mix is not for recommended for heavy traffic areas. Instead, it is recommended for residential tarmac driveways, playgrounds and footpaths. On the other hand, 10mm and 16mm can also be used with residential driveways with high traffic.

Asphalt Mix. Have you tried comparing the asphalt finish of the grocery car park against that of your driveway? The mix used in car parks, industrial sites, airports and national roads will naturally be subjected to wear and tear. As such, the finish should be fine to afford the aesthetic appeal and skid resistant to avoid accidents.

American or Marshall Asphalt Mix. This mix is the combination of sand, dust and stone. It achieved the desirable, durable characteristic of asphalt and the manageability of tarmac. The best example of this finish can be seen in Dublin airport. Small to large business and household driveways prefer this type of mix because of its smoother and long lasting finish. However, in order to achieve the perfect results, it should be laid out with the right equipment and by skilled professionals.

Stone Mastic Asphalt Mix. The high stone content of this mix is perfect for high level and steep driveways because of its desirable skid resistant feature and additional drainage. The durability of this mix is achieved by adding dust and high levels of bitumen with fiber. As such, it is less prone to getting deformed. This is one of the most popular choices in the US because of its characteristic to absorb sound, thus reducing the engine noise level when driving.

There are many types of mixes that can be used for tarmac driveways. What’s essential is to have your driveway surveyed first to determine which the best mix for your driveway is.

Tarmac Derby specialists know which type of tarmac could be right for your driveway, as they have had many years experience, they will be able to advise you of the best types depending on your needs.

Paving Derby - A Guide

S Brown Paving Derby have curated some great content and resources from around the web. This great guide explains why paving is so beneficial, and even gives you some tips on how to get the best paving for your garden.

Benefits of Paving Derby

Do you continuously experience stress in parking your car? Do you continuously damage the flower beds when you park your car? These are just a few of the problems you may come across if your driveway doesn't benefit from paving Derby. Here are some benefits you can expect:

You spend money, time and energy in making your lawn and garden beautiful so that you, your family as well as guests can enjoy the beauty of it. However, your car can damage the soft elements in the garden, especially those that are near the parking area. This can happen if you don’t have paving. These soft elements such as the flower beds and small plants are vulnerable not only to the wheels of your car, but against continuous rain. When you don’t have paving, rain can soften the soil and can be washed away. The paving serves to seal the soil and its surrounding structures which prevent them from getting washed away during heavy rains.

Lower Cost of Maintenance. After days of heavy raining, have you seen how easily the flowers and plants get easily washed away with the soil? Have you seen how it can become muddy? You may have to put stones for stepping on, so that you and family members will not slip from the mud. If this area had been paved before the rain, you wouldn’t have to deal with the mud or worry about someone slipping in the mud. Paving is much easier to take care of than say, a grassed lawn, as it doesn't need watering or lots of care and attention on a regular basis.

Aesthetic Appeal. As mentioned above, an outdoor area without paving would be unappealing after days of heavy rain. In addition, an unpaved area with high traffic will soon look unappealing. If the area is, technically, a pathway to your house or the garage, you can save a lot of maintenance work when you have it paved.

Create a Driveway. One of the reasons that homeowners should have paving is to create a driveway. This will ensure safe and unobstructed parking for your car as well as reduce the risk of parking it on the street.

Add value to the Property. If you are considering selling your property, you can capitalise on the paving you’ve done. In addition, a paved driveway looks neat and appealing and can serve to be one of the best features of your house.

Get the right first impressions. When you enjoy entertaining guests at home, it would be a real pleasure to get recognised for having a smooth and even drive path. This means that your guests won’t have difficulty parking their own car and reduce the risks of damaging garden landscape elements.

Create a space where kids can play. The kids will probably like to play in the garden. However, you should not allow this to prevent the garden flowers and plants from getting trampled or played with. As such, paving can provide a small area where kids can play without damaging any part of your lawn or garden.

The types of paving that you will need will vary – asphalt, cement, stones or bricks. You can choose which material depending on your need as well as it being based on the design of your home. Paving Derby can help advise you on the best type of material for your driveway, in order for it to suit your home and your budget. 

Paving Derby - Easy Landscaping Tips For The Novice Landscaper

S Brown Paving Derby know that not many people like to delve into the world of gardening and landscaping, but not many people think they have what it takes to have a great landscaped property. What many people fail to realise is that you don't have to have an elaborate design or lots of plants. A clean and manicured look is all you need to successfully make your garden an enjoyable place to relax..

Think about water requirements. If you live in an area that doesn't get a lot of rain, try to use plants that don't require a lot of water. Grass needs more water than any other type of plant, so replace your lawn with wood chips, gravel, or varying types of block paving.

Add an element of movement to your landscape design to prevent it from feeling too stiff and boring. From tall, swaying ornamental grasses to bright flowers that invite flitting hummingbirds. You have lots of options for making your garden feel alive. Movement adds visual interest, enticing you to spend time in the area that you've worked so hard to create.

When planning a landscaping project for your house, S Brown paving Derby suggest to keep an open mind and look beyond the places that you normally would consider. You may be surprised to find what good sales, variety of items you might find at places such as arboretums, and local botanical gardens. Check with your city to see if mulch, fill, or stone is offered. You should even check with your neighbors to see what resources they may have to share.

In order to create a successful landscape design, it is necessary to assess the different zones of sunlight in your yard. By understanding which areas receive full, partial or no sun during the day, you will be able to select the plants most likely to thrive in your specific outdoor space.

If you have drainage problems in your yard, fix them before you begin to plant. If the soil in your yard is too wet, your plants will fall victim to root rot quickly. This will result in dead plants and added expenses for you. If you take care of the problems first, you will save money in the long run.

As you design, or add to your landscape, make paths wide to allow for wheelbarrows, and other lawn tools. It is important to reduce the amount of traffic on your lawn, especially when larger lawn tools are in use. If you can move the tools easily down a path, you not only save on lawn traffic, you will also make your job easier with the stable surface.

S Brown Paving Derby know that having a well-groomed front garden will make the curb appeal of your house gain some serious points in the neighbourhood. A well-groomed back yard will give you the outdoor space that you desire for family functions, entertaining or just relaxing on your own.