NLK was asked to revamp their existing garden. They were happy with the general layout but felt it all looked rather tired and neglected after 20 years. The paving had become very uneven due to the weeds and tree roots.

The first job was to rip up the old paving. We  then took measurements of the levels and laid out some lines to the required paving height. We continued the raised beds along and built a new one the other side of our new planned step arrangement. The pond was carefully emptied into containers so the pond life could be transferred back to the new pond when completed. The old rockery was dismantled and a new one constructed to help hide the pond pump and filters. The stone was a rustic slate to go with the Rustic Slate paving the clients had chosen.

The old path up the garden was dug out and re laid with a brick edging either side and slate in between the timber effect stone steps to lead to the new summerhouse. The brick edging was continued down the other side of the lawn to help contain the slate and give it a sharper finish.

Client Feedback..."Absolutely delighted with our garden makeover. Can't stop grinning! Natasha and staff worked so hard, and were a pleasure to have around. We particularly appreciated the on going dialogue as the design evolved to exactly what we wanted, made us feel part of the team! Still can't believe it. Thank you so much. Mr and Mrs Featherstone.

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NLK was recommended to the client by a local plant nursery, to see if we could come up with a new planting scheme that won't be eaten by the residential Rabbits! The old bushes had been in a long time and were not fairing very well anymore. NLK came up with a new planting design and estimate for doing the work. The client was delighted and we were asked to start as soon as possible.

The first job was to rip out all the old and rotten shrubs. Some of the smaller shrubs were transplanted to other areas of the garden to fill gaps. The borders were then thoroughly dug over and fertiliser and compost added before planting.

We decided to continue the Holly hedge around the driveway side which in time will help reduce the wind eddying up through the border. A selection of shrubs and herbaceous were then planted to give colour throughout the year.

Client Feedback..."Thank you Natasha for a wonderful job, look forward to seeing it mature and blossom" Mr and Mrs Ashford

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NLK has worked for this client for over 20 years in their various houses around Rugby and surrounding villages. They moved back into Rugby a few years ago and after sorting out the house it was time to concentrate on the garden. The builder constructed a new patio area and a large raised bed around the back of the paving. 

The borders around the patio needed to be reshaped to fit in with the paving design. A few older shrubs would have to be removed for a new seating area and the existing borders enlarged to fit some more colourful shrubs and plants.

NLK came up with a planting scheme and within the week plants were sourced, borders enlarged, dug over, planted and a new seating area made using a charcoal brick edging and slate. 

Client Feedback..."The garden and plants look super! I can't wait for it all to grow and flower now. Thank you so much" Mrs Cuthbert

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NLK was called after the client saw some work that we had done for their friends. They asked if we could clear the borders and enlarge them, build a new pond, a patio area, to neaten the path up the garden and the paths between the allotment beds. The garden had become rather taken over with Brambles, suckers and weeds.

The garden was cleared of all the unwanted plants and weeds, the old pond and broken pots etc. The pond and patio area was dug out to the clients specification, prepared and constructed. Once the patio was completed we were then able to finish off the rockery, water feature and add the plants.

before  

after  

The borders were double dug over incorporating lots of compost and manure before planting. The path was widened and a new brick edging put in place to help retain the gravel. The paths around the allotment beds were cleared and weed control matting was put down before the gravel was spread. The lawn was raked and given a top dressing with grass seed added to thicken up the existing lawn area.

Client Feedback..."The garden, patio, pond and paths look wonderful, really looking forward to a warm summer to sit out and enjoy the new garden. Thank you for all your hard work" Mr & Mrs Woodhead

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NLK was recommended to the client to carry out a garden makeover. Everything was looking a little tired and lots of containers were being used to bring some colour and screening to the garden. They had a conservatory built but the door and access to the garden was restricted and unimpressive.

The first job was to replace the old rotten fence and cut back the over grown Buddleia. We were then able to remove the old uneven paving slabs and create a new decking area. A new raised bed was constructed so lots of the containers could be planted down the side of the garden. The patio area nearest the house was extended to enable the conservatory door to open fully. A raised wall was constructed to hold the soil back. 

A few new raised beds were constructed so lots of the containers could be planted out with a few additional plants added. Aco drains were installed near the house to aid drainage due to the garden sloping towards the house. New steps were installed in the middle to give access up the garden from both the conservatory and utility door. The patio area was dug out so a good depth of hardcore could be added to aid drainage and compacted before  paving.

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The clients requested a low maintenance garden with good size areas for entertaining friends with a Mediterranean feel. We even considered the elderly cat, creating an easy access point into the garden!

Client Feedback..."Can't say how delighted we both are - the garden looks awesome, thank you" Mr & Mrs Palmer

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The client had their 60 year old hedge reduced in size. The hedge looked pretty bare and quite ugly to look at. Our company was recommended by friends to come and remove the hedge and replace with featheredge fencing. We were also asked to expand the patio area so they had a flat area for sitting and walking on.

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NLK were invited around to assess the garden and see what we could do to improve the layout. The steps by the conservatory were so many levels and with the door open it reduced access to the steps. The paths were a mix of tarmac and concrete and the one leading to the main door was in the wrong place with most people cutting across the lawn; none of the paths connected the entrances together. A design and estimate was drawn up and agreed before work was carried out.

Work began by smashing up all the old paths, clearing and marking out with levels the new design layout. Whilst digging out the paths, we discovered  lots of Victorian edging tiles. These were incorporated around the borders nearest the house. Blue bricks were used to edge the paving and slate paths to match the colour of the tiles. The paving started from the garden gate leading up to the house and around to create instant access for the clients and visitors. A pergola was installed. Once the plants establish this will give the garden some screening from overlooking properties and also help muffle the car noise. Again the tiles were used to frame the border, this time with a box hedge to make the entrance more formal.

Trellis was added to screen the driveway and from people walking up the road to create some privacy whilst in the garden. The long path linking the two garden gates, shed and conservatory was made using bricks dog tooth style and slate chippings. The slate chippings are easy to walk on and help link the other slate area to the side of the property which had reduced sunlight. We also made some Geoff Hamilton style compost bins to recycle most of the garden waste which in time can be incorporated into the vegetable and flower borders. The garden was then planted with some specimen plants as agreed on the initial design.

Client Feedback..."What a fantastic job on the garden! I had spent over 5 years not really knowing what to do or where to start with a garden which was not much more than a lawn with borders that had no shape or style. Now it is really interesting both to look at and to walk through with many sections and angles, paths in the right places and all much more functional with all the difficult features gone. Natasha has so much energy, skill and enthusiasm it was a pleasure to watch her transform our garden into something special." Mr & Mrs Lewis

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NLK was called to help on this garden after the client spotted us at one of her friends houses doing a garden makeover with fresh planting ideas.

"How can we change this woodland section of the garden to be more grandchild and user friendly" requested the client. The area was full of stinging nettles but hidden underneath were some beautiful snowdrops and bulbs which could be saved and placed into the new scheme. A design and estimate were drawn up and agreed before work started. A formal look was chosen with a seating area in the middle to relax out in the evenings.

The area was marked out and half round rails were used to define the borders. The area was overlooked by some flats so some 30ft Eucalyptus trees and good sized Bamboo were planted to break up the view. A rotovator was used to break up the soil and also to mix in some leaf litter to help retain moisture. 

The paths were levelled out, then matting and gravel added to retain formal paths.   

Instead of a summerhouse, the client decided they wanted an open feel. 6 posts were concreted into the ground with the idea of several layers of rope going around for the roses to trail on. The area was then slated to create a more formal area. Planting was chosen to cope with the woodland theme and planted according to the initial design.

Client Feedback..."What a transformation Natasha has created. The area looks so much bigger and has brought so much enjoyment. We can now wander up the garden and get away from the days routines and enjoy a quiet sit looking at the huge variety of beautiful plants. Our grandchildren love having another area to run around and explore." Mr & Mrs Paterson

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Once the builders started moving out it became clear just how large a height drop the garden would have. Raised beds were designed in levels so the clients could have plenty of growing areas for fruit and vegetables. A small pond was made near the patio area and in time the planting will cover the pond edges to naturally soften into the garden. Some rockery stones will be added in time when the pond has settled. The rest of the area was levelled for planting and a lawn to open up the garden near the house.

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Landscape garden and maintenance, Ullesthorpe

Client Feedback..."thank you so much for re-designing, planting and maintaining our beautiful side garden for us. It is an amazing transformation and is much admired by passers by as well as bringing much pleasure to us." Mr & Mrs Pankhurst

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Garden design and landscaping of new build property, Coton Meadows, Rugby

Client Feedback..." We moved into a new home with just turf in the garden. We had a couple of quotes that were competitive but with no imagination. Mrs Moore then gave us a competitive quote and inspiration! She turned our plot of grass into a beautiful family garden with a lovely patio, play area and vegetable garden. Mrs Moore put a lot of thought into the different plants so that we had flowers in bloom and different coloured leaves most of the year round. Her knowledge of plants amazed me! It was great to be able to trust someone to be reliable and provide a quality service." Dr & Mrs Townsend

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Artificial Lawn, Rugby

After removal of a pampas grass, cutting back the ivy on the house, transplanting a few shrubs, removal of the lawn and general builders rubble in the soil, we were ready to prepare the ground for the artificial grass. We then marked out and levelled the area making sure there were no sharp objects left. Next we installed the Everedge steel edging system to create a secure boundary. A thin layer of sharp sand was laid to create a smooth level base which was then compacted. The area was covered over with a geotex material to discourage weed growth and pinned into place. The area we were working on was only 4m x 7m, but even a roll of artificial grass this size weighs a lot and needed two men to carry it into the garden from the lorry. Once the grass was rolled into place and cut to fit, the final stage was to top dress with kiln dried sand and brush in with a stiff brush to make it look even. The grass chosen was Lazylawn Supreme V2, this had a very realistic look and also felt soft but hardwearing for the children to play on.  

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Easy Care Garden

First we got stuck in on marking out and digging post holes and constructing the fence boundary. Next was marking out where the pergola was going, taking measurements and building it off site due to space and power access. Once the pergola was ready we then brought it back to the site flat packed. We were then able to reconstruct it fairly quickly back together in its final position. Landscape membrane was placed over the whole area and raised beds were constructed so that the topsoil being dug out from the patio area could be moved and reused straight away. Compost and fertiliser were then added to the raised beds to improve the soil quality ready for planting. The hardcore could then be brought from the front of the building to the rear garden to be levelled and compacted. Whilst the patio was being laid, we planted the trees, climbers and the raised beds. Wires were put on the fences to help train and give support to the new climbers. Three tons of 20mm gravel were barrowed into the garden and spread evenly over the rest of the garden. Finally the last of the paving could take place by the bin area to complete the task.    

Client Feedback..."Amazed at the quick progress of the job and to such a high standard. Fantastic job, we are so delighted. I got my glazing firm to glaze the top of the pergola afterwards and this has worked well." Mr. Roth

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Small Terrace House Garden

Client Feedback..."Really pleased with how the garden took shape and how efficient Natasha and her team worked." Mr. Webber

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The clients decided after many years of their garden being dominated by a large conifer tree and reducing light levels to have the conifer removed. This left a rather large bare border area and queries about what to do next. After visiting some friends whom NLK Garden Services had recently worked with, they decided to contact us to solve their garden dilemmas.

The top 3 pictures show how the center border looked like before, during and after redefining. The clients wanted to keep the same shape but needed it to stand out more as a main feature of the garden. The area was then cleared of plants, dug out and re leveled before concreting in a new brick edging. Once the bricks were in place, a membrane was laid and blue slate chippings spread for the paths. The plants were then split and replanted around the borders.

The lower 3 pictures show the border where the conifer once grew. It was decided to put a path through the border for ease of management. The client had bought an urn to be the center piece and to give the garden a feature for the winter months. The same materials were used to blend the two areas of the garden together. Some new pergolas were put up to give more feature and height to the border and to incorporate more colour. 

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