We had a lot of difficulty finding a suitable water feature at the time we wanted one, most stocked by garden centres were plastic. eBay wasn't much better.
I found this USA company which has a wide range of "stone" fountains and water features.
They have UK agents with a limited range, but I guess you could order what you wanted and wait for it until when they next have a container load sent over.
But like most things prices have increased, I noticed ours has gone up by over 20% since we bought it two years ago.
Beautiful water features doghouse! Yes I'm not keen on the fake looking ones and that's what has stopped me buying one yet. These are gorgeous!
Fairygirl I have also had to block him on social media because of inappropriate comments! To be fair I could have said something but I'm not great at confrontation, especially with neighbours you then have to live next door to, so I've just tried to ignore it all.
I've just been out there again and it would definitely be too much to have one large L shaped pergola, so I think I'm going to stick to a pergola running the length of the house (like yours Doghouse) and stick to trees, shrubs and trellis along the right hand side (and just accept it's going to take time for them to mature).
However I have also discovered that underneath my decking is the remains of a broken patio from what looks like the 1950s so I suspect I won't be able to plant anything down there to grow up the pergola, which has led me to wondering if I should use this opportunity to remove the decking and get a patio laid at the same time as the pergola. The costs are stacking up But I'm a bit worried about building the pergola first and then having difficulty ripping the decking up and installing a patio at a later date (which will definitely be needed in the not-too-distant future)
Flags loose laid on a hardcore base, this is quite popular and probably the least expensive, (like the one over our former koi pool). But you'd have to think about the bases for your pergola posts. A contractor could advise you.
Ours is on a concrete raft, expensive, but at the time "I knew a man in concrete."
I was undecided about having a conservatory, it could be errected straight on top of the patio, still could, if we chose, but we won't.
You don't want to be doing things twice and you'll be thinking long term, so maybe in the future just the pergola over it would suffice and you might not need a trellis screen.
We got a water feature at our local garden centre about 3 years ago which consists of about half a dozen small waterfalls. Sound is lovely. It isn't plastic and I nearly have hernia whenever I have to move it.
Oh I love some of those privacy screens! Again not something I would have visualised myself but they look fab. I think I agree on the patio first - it would be a nightmare to have to pull the pergola down and do it all again, and it's not like I'm fond of the decking (it is really very manky underneath the coat).
Here's a very rough initial drawing (I can't figure out how to rotate it!). C = Compost bin, G = Greenhouse, R = raised bed (I am really keen to get some proper veg growing next year). I'm wondering if I might consider putting the raised beds on the bottom lawn area instead as I don't really use that area, but I don't need to decide that now i guess. The rectangles are windows on the pergola area and the other rectangle is a step that I would need on the patio as there's a step down from the side passage to the house.
I'm quite keen on japanese privet with the crowns raised for the trees visually but need advice on how close to the house I can plant them and also if I can successfully underplant them (or if not, how much wider I would need to extend my beds in order to get some shrubs and perennials in next to them).
I know I've said this already but I really do appreciate all your help and guidance, it really has helped very much, especially as I'm on my own and not very well versed in this!
We got a water feature at our local garden centre about 3 years ago which consists of about half a dozen small waterfalls. Sound is lovely. It isn't plastic and I nearly have hernia whenever I have to move it.
Tell me about it!
I only had to move it once, when I installed mine, on my own.
Oh I love some of those privacy screens! Again not something I would have visualised myself but they look fab. I think I agree on the patio first - it would be a nightmare to have to pull the pergola down and do it all again, and it's not like I'm fond of the decking (it is really very manky underneath the coat).
Here's a very rough initial drawing (I can't figure out how to rotate it!). C = Compost bin, G = Greenhouse, R = raised bed (I am really keen to get some proper veg growing next year). I'm wondering if I might consider putting the raised beds on the bottom lawn area instead as I don't really use that area, but I don't need to decide that now i guess. The rectangles are windows on the pergola area and the other rectangle is a step that I would need on the patio as there's a step down from the side passage to the house.
I'm quite keen on japanese privet with the crowns raised for the trees visually but need advice on how close to the house I can plant them and also if I can successfully underplant them (or if not, how much wider I would need to extend my beds in order to get some shrubs and perennials in next to them).
I know I've said this already but I really do appreciate all your help and guidance, it really has helped very much, especially as I'm on my own and not very well versed in this!
You'd certainly be able to underplant them, and you wouldn't need to worry about them being too near the house - what location and what distance would you be putting them in? Simple screens can be exactly that - very simple. Mine is just posts concreted in, with horizontals top and bottom and roofing battens attached. Even without plants, they provide privacy, and it's inexpensive
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
A piece of rope attached to the wind chimes would also be good on the days there's no wind
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Fairygirl I have also had to block him on social media because of inappropriate comments!
I've just been out there again and it would definitely be too much to have one large L shaped pergola, so I think I'm going to stick to a pergola running the length of the house (like yours Doghouse) and stick to trees, shrubs and trellis along the right hand side (and just accept it's going to take time for them to mature).
However I have also discovered that underneath my decking is the remains of a broken patio from what looks like the 1950s so I suspect I won't be able to plant anything down there to grow up the pergola, which has led me to wondering if I should use this opportunity to remove the decking and get a patio laid at the same time as the pergola. The costs are stacking up
Here's a very rough initial drawing (I can't figure out how to rotate it!). C = Compost bin, G = Greenhouse, R = raised bed (I am really keen to get some proper veg growing next year). I'm wondering if I might consider putting the raised beds on the bottom lawn area instead as I don't really use that area, but I don't need to decide that now i guess. The rectangles are windows on the pergola area and the other rectangle is a step that I would need on the patio as there's a step down from the side passage to the house.
I'm quite keen on japanese privet with the crowns raised for the trees visually but need advice on how close to the house I can plant them and also if I can successfully underplant them (or if not, how much wider I would need to extend my beds in order to get some shrubs and perennials in next to them).
I know I've said this already but I really do appreciate all your help and guidance, it really has helped very much, especially as I'm on my own and not very well versed in this!
Simple screens can be exactly that - very simple. Mine is just posts concreted in, with horizontals top and bottom and roofing battens attached. Even without plants, they provide privacy, and it's inexpensive
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...