Format shapeSteve Rice, Blooming Good Gardens produces eco-aware designs

Blooming Good Gardens    Garden Design & Consultancy

Custom Design for Perfect Outdoor Living
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The Rain Garden
Rain cups replace downpipes to capture rainwater in a rain garden, thus preventing run-off into stormwater drains

Rain cups replace a downpipe to capture rainwater from a house guttering, turning it into an interesting feature.  Directing the rainwater along a rill into a planted “rain garden” allows it to soak back into the ground instead of overloading storm-water drains.

 

Steve says: “You may not know about changes in planning regulations, which mean that anyone paving more than five square metres of front garden has to do so in a way that prevents rainwater running off onto the highway and, therefore, into the storm water drains.  Estate and property developers now have to give consideration to rainwater management, including using SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems) to minimise the effects of rainwater during heavy downpours.”
Bee on a California poppy in a garden designed by Steve Rice, Blooming Good Gardens

Suitable planting to encourage insects and other wildlife into the garden
Use of recycled decking materials in a garden designed by Steve Rice, Blooming Good Gardens

Use of more eco-friendly sustainable materials
Butterfly on flower photo by Steve Rice, Blooming Good Gardens

Recent topics include:

 

· Knobbly veg.

· Making a bug hotel

· Japanese Garden, Van Nuys

· The Getty Centre Garden

· Designing a small garden

· Renderworks

· Concrete Jungle

· Birds in the garden

· Blashford Lakes

· Rain garden success

· Sport Relief

· iPhone apps