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Testimonials
Trina provides an inspiring and comprehensive service, from the first tentative client idea to completion. She discussed our thoughts about re-landscaping with us and, whilst it was clear that our ideas were always the bottom line, Trina made suggestions which enhanced the project.We are absolutely delighted with our garden transformation, the work was done promptly at the agreed time and to the agreed specification. I have no hesitation in recommending Katrina Tolliday Garden Design and her team."
Jill Jackson
"Katrina is a mine of information and ideas. Her knowledge and experience is so diverse, she is able to offer various options and choices to enhance any environment. Her help was very much appreciated at Doughty's".
"Trina has given us excellent advice and service on the redesign of our garden. She produced very detailed and helpful plans and generated great ideas. We have implemented part of the project and we are fully intending to complete the rest soon."
C.G High Easter
"Katrina's gardens smile!"
Isabella, Gt Notley
"Katrina Tolliday has kept our large and somewhat unruly garden in pleasing order for over eight years. She has a good eye for balance and colour. Her practical skills in pruning and planting has brought many approving comments from visitors to our annual Open Gardens event and gives us much visual pleasure throughout the year."
Philip Parry, Chatham Green
"I have been using Katrina Tolliday Garden Design for the last 5 years. She initially designed our garden making it low maintenance after discussing our needs and requirements. We were thrilled with the results and our garden has now matured and looks fantastic. Recently after some building work was completed, Trina's team ‘Garden Fusion Ltd’ came and tidied up after the builders and re- gravelled the drive. They are always on-time, polite and make sure they leave everything tidy when they go."
Susan Martin, Howe Street
Latest news
January 2012
HAPPY NEW YEAR AND WELCOME!!
It is with great pleasure that we announce the launch of our new venture
THE TOTAL GARDENING COMPANY LTD!!
Katrina Tolliday Garden Design together with Garden Fusion Ltd have been working together on projects through our own prospective company's over the past 5 years and have identified that there is a great desire for clients to have their gardens maintained.
With that in mind, THE TOTAL GARDENING COMPANY LTD has been created to specialise in garden maintenance across central Essex.
Please visit our new site www.thetotalgardeningcompany.co.uk
Be rest assured that Katrina Tolliday Garden Design and Garden Fusion remain to trade as normal!
26th September 2011
ARTICLE WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED IN 'YOUR VILLAGE VOICE' SEPTEMBER 2011
YOUR GARDEN IN LATE SUMMER – KEY TASKS
September weather can often still be warm – making watering and deadheading essential to extend the annual colour in your garden.
Overhaul borders, dividing old perennials. Most herbaceous plants thrive on being lifted, split up and re-planted every 3-5 years. They may have outgrown their allotted space, or have an ugly bald patch in the centre of the clump with all the young growth on the outside.
Planting new perennials. Traditionally early autumn is the time for new herbaceous plants to go in as the ground is still warm ensuring roots get a chance to get established. Plant three or five plants in a group to join up quickly and make large clumps. Revive as large an area of soil as you can; work in well rotted manure or garden compost and new plants would benefit from a little organic manure fertiliser. After planting, even if the soil is wet, water the plants in to give them a good start and to settle the soil around the roots.
Collect and sow ripe seeds. Collecting seeds is the cheapest way to produce hundreds of extra plants. (And great fun!) Choose a dry day, cut the head into a paper bag and label clearly, leave to dry completely and then separate seed from pods removing any chaff. Seeds can be sown straight away or in the following spring.
Planting Spring bulbs. Theres a whole range of bulbs on offer now that are almost guaranteed to provide a bright cheery show for next spring. The ones to start with are daffodils and as a general rule, get all bulbs in so they are covered with 2-3 times their own depth in soil.
Don,t forget the summer flowering bulbs which can planted now which include Camassia, Allium and Galtonia to name but a few.
‘Autumn Blitz!’ If your garden needs an Autumn Blitz to include a border overhaul – please call for further details!
Contact Katrina Tolliday on 01245 360133 www.kjtgardens.com
E-mail: info@kjtgardens.com
25th May 2011
CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW - We are off to Chelsea tomorrow - can,t wait!
25th May 2011
ARTICLE WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED IN 'YOUR VILLAGE VOICE' MAY 2011
by Katrina Tolliday
WILDLIFE GARDENING
The next few months are for me and I am sure for many gardeners, when our gardens look their best. The reason is obviously because the threat of frost decreases, the days are becoming longer and warmer and the plants seem to sense this as they really go for it! Also, it’s the time of year when gardening and creating conditions for wildlife to breed go hand in hand.
Why Garden for Wildlife
There are many good reasons to garden for wildlife. You will:
- attract more birds, butterflies and other fascinating creatures
- add extra interest and pleasure to your surroundings.
- help wildlife to survive in your garden – when it often struggles to thrive elsewhere.
All the rules of wildlife gardening are fairly simple and can be summarized in two bits of advice to bring the biggest range of wildlife into your garden:
1. Try to mimic the natural habitats that would have once existed as wild countryside as the closer you can achieve this the more wildlife there is ready to easily move in
2. All living things occupy a specific set of environmental conditions. The more variety you can create in your garden, the more creatures you will attract as you will be creating lots of ‘niches’.
The idea is then to design your ‘natural mosaic’ so that you have an attractive and workable garden. It is likely that
you will not be managing your whole garden exclusively for wildlife: your garden is probably as much a place for you
to relax or a place for your kids to play, you may want to still grow some exotic plants, have herbaceous borders or
you may be using your garden to grow vegetables.
A wildlife garden doesn’t have to be an overgrown, unkempt garden - far from it. Nor does it have to be large – a great wildlife garden can even be created in a window box. What wildlife gardening does do, however, is give you a different perspective; no longer do you garden just for the way things look, you also enjoy things for their wildlife value.
Gardens Designed & Constructed
Contact Katrina Tolliday on 01245 360133 www.kjtgardens.com
E-mail: info@kjtgardens.com
15TH April 2011
PLANTING A SPRING GARDEN
by Katrina Tolliday
Flowering bulbs and fragrant blossoms now fill gardens with a sense of promise for warmer days ahead. With a little thought and planning, you can create a colourful and vibrant display to brighten any dull day, whether you have a large border or a planter outside your back door.
Putting plants together is at the heart of all gardening, what ever your style and taste, your plantings will paint a picture and create a story. Each element in your painting plays a vital role, but will come into its own when combined along side its neighbour. The only rules are that the plants you choose should love the conditions you are giving them and will enjoy growing together.
There are a wide variety of Spring plants available to gardeners in the UK, but here are a few of my favourites – both for my garden and for the planting schemes I design for our clients:
Try ‘stitching’ together richly coloured shrubs such as the red stemmed dogwood Cornus alba ‘Siberica’ with marbled green leaves of Arum italicum and bright golden clumps of Narcissus ‘February’. These plants require humus rich soil in sun or partial shade and give a fantastic display not forgetting to prune the stems of the dogwood to the ground in March so that new stems for next spring are bright red in colour.
In Spring, daffodils and tulips are all important, but more unusual bulbs such as Snakeshead fritillary look good alongside small-growing narcissus, as well as companions scillas and muscari. Smaller primulas, such as cowslips and oxslips complement in size and colour too. Star like blooms of chinodoxa can light up any garden. Try planting bulbs amongst herbaceous plants in colonies and swathes rather than in traditional squares and circles. In this way, the bright blobs of colour that recur throughout the border take your eye in zig-zags and encompass the whole arrangement in the process. Perennials that bloom early with fresh colourful foliage, such as peony and euphorbia can be combined with the colours of flowering bulbs, creating drifts of colour at ground level.
As much as I like all the blaze of colour at ground level, I can’t wait for the trees that make the structure of most great gardens come alive. There is nothing better than the sight of a Japanese flowering cherry and if space is tight for you, try planting Prunus ‘Amanogawa’, a compact often multi-stemmed tree with large, fragrant, semi-double pale pink blossom that cover the branches in late Spring.
If you would like to enjoy your garden more, see how Katrina Tolliday Garden Design can help.
Gardens Designed & Constructed
Contact Katrina Tolliday on 01245 360133 www.kjtgardens.com
E-mail: info@kjtgardens.com
21st January 2011-
2010 has been a busy and successful year for us all at Katrina Tolliday Garden Design, we would like to thank all our clients that have supported us through out the last year. Please take a few minutes to have a look at our up-dated Portfolio to view some of our latest projects.
Please click on ‘Services’ for further details!
Services
Because each and every garden design project is unique and every customer has different needs, tastes and lifestyles, Katrina Tolliday is committed to complete flexibility with the services provided, and to working closely with you to produce something completely bespoke that works in every way.
Each service can be provided as a standalone, or combined with other services to cover a larger project.
Garden Design Service
The Katrina Tolliday Garden Design service can be broken down into three main stages:
Starts with a visit to your garden to discuss your aspirations, practical needs and desired style.
We’ll gather the information we need to produce a design that matches your lifestyle, personality and budget.
You’ll have the chance to see examples of our previous work.
We’ll go away and put together a quotation for your bespoke garden design project which will be sent to you a few days later for consideration. There’s no obligation.
If you are based more than 15 miles outside Chelmsford there will be a nominal charge for our initial visit; however, if you decide to go ahead with the project, this will be credited on your final invoice.
If you decide to go ahead with our quotation, we’ll proceed to Stage 2
{/slide}{slide=Stage 2: Survey & Proposal}
We’ll arrange for a site survey to determine your garden’s boundaries, buildings, features and measurements.
Photographs will be taken of your existing garden.
Any existing features or plants you wish to stay will be carefully noted.
To-scale sketch proposals of the garden layout will be drawn up based on survey information and personal feedback.
Planting style indication is presented for discussion.
Any amendments will be taken on board and incorporated to ensure the design meets your requirements perfectly.
{slide=Stage 3: Colour Presentation Plan}
Final garden design is presented identifying key structural planting.
This is a detailed plan that illustrates and specifies the particulars of the design, including recommendations for paving and features.
Our final discussion on the finer detail before work begins!
Fees
{slide=How much should I budget for design fees and build costs?}
The first introductory visit is free to clients within 15 miles radius of the office in Chelmsford. Beyond 15 miles there is a charge to cover travel time and expenses.
It is difficult to provide exact costs as each design is a unique response to your requirements. However, as a rough guide, you should allow a budget of between £500 - £900 to prepare a final Presentation Plan for an average sized town garden in the Chelmsford area - excluding Survey costs.
Planting plans are charged between £200 - £450 depending on the complexity, size and style of the design.
All charges are subject to a written quotation and client's written acceptance.
{/slide}{slide=Build costs}
The typical build cost for a town garden is in the region of £8,000 - £20,000 depending on the size, proportion of hard landscaping and quality of products specified. The costs can be compared with that of employing general builders taking into account the daily labour rate, hire costs for equipments and materials.
Fees for supervising and monitoring the build of your garden are based on an hourly rate.
If you have any further questions about costs for your new garden, please contact us.
{/slide}Optional Extras
As part of your garden design project, there are many other things we can do as optional extras. These can be incorporated within the initial quotation, you can purchase them separately as standalone services, or we can add them onto your project as it progresses and if the need arises
Planting brings a garden design to life and works to create a particular mood or ambiance.
We’ll use our horticultural expertise to create a unique planting design that is perfectly suited to your garden design and style.
We’ll create a scaled, detailed Planting Plan to show the spacing and quantity of the recommended species of plant and where it will be placed.
The plan will be created according to the specific site, soil, aspect, style and seasonal requirements and to match your garden design.
Your Planting Plan can be used as part of your garden design project, or you can use it to carry out your own planting, or you could even give a Planting Plan as a cherished gift.
{slide=Planting}
Once you have your Planting Plan, you may continue yourself to complete your garden utilising our suggestions. Alternatively, you can leave the planting to us. If you do:
We’ll arrange, source and plant everything according to the agreed plan.
You can rest assured that all plants and trees are sourced from the highest quality stock and only purchased from carefully selected nurseries.
{slide=Garden Landscape and Build}
If you would rather not put your garden project out to tender, Katrina Tolliday Garden Design can help you find a suitable contractor; one that is professional and experienced and who we believe has the skills to construct your garden to the highest standards. For further details, please contact us.
For your peace of mind, Katrina Tolliday Garden Design can also supervise and monitor the project for you, taking away the worry of whether the plans you agreed will be realised in the final design. Not only will we make sure the plans are being strictly adhered to, we will also thoroughly check the quality of materials and workmanship to ensure they meet our exacting standards.
If you lead a busy life, or if you just want to hand this aspect over to someone you can trust, you will find this service invaluable.{/slide}
{slide=Garden Maintenance}
Because your garden is an investment that needs to be looked after so that it provides many years of pleasure, a maintenance programme is often a good idea.
At Katrina Tolliday Garden Design we specialise in forming long term relationships with our customers and garden maintenance is one service that proves very popular.
We’ll produce a simple schedule that you can work on yourself to help maintain your garden and keep it looking beautiful.
Or, we’ll put a schedule together and recommend trusted gardeners that will do the work for you
{slide=Stand Alone Garden Design Consultancy }
Sometimes you might just want some professional advice on your garden design so that you are best advised to go ahead and make the most of your outdoor haven.
If you would like professional design advice from an experienced garden designer, book a consultation visit.
We’ll talk through your ideas and you’ll gain valuable professional advice on how your garden could be improved.
You’ll receive planting suggestions and advice on future maintenance.
The consultation will last up to 2 hours and will be charged at £75 providing you are located within the Chelmsford area.
{slide=Gardening Gifts}
Plans as Presents is the new gift range for the aspiring gardener from Katrina Tolliday Garden Design.
A birthday, an anniversary or any other cherished occasion calls for a special gift that says it all, and a Planting Plan does just that.
A Planting Plan is a unique gift that is completely bespoke to the recipient. A great deal of time and effort is put into creating each plan so that it becomes two things: an investment in the future of a beautiful garden, and a wonderful keepsake.
Beautifully drawn and presented, a Katrina Tolliday Garden Design Planting Plan will always be that special gift that really does touch the heart and strike a unique chord.
For more information about our Planting Plans as Presents and to discuss your ideas and needs, please contact us for an informal chat.
Links
Below is a list of prefered contacts that you may find useful:
Writtle College
RHS
Garden Fusion Ltd
The Total Gardening Company Ltd
Contact
If you would like to discuss how we could help you improve your garden, please phone for an informal chat on the number below.
Tel: 07950 512797 or 01245 360133
Katrina Tolliday Garden DesignThe Willows
2, Broad's Green
Great Waltham
Chelmsford
Essex CM3 1DR
