Why Use Wizard New Build & Self Build Houses

Gardens for new and self build houses usually present special problems and need special solutions.

• Soil Conditions – Unless you are lucky your newly laid turf will hide a multitude of sins, and areas designated for borders won’t support healthy plants.
• Builders heavy equipment could have compacted the site.
• Top soil is often moved (or removed!)
• Unused materials disposed of on the site.
• Care is not taken of the future garden area. This is not just negligence its just not a builders ‘thing’. All energies and expertise are put into the house itself.
• Garden areas are often created in badly draining situations.
• Designing the Garden is difficult for the ordinary gardener when confronted with a totally bare site which is often:
• Strangely shaped.
• Steeply sloping.
• Badly overlooked.
• Devoid of any good views.
• Has no existing good visual points, trees, shrubs, nice outbuildings etc.

There is nothing to "hang" a design on.



• Developers Planting Schemes – thankfully are normally confined to the fronts of houses. However if you have planting in the proposed garden area:
• It will not have been done with the future in mind but to ‘dress up’ the house for sale.
• Normally planted for maximum instant visual impact which means they are planted too close together and will quite soon become a jungle.
• Choice of plants is not always professionally thought through. Selections are often more appropriate to a petrol station forecourt than a domestic residence!
• Self Build Houses – As you are in charge of the project you can make sure none of the above occurs.
• You have the opportunity, whilst digger etc. is on site, to reshape your garden structure – digging out patio foundations, creating a pond etc.
• You could consider things that can’t be done later e.g.
• Installing a proper drainage system for badly draining land.
• Running your rainwater into a pond.
• Irrigation.
• Lighting.

We have experienced every conceivable problem that can be found in the garden areas of new build houses.
Our designs have been able to incorporate solutions to these problems however bad they first appeared.

And Click To See:

Our Gallery of Completed Projects

FAQ's
Q. So if we’ve got all these things wrong with our garden what do we do? Move!
A. Not at all. There is always a way that a pretty garden can be created even given the worst scenario.

The following two photos are of a barn conversion.

New courtyard garden for a barn conversion - before.

New courtyard garden for a barn conversion - after.

The main problems were:

• The client wanted a large ornamental pond but all the services, gas – water – electricity went right through the middle of the plot making digging the pond an exciting proposition.
• We got over this by having a pond at two levels. A larger deeper half on one side of the services and a smaller lower half on the other side.
• The two halves were joined by a waterfall situated right over the services and a pump circulated the water back to the upper level.
• The area itself had previously been a farm yard whose surface had been a compacted layer of chalk. The developers had just put a meagre depth of soil on top.
• The soil was scraped to one side.
• The chalk pan was broken up and used as a base for shingle areas.
• The soil was repositioned for the new planting beds, so doubling the original depth available. This, together with the removal of the chalk pan, meant the plants would thrive.
• The 'courtyard' garden was badly overlooked on two sides.
• Overhead woodwork was put up to act as a pergola for climbers and to give a shaded seating area in a very hot corner.
• It also, together with a group of Eucalyptus Niphophilia, gives good privacy from the neighbours.

All the original faults were used to advantage to give a beautiful and usable garden.

FAQ's
Q. I've got enough on my plate with the building. Why should I worry about the garden now?
A. If you have a design you like you will save yourself a lot of hassle and cash if you plan ahead.