Upgraded GTech Air Ram Mk2 now available

The Powerful GTech Air Ram has been upgraded to the mark 2 version, which is great news for you…because it’s the same price as the original!

Before we dive into the details, here’s an exclusive discount code

You MUST apply code GK456 at checkout BEFORE you purchase

Here’s a quick video showing you what the AirRam can do

Note: The GTech AirRam K9 is a more powerful and robust version of this Air Ram MK 2 and only slightly more expensive, so check out that review too.

Learn more at GTech

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Here are some of the key features of this cordless vacuum:

Top Tip: GTech are currently offering a 100% money back guarantee if you buy direct from them.

Meaning no risk to you if you don’t like their product. I recommend going direct, rather than through a re-seller.

How it Works

The new GTech 2 AirRam loses the power cord without losing the power!

That’s the strap-line, anyway…

It delivers the same power as most upright hoovers, around 100 watts. So it packs plenty of power.

The first version was released in 2016. In 2017 it was upgraded to deliver improved suction to pick-up stubborn pet hairs on your carpet and trodden in dirt.

2020 Update: This best selling Air Ram vacuum is still going strong. It lasts, too, with up to 40 minutes of use from a single 4 hour charge.

Leave it charging when not in use and it’s ready to use whenever you need it, hassle and cord free. With a handle that lowers down to the floor you can get in under the sofa, chairs and table without a problem.

If you love vacuuming, you’ll love GTech…As they say, and I’d agree!

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New Features on the MK2…

The new AirLOC technology system ensures larger objects are collected. The original AirRam had problems picking up larger debris, but it has been enhanced with this new system.

Easy, bagless vacuuming with the dirt being compressed into the tubular shaped waste collection unit. To empty, simply slide the rubbish into the bin using the ejector arm. Super easy and clean.

High Performance & Power

Effective on carpet and hard floor. Edge cleaning technology for corner cleaning. Ideal for lifting embedded pet hair from the carpet.

The waste collection “bin” is 0.8 litres, which doesn’t sound like a lot but it’ll last a few goes around the house and it’s really easy to empty.

Lightweight & Maneuverable

Easy to carry up stairs, just 3.5kg. No settings to change between carpet and hard floors. Moves effortlessly with rotating steering.

2020 Update: It has now been made lighter, weighing just 3.2kg instead of the original 3.5kg. Even better for those who want a lightweight vacuum.

It folds down, too, with the handle detaching from the unit and top handle sliding inside the bottom part for easy storage.

Built to Last

Comes with a 2 year guarantee. If anything does go wrong they will provide a fix or replacement. Their customer service is 1st class from my experience.

What Users Say

Customers young and old love how light and easy to use this Air Ram vacuum cleaner is. Without the power cord, many find they spend less time doing the vacuuming.

They love how effective it is at picking up dog hair and that the rubbish is compressed and easy to dispose of. Don’t take my word for it read the reviews of the AirRam yourself:

Like what you’ve heard? Check out the details on the GTech site.

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What’s in the box…?

1. Vacuum head
2. Upper Handle
3. Lower Handle
4. Battery
5. Charger
6. Bin
7. Filter
8. Brush Bar hole plug

Filter and bin are already in place

Is it Right for you?

A convenient way to breeze the vacuuming jobs around your home. The GTech Air Ram hoover is fast, efficient, effective and easy to use. Go from hard floor to carpet and back again, no problems.

If you’re after a lightweight vacuum for an elderly person this is a great option. The only downside is that it doesn’t have any extra attachments.

G Tech Air Ram MK2 Best Price

Update: If you’re after a multi-purpose vacuum, which is a handheld and an upright, the new Power Floor from GTech might just be what you’re after. Check out my new review of it.

I’d recommend buying direct. GTech will handle any issues, they’re an established, well trusted British company. Don’t take my word for it, check out the reviews on their site.

FREE delivery | 2 year warranty | 30 day refund/exchange promise….

That’s what I call a certified risk free purchase!

The answer to that question can be very hard to answer…From his skinny jeans, to his red flannel shirts and his perfectly groomed hair and beard, the lumbersexual is a hip male that has transcended beyond his former type: the metrosexual.

The lumbersexual is always a very handsome, muscular figure who portrays a “get your hands dirty” type of gentleman that has been plucked straight from the Alaskan bush.

However, he would rather drink craft beers, £4 lattes and never be found without the latest and greatest technology – from the iPhone to the electric car.

This gentleman is truly an enigma…

So if you stepped into a lumbersexual’s garden, how would his lawn look and what would he be doing?

Check out the info-graphic below from GreenPal to take you through a casual Saturday as the lumbersexual performs his lawn care duties.

Credit: GreenPal

There’s even a handy PDF version that you can print out and fill in

Download the PDF

Download the PDF

Here is a summary of what’s included:

SECTION I – BEFORE YOU START

I know you came here looking for an answer. And in this ultimate guide you will find many.

However…The ultimate garden is subjective.

What YOU think is amazing someone else might think is awful. So I would ask that you keep an open mind and get creative.

Think: What does your garden mean for you and what do you want to use it for?

Having said that…

There are some proven ways to make sure you get your garden design right for YOU. In this ultimate guide to garden design I will lay out exactly how you can do it, starting today.

So buckle up, get your notepad out and get ready to create an amazing garden. Big or small, short or tall, these tips, tricks and hacks apply to all…

5 CRITICAL QUESTIONS

Let’s get the essential parts out of the way first. These are critical, as it will influence how and where you go from here on in.

Answer honestly and write them down. Bet you thought I was joking when I said to get your notepad out…I’m no joker!

Q1: What is your budget for the project? To keep costs down you can use a lot of up-cycled (from this section) and recycled items, do more of the work yourself and use the DIY tutorials included in this guide to make your garden look quirky and unique.

Q2: Are you prepared to do some work yourself? This will take a lot of time, so do you honestly have time to commit to it? How many hours per week? Be realistic. Getting a tradesman in may cost around £20-£30 per hour. Check out details here.

Q3: How easy to maintain does the garden have to be? Are you prepared to spend 2-3 hours a week maintaining your garden? Or pay someone to do it? If you’re looking for low maintenance, keep that in mind when choosing design ideas.

Lots of bedding areas with special plants may look good in the beginning but will soon require much work to keep looking good. Check out some London garden maintenance services.

Q4: Do you want some unique, DIY pieces in your garden or all shop bought? If you want a unique look you can create more DIY pieces, but it will take a lot of time and requires tools.

Shop bought will be quicker, easier and more professional but less unique and will probably cost a bit more. Or you can find a unique garden gift online.

Q5: What style do you want? This is key in deciding how you want the garden to look so that all the items you buy and make go together nicely.

If you want a country garden style, it’s unlikely that some modern, tiled and shiny items are going to be a good fit.

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All of the below will be covered in more detail in later sections. These are just to get you thinking.

GARDEN USAGE

Think about how your garden is going to be used. For family days, having friends over, just for show or to play football with the kids?

There might not be a single answer, but what you use it for most should be considered in your design decisions.

Pathways and the flow of the garden are important points to consider for usage. For example, if you have a large flower bed you might want a few stepping stones to allow access to the middle without stepping in the mud all the time.

CHILDREN & PETS

Both children and pets will probably want some grassy areas to play in. If those areas are surrounded by delicate plants, prepare yourself for some re-planting and broken flowers. Ideally keep the two separated so you can rest easy without worrying things will get broken.

GARDEN VIEWS

There are multiple angles that you need to consider. In the UK, you will probably spend a lot of time looking at your garden from inside your home. How do you want it to look from each room in your home? From upstairs and downstairs.

Putting a large water feature which blocks your view from the living room might not be what you want. Keep this in mind when planning where to put objects and plants.

PLANT GROWTH & LIKES

Many plants, bushes and trees that you use will require room to grow. Ensure you factor some room to grow into your planting plan.

Choose the areas that are most suitable for the type of plant you are using. For example, some plants like shade so make sure you accommodate them properly. More on this later in the plant shade info graphic.

SOIL TYPES

Only looking at the superficial aspects of your garden and neglecting the fundamentals such as soil types will lead to a poor garden. Make sure you take the time to discover what type of soil you have.

What is the pH level of your soil, for example?

And what kind of plants like that soil type? You can get a soil testing kit from your local garden centre or online from Amazon, here.

Note: If you buy a cheap soil tester they’re not always the most accurate. You get what you pay for so it’s worth investing a little more to make sure it’s right.

This is just a summary. There is a lot more information in the plants section below.

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MAP YOUR TERRITORY

In order to get an understanding of how your garden is going to look, you’ll need to get those creative ideas in your head down on paper. There are three reasons for doing this:

1. What you think is good might not work out quite so well when sketched out
2. It will help you to see how it will all fit together properly in your garden space
3. You can use the sketch to show others what you mean – a picture says a thousand words

Pro Tip: Draw it to scale. Basically, go and measure your garden. Let’s say that it’s 10m long and 5m wide. You can draw a rectangle of 50cm x 25cm on paper and that will be a 20:1 scale.

Now, anything you draw into your sketch should also be 20 times smaller. So a 1m long flower bed becomes 5cm on paper (1m = 100cm. Divide that by 20 to get 5cm).

The reason for doing it this way is so you can work out exactly how much space items will take up without guessing.

All permanent items you purchase, such as paving slabs, archways, benches, sheds, etc can all be measured up and therefore added to your design to scale.

Bonus: If you would prefer to use computer software to draw your garden and really see how it will look, you have a couple of options:

1. Free software
2. Paid software

BEST FREE GARDEN DESIGN SOFTWARE

There are lots of free garden design software solutions out there. Some are always free, some have limited time trials. Usually the free trial ones are better because after the trial it’s a paid for service.

However, if you intend to only use it once then a free trial is all you need. Just make sure you have everything ready before you sign-up and remember to cancel…

There is a helpful summary of all the most popular garden design software solutions here.

COLOURFUL SEASONS

Living in the UK has its benefits…For one, we get a full 4 seasons. Which is great because it gives 4 very distinct looks to your garden.

Autumn is famous for the colourful red, browns and orange leaves you see on the trees. You can easily create this look in your garden with the right selection of small trees and bushes.

Taking advantage of the seasons in your garden means that you will be able to appreciate it all year round. Trees that shed their leaves, deciduous varieties, can add a lot of character to your garden.

Even when the leaves are on the ground they can add to the look and charm of the place. And the kids will love to play around in them.

Think about how your garden will look in each season depending on what you plant in it.

I love the idea behind Edible landscape design. It’s basically where you create an edible garden so you are self sufficient. There are some great ideas on their site about how to create a beautiful, year round garden.

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SECTION II – PLANNING

Before putting shovel to dirt, make sure that you know where the dirt is going. The first thing you want to know is what kind of style you want to go for. Below are some examples.

“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” – Benjamin Franklin

GARDEN STYLES

Select one of the tabs below which best reflects the type of garden you wish to create for some inspiring ideas.

[tabby title=”Small”]

This is an excellent example of how a small space can be maximised. It looks very unique, contains plants, small trees, seating, a lawn area, lighting and a patio. Everything you would expect in a large garden.

[tabby title=”Urban”]

An urban garden is quite often going to be full of concrete, small and oddly shaped. But that’s not excuse to not add some plant life to it. Take this inspiring example from the Po Campo blog.

[tabby title=”Country”]

A country garden is usually associated with lots of space and brightly coloured flowers that seem to overflow onto pathways and plants climb the house. You’ll need a large space and a lot of time for maintenance to keep it looking good.

This is a great example of how it could look.

[tabby title=”Contemporary”]

A modern, contemporary garden design is based in the present. The look can vary a lot, but usually it would have higher spec features, include some kind of technology and be a place for social events so accommodate people well.

[tabbyending]

If you are still unsure what style to go for. You can mix them up a little if needed. Just think back to the 5 Critical Questions section and make sure your choices fit with your requirements.

You can use Pinterest to get some more inspirational ideas, so that’s what we’ll do next.

GET PIN-SPIRED

Now is the more interesting part. Getting some inspirational ideas from other places. It could be anwhere, but Pinterest, Twitter, Google Images and Instagram will have more than enough ideas to get you going.

Simply search for garden related ideas. Here are some to try out:

“Quirky garden ideas”
“Best low maintenance plants”
“Unique garden water features”
“low cost garden lighting”

I wrote another post which contains 33 quirky garden ideas, plus a couple of bonus ones in there…Check that out too for more inspiration.

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BEST PLANNING RESOURCES

Here are some handy links to tools and resources that will help you with this section:

• Gardena garden design software
• Reviews of the best garden design software
• RHS Design Ideas
• Urban design ideas

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SECTION III – PLANTS

SOIL TYPE & SHADE

Soil type and sunlight are the two biggest factors affecting your plant choices. Another one is how much effort your are prepared to put in to maintaining them.

You don’t need to be an expert. That’s why there are garden centres and online forums. You need to do two things to ask the experts:

1. Test your soil to determine its pH level
2. Determine how shady the area is

Use this handy diagram below to determine the shade levels and buy a pH soil testing kit from Amazon.

INFO-GRAPHIC: PLANT SHADE REQUIREMENTS

Armed with this information you can do a lot of plant finding yourself, but if you are unsure ask an expert at a local garden centre.

Pro Tip: Keep it local. Native plants to the area are ideal plants to use in your garden. They thrive in your environment, they’ll be resilient to the climate and the insects and probably low maintenance.
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DIY INFO-GRAPHIC: BUILD THE ULTIMATE RAISED FLOWER BED

If you’re feeling brave, have a go at creating this raised flower bed. It would be a great edition to any garden and good fun to make.

Can also be seen here

DEVELOP YOUR SOIL

You can develop better soil before you plant anything. That way you will ensure you give the plants what they need and they will thrive. Perennial plants usually require a fairly neutral pH level, of around 6.5.

Even plants in fertile soil will have issues if the soil is too acidic or alkaline, this is because the nutrients are unable to be disovled and absored by the plants. A good compost will usually neutralise the soil pH levels.

Pro Tip: Do some research to learn about the types of plant that best suit your soil type, shade and rain levels and plan your garden around them.

Check out the info graphic below to show you how easy it is to create your own compost for your garden.

DIY INFO-GRAPHIC: HOW TO CREATE COMPOST

It really is that easy to do. Just buy one of these compost bins from Amazon, whichever one fits your style of garden, and you’ll have home made compost in no time at all.

Note: The ones which are raised off the ground are ideal for protecting wildlife.
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HOW TO WATER YOUR PLANTS

Watering your plants, shrubs or trees is a simple 3 step process. I call it the W.E.T test.

1. Wiggle – Use your finger or tool to get into the soil
2. Evaluate – See and feel the moisture
3. Treat – Water if necessary

Whether indoors or out, potted or planted free, the process is the same. Use the W.E.T test. See the handy guide below to how you perform it on different plants.

DIY INFO-GRAPHIC: THE W.E.T. TEST

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The Potted Plant

Potted plants are the easiest to test for moisture, but also require the most attention as they are more likely to vary between wet and dry very quickly.

Wiggle

• If in a pot, lift it up and feel the weight. Over time you will get to know what a dry and wet weight feels like. Once watered, lift again to know how it feels when freshly watered.
• Touch the soil to see if it’s dry. Wiggle your finger into the soil. How wet is it?
• Look at the underside of the pot, is it wet? Push your finger inside the drainage hole into the soil. How wet is it?

Evaluate

• Soil should be damp or moist.
• Too wet will result in root rot.
• Too dry your plant will die. It’s also plant dependent so make sure you Google how wet the plant likes it.

Treat

• Water slowly to the soil directly until the water runs out the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. Avoid spraying water all over the leaves unless the plant specifically likes it.
• Watering too quickly, especially onto dry, hard soil, will result in the water not being absorbed to the roots and therefore still being dry where it matters.

The Garden Plant

Garden plants will fluctuate less in terms of extreme wet and dry, however you still need to keep an eye on them. Especially if they are newer and have less of a strong hold in the soil.

Wiggle

• Use a spade to dig down into the soil about 6-12 inches

Evaluate

• Remove the spade to look and feel for any moisture on the blade.
• Is the soil moist and a little sticky or bone dry?

Treat

• If bone dry, start watering
• Use a hosepipe to very slowly water the area
• You can use a watering can but that might take a while

Pro Tip: Get a soil moisture tester. This will save you time, money, water wastage and ensure your plants are adequately watered. Quite often they come with a pH soil tester, but they’re not always the most accurate if cheap.

You can also get a water timers, that you add to your garden tap and it runs to a schedule. This one from Gardena looks like it’ll work well and gets good reviews.

Handy Hint: Get a rain gauge and never have to guess again. Remember to empty it out each day. This is a basic one from Amazon or you can go high tech and get this one.
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THE BEST GARDEN WATERING TECHNIQUES

Here are some DOs and DONTs when watering your plants.

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SECTION IV – FURNITURE & PATIO DESIGN

I think you’ll agree that maximising outdoor space is critical to succesful garden design. It allows you to have another living area in good weather.

You should aim to include your patio and garden furniture on your initial garden design sketch, as in Map your Territory.

TOP 5 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

#1 Sun

In the northern hemisphere you’ll most likely want to be south west facing to get the most sun. Seated areas might want shade and sun so people can still sit together and both types of people be satisfied.

Here is a great digramatically explained reason why you want to be South West facing and not just South facing. Credit to Sun Compass, who I would highly recommend checking out.

An umbrella or parasol here is ideal. If you have a parasol, you can purchase a parasol heater for those cooler nights. If not, I’d recommend one of these parasols.

#2 Practicality

BBQs placed away from windows or areas which will burn. Expect smoke to cover areas so not next to white walls. Gas supplied or traditional coal? If gas, where will the gas cannister be housed? Ideally tucked away somewhere it can’t be seen or make a feature of it.

#3 Maximise Space Use

Maximise the use of seating space in small areas. If you have a small garden area you need to maximise your use of it.

Going vertically rather than horizontally is one option. Chairs take up a lot of space, so why not sit on top of something? Build seats into wall tops, for example.

#4 Storage

Where will you store your garden furniture when winter comes? Do you want all year round furniture so you don’t have to store it away or some with cushions that need storage?

Take this beautifully designed, space saving and quirky idea for a wine table.

#5 Good Views

Make sure the views from your seating and patio areas are of what you want them to be. As in towards some nice landscape features and not towards a brick wall.

You might not be able to get the kind of view below, but it’s something to aspire to…

Source: Seattle Times

How will it all look from the house? Make sure that you don’t restrict views from your home by placing garden furniture in the way.
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PRACTICAL PATIO QUESTIONS

If you’re not careful your patio may turn into a patio from hell…You might think it’s just a case of laying down a few nicely cloured slabs, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Answer the following questions:

• What purpose is your patio for? E.G. To have dinner on with a BBQ in the summer
• How many people will be on it? E.G. Just two people, and sometimes 4
• If more people come, can they be close by? If you enclose your patio with brickwork or flower beds, people might feel left out and not be able to get in on the action
• What will be on the patio? Chairs and a table, a BBQ, a play area for the kids?

Does size matter?

The experts over at Alda Landscapes have this to say on the matter:

“As a rule of thumb, 3m x 3m is a sensible size for a typical patio with a table big enough for 4 or maybe even 6 people”

In fact, they have a great article on the subject of patio design so be sure to check that out.

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SECTION V – UPCYLCING

TRASH TALK

No, I’m not referring to the type that happens at the weigh-in of a boxing match. This is a new kind of trash talk with the same amount of buzz as a pre-fight press room.

Upcyling is one of the latest crazes to sweep across the globe. And rightly so, as it involves recycling and creating unique pieces of art. Making use of this in your garden can be a good thing if done right…

BENEFITS OF UP-CYCLING

Aside from the environmental and economic advantages of up cycling, I believe most people do it because of the unique and quirky final product they will get. You can check out my 33 quintessentially quirky blog post for some examples.

SMART UP-CYCLING

I was thinking about adding some ideas in here, but to be honest there are millions out there already…These awesomely actionable ones from Cube Smart are worth checking out.

But I couldn’t resist adding just 1 in here…I love these up-cycled shoe boxes. Unless you have OCD tendencies, you probably throw most of your shoe boxes away. Now you can legitimately keep and re-purpose them.

This info-graphic was inspired by the guys over at Creme de La Craft.

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SECTION VI – GARDEN LIGHTING

LESS LIGHT IS MORE

Lighting your garden at night gives you the best opportunity to showcase the bits you like and hide in the shadows the areas that are not so desirable.

With the right lighting, you can change the look and feel of your garden. Light reflects and creates long shadows, meaning your garden can be transformed into a new one at the touch of a button.

And you don’t need to use large, expensive and powerful bulbs. The use of solar powered and LED lights ensure low power, efficient energy usage.

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

LED lights can use as little as 1w per light and look stunning. You could easily selectively light up your garden for less than 50w in total.

WHY USE LEDs?

There are two mains reasons to use LEDs as your main light bulbs:

1. They last longer
2. They cost less to run

Check out this informative info-graphic below to see how much more costly traditional bulbs are compared to LEDs.

IDEAS AND INSPIRATION

I love the look of this garden design by John Cullen Lighting. It’s simple yet elegant and really accentuates the details on the tree branches.

LED Lighting by John Cullen Lighting

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SECTION VII – PATHWAYS

Pathways lead you somewhere, but that is not their only purpose. If it was, all pathways would be straight and the same style. A well designed path through your garden does much more than get you from A to B.

They can open up areas, divide regions, segment sections and provide a flow through your garden. They allow a visitor to admire the areas of your garden while en-route and act as a way for you to decide what route your visitors take.

3 PATHWAY COST CUTTING TIPS

#1 Get Involved

If skilled labour for laying the path is the expensive part, ask if you can do the majority of the preparation work for them so the labourer can just lay the path. This usually just requires marking and digging the pathway out.

#2 Upcycle

Up cycling is a big trend at the moment. You can use pretty much anything that would be thrown away and create something useful from it.

For your garden path, take a broken old pallet from any builders yard which you can get for free and use the slats to create a walkway.

Source: Funky Junk Interiors

#3 Mix n Match

If you’re worried about cost, one way to keep it down is to use mainly a cheaper material with the more expensive items dotted around for style. For example, a gravel path with paving slabs like below is cheaper than a full on paving slab path.
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TYPES AND STYLES

Traditionally you think of a pathway as stone slabs in the grass. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You could use gravel, for example:

Source: The Home Depot Blog

If you want an inexpensive way to build a path, gravel or mulch is a fantastic way to do it. Check out this handy guide on how to do it in less than 2 hours and on a budget, from Pretty Handy Girl.

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It goes to show that you don’t need to pay a lot of money to get a good looking path. With a little determination and being prepared to get your hands dirty, you can do it yourself.

Mulch and gravel pathways are easy to lay and don’t require and kind of solid foundation because the stones and chips move around.

Pro Tip: Dig down a few inches and use some larger stones underneath to create a well drained base, then cover it with liner to prevent weeds from growing through.

The handy info graphic I created below should help you with how to build a gravel pathway yourself.

DIY INFO-GRAPHIC: BUILD A GRAVEL PATHWAY

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SECTION VIII – SHEDS

PLANNING PERMISSION FOR SHEDS

Question: “Do I need planning permission for my shed?”

Answer: “Probably not, but in some cases you might…”

Explanation: The probably not part is because most sheds are not too large or too high. Height and size are the biggest restrictions most UK residents will face when planning their sheds.

Here is a summary of the type of shed you can build without planning permission:

• It’s in your back garden, not your front garden – it cannot be forwards of any wall that faces a road
• The shed is only used by those who live in the house
• The shed is a single storey in height and no more than 2.5 metres
• It’s not for living/sleeping in
• The structure is less than 15 square metres
• Any wooden shed should be at least 2 metres from your home
• The shed should not be within 2 metres of any boundary
• The roof of the shed is no more than 4 metres high in total if a dual pitched roof or 3 metres if any other type of roof
• The shed should not cover more than half the available land around the original building

Please note: that I am no expert. This is just a simplified version of the rules and my interpretation of them. Please get expert advice if you are unsure and read through the full documents which are available on the government website.

Although in most cases you will not need to get planning permission for your shed, I would still recommend speaking to your neighbours.

Pro Tip: Neighbourly disputes in the UK are quite common so letting them know what you are doing is polite and if they can see it from their garden or house it’ll help to keep them onside and not complain.
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LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Now the legalities are out of the way, the next question is “Where should I put my shed?”

Most people place them towards the end of the garden in the corner. This is good because they are out of the way and don’t take up too much space. Keep these points in mind:

• Is the ground level? The area will have to be leveled before building a shed
• Is it too close to any boundaries. Leave some room so you can paint and maintain the shed easily
• Will it be likely to get hit if winds and storms blow down branches from the trees. Probably not too much of a worry but it can happen. Ideally your trees should be well maintained to ensure there are no dangers of falling branches

CONSIDERATIONS FOR USE

Use of the shed – Are you going to use daily, as a work-space, or just for storage?

Access – based on frequency of use, if used more often it will need to be easy to access. Will there be a pathway or closer to the home? What will it be like getting to it in the wet, wintry month vs summer?

Power – do you need electricity in there for lighting or tools?

Insulation – if you sit in there in the winter it’ll need to be insulated.

Roof style – dual pitched, mono pitched or flat. Flat ones can have a water butt on there for collecting rain water to use for watering plants.

Add grass and small plants to the shed roof. This helps to keep the shed cool in summer and warm in winter.

Size and Space – use hanging brackets for bikes and shelves to maximise vertical space. Get folding chairs and tables if you plan to keep that stuff in the shed over the winter.

Security – How will it look and what are you keeping in it at night. What access is there to it without you seeing or hearing anything?
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SECTION IX – GARDEN BUILDINGS

Your garden doesn’t have to be just for plants, flowers and a small shed to store your mower in. With space at a premium, many are converting their gardens into usable spaces with purpose built buildings.

For example, many use their garden to create an office or work space. A building which requires no planning permission can be erected quickly and keep costs down.

So, what should you consider when creating an office or work space in your garden?

SIZE & STYLE
How your new structure sits in the garden is very important. Not only the size, but also the style. Try to pick colours, roof styles and styles that will work in your garden. A concrete and metal building in a traditional style country garden probably won’t work.

“To help visualise how a building will sit within your garden use tent pegs or canes to mark out its dimensions” – Garden Life Log Cabins

USAGE

Your planned use of the garden will help sway your decision about some other important decisions you have to make, such as:

• Log thickness – Thicker for winter use, thinner for summer only use
• Window type – Plastic for summer use only, double glazed glass for winter
• Longevity – A longer lasting structure requires higher quality materials

These are just some of the factors involved. I’d highly recommend checking out this post which details all the information you need, from the experts at Garden Life.
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INFO-GRAPHIC: INSULATING GARDEN BUILDING COST

INSULATION

A very important consideration depending on how you intend to use your garden building, especially as an office or work space in the winter. But insulation is not just important for the winter, it’s necessary to keep the warm out in the summer, too.

INFO-GRAPHIC: HEAT LOSS, THE BIGGEST LOSER

Insulation Material – A hydroscopic material, such as sheeps wool, is a natural and effective way to insulate your garden building. The downside is that it’s expensive. Other options are cellulose and hemp. Check out this post for some more details on that.

Warmth Ratings – When you purchase a house you may have noticed the EPC certificate which shows you how good the energy rating is of the property.

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In a similar way, you can find out what insulation rating a product has. There are two values for this, which are:

1. K Value – Thermal Conductivity of Material
2. U Value – Heat Transfer Properties

In simple terms, the lower the K-value and U-value are the better because the material will conduct less heat. So heat cannot transfer through it, stopping heat being lost or allowing it to enter.

As said before, this is relevant in both summer and winter, as it’s cold or warm air which is the heat we don’t want to transfer one way or the other.

Here is a more detailed guide that will help explain everything with complete lists of the best insulation materials to use.

Design Ideas
Looking for inspiration is a good way to get some ideas down. Places such as Pinterest, Google images and Instagram are great places to start.

Once you have a few ideas down, as is outlined in the beginning of this guide, looking at some more concrete plans from the experts is recommended.

Garden Life design, build and erect log cabins of all kinds; from summer houses to office spaces. They have years of expertise so I would recommend looking at their site. Below are a few design ideas from them.

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That’s the end of this Ultimate Guide to Garden Design. I hope you found it useful. To make the most of it download the checklist PDF and work your way through each section.

You can switch between sections as you like depending on which ones are applicable to you.

Now share this with a friend who you think would benefit from this guide.

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Looking for something quirky to add to your garden? Perhaps something you can do yourself to make it truly unique?

Below you will discover some of the most ingenious and crafty creations around. From sea monsters in your trees to up-cycled tin cans to make some lovable lanterns.

And the best part…

You can start making most of them today. So get your creative hat on and let’s see how to make some quirky ornaments for your garden.

My favourite is #10. What’s yours? Let me know in the comments below.

Before we get started…

Check out this video showcasing all 33 ideas in one video. Details of how to make each one follow in the “Get the look” box under each idea.

If you want something extra special make sure you get to the end of the post where I reveal 2 of the most amazingly inspiring ideas I’ve seen.

#1 Up-cycled Baked Bean Cans

I know what you’re thinking. I want to make lanterns and recycle my tin cans at the same time. What a coincidence, I was thinking the exact same thing, so here you go. You’re welcome.

Get the look: Gardener’s World have created a handy guide to help you create these environmentally friendly lanterns. Excellent for that quirky look without the cost. Quite nice for Halloween.

#2 Bring the Sea to your Garden

Have you ever stood in the kitchen, looking out of the window and thought to yourself: “I’d really like to have an octopus in my garden”?

Thought not…But that didn’t stop an unknown artist from doing do so on the Island of Curacao. This Inspiring quirky idea looks amazing.

Get the Look: Get creative with the paint pot in your garden. Look at stones, doors, tree stumps, tree roots and fences. Can you add some eyes and a nose to make it look like an animal?

#3 The Secret Surfer

If there’s a secret surfer in your household who doesn’t like DIY work, tempt them away from watching YouTube surfer videos and into the garden by building them a surfboard fence.

This is a beautiful example of creativity, as excellently photographed by Rob DeCamp on the Maui Pack and Ship blog.

Photo credit @Rob DeCamp

Get the look: You can use anything as a fence. Check out these creative ideas from World of Designers for more inspiration.

#4 Create a Compact Cascade Planter

It’s a mouthful but has a nice ring to it so I had to include it…Not to mention what a cool idea it is. For those who are square metre challenged in the garden department, this is one for you. Also, it makes your garden look bigger, says EcoPeanut, a site which has a everything you need to know about living a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

It’s one which came up recently and just had to be included in this guide as a perfect way to do your bit for the environment and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time.

Great space saver and movable. You can purchase this pre-made one here.

Get the look: You could buy a pre-made one, but where’s the fun in that. You can create this one yourself and paint it up how you like it. Shouldn’t be too hard, right…?

#5 Ditch the Boring Bird Bath

We all like looking at the birds in the garden, but bird baths can be a little boring.

Brighten up your bird watching with this home-made bird bath. Easy to make. Fake bird not mandatory.

Get the look: Check out this DIY job from the guys over at Home Stories A to Z. Follow along and get the look.

Author, journalist and blogger Alexandra Campbell of The Middle Sized Garden was kind enough to share another couple of inspirational ideas:

“You can use an old dustbin lid, turned up side down on a plant pot, as a
bird bath.

You can plant in almost anything, as long as there is drainage. Wellington boots make fun planters, for example.”

And here is exactly what Alexandra means, in this beautiful example of some wellington boot planters.

Credit Alexandra Campbell, The Middle Sized Garden

#6 The Haunted Shed

If you’re one of those people who think garden sheds at the bottom of the garden are scary, look away now…This one is about as scary as they come.

I tried tracking down who this beauty belongs to but without luck. If anyone knows, get in contact so I can give credit where it is most definitely due.

Get the look: I don’t think this is a quick DIY ikea flat pack garden furniture job…No offence Ikea. Best to leave this to the professionals.

#7 Vertical PVC Planter

As sophisticated as it sounds, it’s actually just some old drain pipe with holes in. Quirky as it comes though. Check out some more ingenious ideas over at Goods Home Design…

But not before checking out the amazing content in the rest of this post, of course…

Pro Tip: Get a cheap basic planter from Amazon, and then paint, decorate and improve upon it. You’ll have all the basics but a very unique looking garden planter. Click here to view them on Amazon.

Get the look: You can use old drain pipe or guttering, even go new if it’s easier…Attach it to your fence using the same mounts that are used for guttering. It’ll fit perfectly.

#8 Stowaway in a Shipping Container

Every wanted to run away from it all, becomes a secret stowaway on a boat perhaps? No, just me then. Just go with it…

Imagine yourself being able to do this from the confines of your back garden. So after you missed your sofa and cup of coffee, you’d be back in the warm in 5 metres.

Check out the Wild Flower Turf Blog for more on this excellent piece of work and About the Garden for more shipping container ideas.

Get the look: You can buy shipping containers in the UK and create your own in the garden. They aren’t cheap though…

#9 Raised Bed Railway Sleepers

This is a great idea for those who love to recycle and want to add a touch of character to their garden. Railway sleepers have become very popular in recent years, as everyone has gone retro.

Here is a great example that would work well in most gardens from the guys over at Bradfords.

Get the look: Unless you know a hoarder who has this type of thing laying around in their back garden, you’ll have to buy some railway sleepers. Make sure to use some kind of wood preserver though, otherwise you’ll be replacing the rotten wood before you want to…

#10 You Having a Bubble Bath mate?!

Having an overhaul of the bathroom? Waste not ye olde tub. Put it to good use and create this quirky seat for the back yard.

Rub-a-dub-dub, 3 people sat on a tub…It’s a fantastic way to get people talking about your creative style. And when it rains, just remove the cushions and it can stay outside. Maybe you could even stay sitting in it.

Get the look: Find an old bath on Ebay or Gumtree. Or contact a local builder or bathroom dealer and ask if they’re throwing away any old baths. Buy some fancy feet and get stuck in.

Paint it up in unique colours to match the style of your garden for that extra special, quirky look.

#11 Garden Table from Pallets

Using broken pallets in other ways than to make a massive fire has got to be a good idea. Transform those unwanted and broken timber pallets into something useful and quirky. Win-win.

Get the look: Check out these guys who can do a lot with timber. If you’re feeling adventurous, contact local warehouses who might have some old pallets lying around. Farmers are often a good call, too. In short, become a scavenger for wood…

#12 Barrel BBQ

A must for any garden is the BBQ. Gas ones are not cool, by the way. Get back to the good old ways and have a proper BBQ with coal. You can get all caveman with your mates.

If you’re not a BBQ type of person, check out these other cool ways to use old barrels. Some seriously creative people out there.

Get the look: Don’t go it alone, there is an excellent full tutorial here.

#13 Take a Ride. I mean Seat…

Remember that old bike lying in the shed. Rusting and ready to be loved again. Now you can put it out of its misery and sit on it in a more agreeable way…

Founder of Bike Furniture, Andy Gregg, makes some sublime furniture from, you guessed it, old bike parts. Highly recommend checking out his work.

The Vector Lounge Chair is made from reused and recycled aluminum bicycle rims and wheels.

Get the look: You could buy one of Andy’s pieces from his site. That’s the easy way. But if you’re feeling creative try something for yourself. What’s a few more weeks of the bike lying around doing nothing going to hurt…

#14 Vintage Suitcase Flower

Dig (pun intended) through all your old stuff in the loft. It’s time to get out the vintage suitcases and make use of them. And no, you’re not going on holiday.

Tracey did just that and look how well it turned out. Great inspiration for making the most of your old items.

Get the look: Check out the tutorial over on Tracey’s site. The gnome is optional, but highly recommended.

#15 Harness the Sun’s Power

This solar powered water feature doubles as a herb garden. No electricity needed, just the power of the sun. Pray for those good sunny days…

Get the look: Head on over to Primrose where you can pick this up or some which are very similar.

#16 More Wine is Fine

If you ever needed an excuse to drink more wine, here it is. You need the empty bottles for your DIY project.

Similar to when you were a kid and needed the empty washing up liquid bottle that never ran out, but I think the wine bottle will be easier to empty.

Get the look: See how it’s done over at RecyclArt. Take ideas from their inspiring post. Not recommended with a hangover.

#17 Put the (large) Kettle on…

The English obsession with tea does not stop outdoors. These tea cup tires are a very easy and fun way to decorate your garden with a little quirky style.

The options for colours, sizes and shapes are limited only by your imagination. This idea came from Amazing Interior Design.

Get the look: There is a handy video guide here. And if you want to make a flower styled one check out this video instead.

#18 Fill Your Boots

No need to throw your old boots away when you can make great use of them in the garden. What’s better is that the more battered they are the better.

Get the look: The Micro Gardener has some great ideas for shoe planters. In short, collect some old workman’s boots, fill em with soil and plant some flowers in them.

#19 Use your Hose Pipe

By now I’m sure you are using a hose pipe. If not, now is the time. And you can use your old watering cans for decoration.

Get the look: Have a look over at Praktic Ideas for some more inspiration of ways to arrange your flowers.

#20 On Your Bike

Vintage bikes are all the rage at the moment. But don’t let that put you off. There are numerous ways to make sure you get a unique look. Check out this page for some ideas.

Get the look: You can find these types of bike for sale on eBay, but they’re not cheap. I’d recommend going to local farmers and asking around. I got a vintage Raleigh style bike from a scrap heap in a farmer’s yard. I’d love to show you it but it got stolen…

You can also look for house clearance companies in your area and contact them. They usually have a goldmine of vintage and old style stuff lying around.

#21 Keep your Cars

Take a minute to appreciate this photo. I love it. Then think about how you could incorporate something similar into your garden. It doesn’t have to be a car, it could be any old piece of machinery.

Get the look: Collect old people’s unwanted wheel barrows. Ask your neighbours, friends and Facebook. Part bury the wheel barrow in the ground, smash it up a little and plant some flowers in it. Job done.

#23 Capture the Kids

Want a way to keep track of the kids in the garden. Now you can with this incredible idea for a hanging hammock which doubles as a towering table.

Some of the other ideas that are on the Fresh Design Pedia site are also very cool and unique.

Get the look: This is one you could try yourself, but it needs to be safe if you’ve got kids underneath it. Perhaps getting a professional to do it for you would be the best bet.

#24 A Flow of Flowers

If you’re feeling artistic after watching an episode of Blue Peter, this might just float your boat. A river flowing from any object is always eye-catching. Especially when it’s in your garden, on the lawn and the river is made of flowers. Who’d have thought it.

Get the Look: Find any large type of object that could conceivably have something flowing from it. Old barrels come to mind if you don’t have a gigantic tube lying around the house.

Keep searching for ideas and you’ll be sure to find something quirky that suits itself to your garden.

#25 Game your Garden

Gardens are for having fun. So why not making yours into a chess board? A great way to add some fun into your life and entice the kids away from their iPhone. Just don’t tell them it’s Chess…

Get the look: Laying down the paving slabs and pieces of turf shouldn’t be too hard. Make sure to meaure it out first. Use a string line to make sure it’s straight. Do one row at a time. For extra impact add a border around it such as a hedge or some bright flowers.

#26 Italian Inspired Hanging Herb Garden

Love this creative idea from Brooklyn Limestone. Really shows you that you can use all kinds of ways to make beautiful and practical changes to your garden.

Get the look: Keep some old tomoato cans, plant some basil in them and attach them to your fence. If you want to add the writing above, simply find some thin strips of wood at your local DIY shop and bolt them together. You could hang the letters and cans on the fence rather than permanently attach them if it’s not your fence.

#27 Hanging Out

If you want to feel warm and cosy in the garden, and don’t suffer from claustrophobia, this could be a good addition to your Christmas list.

Get the look: You can find the details about this hanging lounger from Dedon. They have other incredible furniture on there too.

Another idea I took from Battle Bunny is to attach rope to the chair and your tree. A similar idea for a fraction of the cost.

#28 Hot Tub Time Machine

On a sunny yet cold autumnal evening, what better way to relax than to light a fire and jump into a hot tub in the garden with a glass of wine and unwind.

Get the look: It’s not the cheapest but if you’re looking for a hot tub then you probably aren’t worried about the pennies…Check out Dutch Tub for prices and specs.

#29 Sit and Shovel

We all need a break sometimes, especially when we’ve been shoveling. If you’ve been shoveling extra hard you might have a few broken ones around. Which is ideal if you want to make this bonkers bench.

Created by Tom Loeser, this inspiring piece shows that you can get really creative with making practical pieces, too.

Get the look: It’s possible that you could create something like this, but I wouldn’t expect it to last long…Bit more of a show piece than a practical bench. But still, with the weather we have in the UK you’re more likely to be looking at it from inside the house than sitting on it in the rain. Very pessimistic of me I know!

#30 Bikes Apart

For any cycling enthusiast who is also a bit of a hoarder, you can now pat yourself on the back and think of yourself as a forward thinking individual. Because finally those rusty old bikes you hung on to are suitable for something…

Get the look: Visit the scrap yard, local council tip or your nearest canal…You’ll be sure to find dumped, beat-up old bikes ready to relish their new life, retired to the confines of your garden as a fence…What every bike aspires to become.

#31 Locked and Loved

Show appreciation for your guests and homage to the now extinct ‘love lock‘ bridge in Paris by dedicating a wire fence to it.

Get the look: Whenever a new guest comes over, write their name on a padlock and lock it to the fence. Give them the keys so you can’t remove it. Get different coloured locks and pens to write on them with, so they can leave you a personal message.

#32 Living in a Round House

If you’d like to get back to nature from the comfort of your own garden, perhaps a yurt would help. This beautiful structure could help you reconnect with nature and your family.

This incredible image is taken from Goods Home Design and shows just how luxurious yurts can be. Sitting by the fire at night and relaxing inside.

Get the look: Yurt Info is a great resource to find out more about all things yurt. You can pick them up from many yurt creators, just with a quick Google search you’ll find one in your area.

#33 Become a Temporary Herder

Ever wondered what it would be like to be a shepherd? Me neither, but now I come to mention it…I could be tempted to try out their living accommodation first. Which brings me nicely onto my next point.

Get the look: Plankbridge are a master’s hut maker in Dorset. By going to a professional like them, you get a great service and lots of experience. It does cost around £20,000 though. Here’s what the inside could look like, as they’re all custom built it’s totally up to you.

You could have a hunt around for an unused one. Farmers would again be a good starting place. In remote places, as they’re so popular now that a lot of people will have been hunting them down.

I lied…That’s not quite it!

I know I said there were 33 Quintessentially Quirky Ideas, but there are two more I had to include. When I saw them I couldn’t believe my eyes…

If you want to see them, simply share this post to reveal all. You will look seriously cool to all your Facebook friends and I promise you will not be disappointed!

I’m sure you will agree that they were worth the share! How amazing. I always like to end on a high note (pun intended). I’m on a roll. I must apologies for my poor puns.

Just one last thing…

If these ideas have left you feeling inspired, make sure to share it with your friends. Then you’ll look like a cool kid.

A best seller in the hand held vacuum cleaner category, this GTech Multi is a fine looking machine. It comes fully equipped with all the tools you need, such as an extendable hose, crevice tool and extension tube.

It comes with a powerful 22v lithium-ion battery, that lasts for 20 mins from a 4 hour charge. That should be sufficient time to hoover around the house and up the stairs, especially as this vacuum is cordless so no worries about running out of cord!

High Performance & Power

The GTech Multi gets into those hard to reach places, easily. It has a powerful battery, great suction and comes with a power brush head ideally suited for vacuuming pet hair.

From Floor to Ceiling

Being cordless means you can go everywhere with it, especially when it’s super lightweight (1.6kg) and comes equipped with a 36cm extension tube and concealed flexible hose.

Multiple Attachments

It comes fully loaded with multiple attachments for all kinds of jobs, such as edges, corners, stairs, cars and those awkward nooks and crannies! All attachments are on-board.
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What Users Say

Many users have the GTech Multi in addition to the GTech AirRam K9 vacuum cleaner. Customers love that it has so many attachments, no cord and has great suction. The drum can hold a large amount of dust and dirt, too.

Elderly customers love that it is lightweight so makes cleaning the stairs and hard to reach places much more manageable. Here is what one customer had to say:

Is it Right for you?

It’s great that you can get a cordless, hand held vacuum cleaner that has so much power is lightweight and so convenient to use. Recharging isn’t a problem because you leave it on the docking station when you’re not using it.

If you’re looking for a convenient tool to vacuum the stairs and those hard to reach places, and you’re tired of cords and heavy vacuum cleaners, this may just be the cleaner you need. It’s so easy to use, portable and ideal for elderly people who have trouble maneuvering a larger machine.
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Check out the GTech Multi in action below…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roYoRm1cOfQ

What’s in the box…?

1. GTech Multi vacuum cleaner
2. Bin (fitted)
3. Battery (fitted)
4. Dusting brush
5. Crevice tool (inside handle)
6. Power brush
7. Spare filter
8. Charger
9. Extension Tube

Where to Buy the GTech Multi Vacuum

I’d recommend buying direct. GTech will handle any issues, they’re a British company and very trustworthy. Don’t take my word for it, check out the reviews on their site of the many happy customers who love this Multi vacuum cleaner. Buy today while stocks last.

GTech have a large range of electric, cordless vacuum cleaners and other garden power tools such as hedge trimmers. You can view the full range on GTech’s site, too, which I would only do if you’re prepared to purchase more items because they’re amazing!