James and I recently took time out to visit ‘A Bigger Picture’ the David Hockney Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The popularity of the event led to a 10.30pm ticket time! Quite a change for us to be going out at this time – we are usually going to bed!
Arriving at Royal Academy in London at 10pm
It may have been a cold and dreary day outside, but inside the RHS Horticultural Halls were alive with colour and scent. This display was a colourful carpet of dwarf bulbs.
Catherine and James meet on site to discuss new levels
Laura with surveying equipment
When you’re new to garden surveying, the first thing you do is start slowly? Right? Well not all the time… Catherine and I spent a few hours surveying a rather ‘challenging’ garden. The house is beautiful, with a large stone terrace, amazing views and a beck, so armed with our tape measures and clipboard we set off to survey the garden…
At Kingdom Gardens we search out the best and most appropriate materials to transform your gardens. We recently took these pictures showing us selecting the best quality and best sized stone for one of our projects (James loved the trucks!)
James checks for quality
The selected stone in situ, as traditional "cantilevered" field steps into paddock - the large stones, weighing over half a tonne each, appear suspended, neatly integrated into the new dry stone wall.
The staff at this school in Wyke, Bradford understand the importance of outdoor play in a child’s learning and development
The staff at this school in Wyke, Bradford understand the importance of outdoor play in a child’s learning and development. The Kingdom Gardens team worked closely with them to design and create a variety of spaces which will offer a wide range of experiences for the children.
The structure of the growing area is now ready for the children to get busy planting and growing. The get the production going Kingdom Gardens donated strawberry plants, onion bulbs and other veggie seeds including carrots, walking-stick cabages, pumpkins, broccoli and beetroot. Catherine spent the day with the children sowing seeds into trays.
This awkward area was unusable due to the steep slope, this decking creates a multipurpose feature: stage and fort, scrambling net and fireman’s pole.
This awkward area was unusable due to the steep slope, this decking creates a multipurpose feature: stage and fort, scrambling net and fireman’s pole.
The nursery garden is a variety of stimulating experiences; utilising natural and recycled materials including scrambling boulders, timber bridge, digging pit, growing beds, shade sails and tyre worms designed for exploring, jumping, tumbling and most important fun and laughter!
From Saltaire terrace parking . . .
This traditional stone terrace property is in Saltaire, a UNESCO world heritage site, now its owners have their own private site to be proud of.
There’s nothing more exciting than being part of such a dramatic transformation – this backyard was only ever used as a parking space, but now it is a funky, recreational space.
In tight spaces every square inch counts – everything here is designed not only to look beautiful, but to be functional – the seating is sculptural and much of the planting is edible.
Everything here is designed not only to look beautiful, but to be functional - the seating is sculptural
An illusion of space is created by arranging the garden layout on a 45 degree angle, directing your view across the longest distance in the area. The upright oak beams lift the garden off the ground plane and into the third dimension.
Recycled scaffolding boards are used as the garden “wall”, stained a rich aubergine to create an ‘inside-outside’ look. A panoramic snapshot through the box window gives a surprise view, and reinforces the idea of an outdoor room.
The upright oak beams lift the garden off the ground plane and into the third dimension
Recycled scaffolding boards are used as the garden “wall”, stained a rich aubergine to create an ‘inside-outside’ look
This 17th century farmstead at Nidderdale in the Yorkshire Dales has undergone a major renovation by it’s current owners. In this idyllic setting with panoramic views of the valley, Catherine from Kingdom Gardens has designed a classic, English garden. Where previously existed only grassland, is now growing over 1,300 plants, including everyone’s favourites: roses, camellia, magnolia, rhododendron, jasmine, geranium, iris and peony.
The Farmstead in February 2010 is a building site
April 2011
The garden in its full glory, July 2011
Toddlers and staff from Chapter One Nursery in Farnley, North Yorkshire have spent the morning brandishing trowels to plant daffodil bulbs ready for the Spring. Four hundred bulbs were donated by Kingdom Gardens, who designed and built the garden.
Catherine from Kingdom Gardens was on hand to ensure all the bulb planting went smoothly.
The children have been donning wellies and waterproofs to celebrate the opening of their new garden.
Research has shown that activities like gardening and digging are vital for children in developing their social, physical and mental abilities.
The new garden offers lots of unique features to stimulate a child’s imaginative play including recycled tyre worms, earth mounds, mini-beast blackboards and stepping stones. The new garden has been a real community effort with parents volunteering time, plants and other recycled materials – like the tractor tyres!
It’s really important to get children interested in the great outdoors!
All this has been made possible by a grant from North Yorkshire City Council’s Early Years and Childcare Service, as part of a £2.2 million initiative to provide quality outdoor play.
The making of the Peace Garden at Richard Taylor C of E Primary School in Harrogate was truely a community effort; and we felt very honoured to be a part of it. Our team constructed the hard landscaping in April 2009, we then worked together with the children to put in the hundreds of plants.
Every child in the school helped to get the bulbs in the ground ready for Springtime. The children have a natural curiousity and interest in their outdoor environment
The children were involved with the design of the garden and they knew exactly what they wanted: colour, scent and somewhere peaceful they could sit, relax and think....
Catherine and the children planting bulbs in the sunshine.
Returning in September 2009, Kingdom Gardens donated over 3,000 bulbs including wild daffodils, native bluebells and crocus.
