Eaglestone Landscape Design

Here are some snaps of our latest work, a modern courtyard garden in central Brighton. Also below is the design and some 3D images of the garden before some amendments were made. The paving is sandblasted and sandbrushed Jura Limestone. The two spectacular trees you can see are a Eriobotrya japonica standard (back right) and a Podocarpus saliguns, introduced from Chile in 1853 (front left). Front right is a mature Fatsia japonica.

The garden can be viewed during the Brighton Open Houses Festival in May, 40 Tidy St, if you would like to take a gander. The house is owned by Fiona and Mark whom both have a fervour for contemporary living spaces and art. Much of the furniture and fittings on display in the house has been built by Mark who owns Square One Design Workshop, a contemporary bespoke furniture manufacturer. Mark will be building a hardwood bench on the white rendered block work.

There are some finishing touches to be made before it is finally completed, which is evident from the photos, but you should get a clear idea of what the garden will look like once finished. Photos of the garden will be posted on the portfolio page as soon as possible.

After all the publicity and debates about the decline of peat, customers are still buying peat compost in in their droves. We as gardeners are peat bogs biggest threat. Recent statistics show that gardeners are accountable for 70% of peat used in horticulture. This a horrifying statistic. There have been alternatives on the market for many years now. However these alternatives are swamped at garden centres by peat based products, so no wonder many still buy peat products.

Peat bogs annually release as much carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere as 400,000 family cars. Furthermore irreplaceable ecosystems are being destroyed when peat is extracted. 95% of our peat bogs have been lost this century, mainly due to gardeners. Our love for peat has to stop. The alternatives on the market do the same job and building your own compost heap will also provide you with lots of nutritious food for your plants.

It can be extracted sustainably, as I saw when visiting Northern Ireland last summer. Here it is extracted by hand rather than mechanically and only locals use the peat. When done mechanically vast reserves which have taken thousands of years to form can be destroyed over night.

Peat bog in Northern Ireland

Wildlife trusts have campaigned for many years now and have been instrumental in urging the government to take action. They are working on industry people to get in line with government targets of getting 90% of products peat-free by 2010.

If your local garden centre does not stock peat-free products ask why not. Also ask your local authority if they have signed the peatland protection charter (details from your local wildlife trust). For those of you who live or nearby Brighton visit Brighton Community Compost Centre to get your peat free compost.

Here are some images of our latest work. More images will soon feature on our portfolio page but for the time being please take a look at these.

The paint, from Fired Earth, completely transformed the atmosphere. It feels like a relaxing, calming & quiet retreat somewhere in the Mediterranean, not a garden nestled between large Georgian buildings in central Brighton.

I’m really chuffed with how this garden has come together and can’t wait to plant next week.