We asked expert gardener, gardening writer and multiple WoodBlocX raised bed owner Rob Smith from Rob’s Allotment to share his top tips for planning your 2020 garden and he has not disappointed. If you want to get ahead for the coming year read on…
It may sound crazy, but winter is the best time to start planning your garden. Not only do you not have the distraction of tending to your plants, but you can see the bones of the garden including all the shapes, divots, jumps and bumps. This makes it easier to decide what you want where, especially if you are going to build any structures or raised beds. By preparing beds, paths and fences in winter you will benefit 10 fold in the spring as you’ll be ready to concentrate on sowing and growing, rather than a mad rush to prepare before you can even get a seed in the ground.
Our free design service makes planning your garden even easier, simply send our team your measurements and ideas and we will create a design that fits your space perfectly, whether you have a sloped garden, an unused corner or you want to integrate seating, walls, steps and ponds.
Each WoodBlocX kit is self-assembly and includes wooden blocks of varying sizes, pre-drilled with holes, to add a series of strong dowels. Simply build the structure up layer-by-layer by referring to the step-by-step instructions for where the dowels need to be placed.
Small gardens can be tricky spaces to work with and there are lots of raised beds and containers available that have been designed specifically for smaller gardens, however most are either made from plastic, poor quality materials or come highly treated with chemical preservatives.
Our raised beds and planters are long-lasting, each is guaranteed for 15 years thanks to the high quality wood we use and our water-based preservative which won't leach harmful chemicals into your soil, the structures easy to build, look fantastic and are ideal for gardens of all shapes and sizes, even the smallest of plots. Take a look at how some of our customers have used our modular timber system to transform their gardens.
Get creative with the space you have available and think about ways you can incorporate different elements into the space. This bench is nestled within a raised bed providing a space to grow plants and herbs and place to sit and relax without taking up too much room. This design could also be adapted to include a small pond, or if your plot is on a hill switch the bench for steps.
Tall planters create the illusion of space, due to their height they free up floor space. Plus if you keep with width to a minimum, like the example above, you can still add colour and interest to small space, plus planting, weeding and watering is super simple thanks to the accessible height. WoodBlocX structures can be painted too if your plot is in need of a splash of colour.
Our modular system can help you to make the most of corners, choose from standard single-height raised beds or add some tiers and cascading plants to really add some interest to your garden. Corner raised beds take up less space too. Equally, if you small garden is angular use our free bespoke design service to get a shape that suits to the space perfectly.
By taking a small section of space from one side of the garden can really make a difference and won't impact too much on the entire space you have available. Installing a raised bed from one side of the garden to the other provides a large growing space without encroaching into rest of the garden, it makes a really nice feature too. Place your raised bed in front of a fence, wall or along the side of the house.
A contemporary and stylish feature for your patio or decking, the Small Cubic Garden Planter is an ideal way to introduce a touch of nature into your living space. This smaller design is suitable to showcase a variety of small shrubs, heathers and even some hostas who enjoy more shaded areas.
With its modest design the Slender Garden Planter is ideal for more narrow spaces or fence lines and provides a sleek foundation for a trellis feature for climbing plants.
Unlike a square or rectangular shaped planter the Hexagonal Garden Planter offers a modern alternative design that can feature as a centrepiece in your garden. This multi-sided design can also prove as an effective shape to fit into less conventional shaped garden spaces.
Use our free bespoke design service to ensure your raised bed fits the space perfectly, we can also take into account any slopes. Just send us your measurements and we'll do the calculations for you, to find out more about the service click here.
Our maintenance-free wooden planters are ideal for patios, driveways and balconies, made from high quality Scots pine, which is treated with a water-based preservative to make them hardwearing and long lasting.
If you’re looking to reduce the amount of plastic products you use in the garden a WoodBlocX planter is an excellent choice and it will look great surrounded by terracotta pots too. Here’s six reasons to choose a WoodBlocX planter for your next container purchase.
Doorways flanked with planters either side make for an inviting entrance, twisted bay trees, fragrant lavender bushes or shaped buxus. Our Large Planters are ideal for making a statement at the front and rear of the house or at the base of steps and in front of gates.
Our planters are available in range of shapes and sizes, they are ideal for gardens of all sizes. The square Small and Large garden planters are popular options for smaller gardens, patios and balconies, whilst the Slender Planter can run along a wall or be used to divide a space.
WoodBlocX planters are really quick to build thanks to our unique modular system, the lightweight wooden blocks and the simple dowel system means that planters can be built really quickly, in less than an hour in some cases. The lightweight pieces make our planters idea for use on balconies as parts can be easily carried up stairs.
Our Small Garden Planters are not restricted to just being outdoors either, conservatories, garden, sun rooms even hallways and kitchens to bring natural planting indoors. Use as a pot for indoor plants such as yuccas, cheese plants, or for olive trees that can be placed outside during the warmer weather and brought indoors when the temperature drops.
Tailor your planter to your garden style with a choice of capping options, the traditional capping overhangs the planter lightly and is our bestseller. The modern option finishes flush with the rest of the structure providing a more minimalist finish; our Contemporary Planter Bench is a great example of our flush capping.
WoodBlocX planters can be customised with colour, choose a paint colour to brighten up your outdoor space or simply plant them up with plants that provide colour through the seasons, add cascading varieties to really utilise the space.
We offer a free bespoke design service to all of our customers so if you need to tweak your planter design slightly to suit you and your garden simply call or email us ad we will be happy to help.
One of the most important garden trends of 2019 is natural gardening, to create a completely natural garden takes a lot of time and a lot of effort, but there are small changes you can make to help you become a little greener in your garden in 2019. We’re looking at pest control and some of the natural ways you keep them under control without reaching for the chemicals and if you do make sure you choose a good alternative that has good environmental credentials.
Ponds are magnets for attracting wildlife to the garden, especially the type that will eat some of your unwanted garden pests including birds and frogs. You could also install a birdbath or feeder to encourage more birds or a low-level bowl of water for hedgehogs to drink from. A WoodBlocX timber pond is not only made from natural and sustainable wood that is treated with a water-based preservative, but they can also include an extra inner-layer for planting, flowers or herbs around the edges to make the pond even more of a magnet for wildlife. To view our range or to get an instant price for a pond using your own bespoke sizes click here.
Pests will always find a way to get to your plants but crop protectors are a fantastic preventative measure for lots of different pests. If you’re growing vegetables caterpillars can be a big problem, butterflies tend to lay their eggs between March and April and good mesh will keep them from laying eggs on the leaves of plants in your vegetable patch, it will also stop slugs and snails slithering in, it will stop the birds from pecking at your freshly sprouted seedlings and keep the cats from digging up your nicely weeded, freshly dug soil. WoodBlocX crop protectors are easy to use and look great, simply stake them into the soil and add netting to keep the pests at bay.
If you have a rabbit problem in your garden and want to grow edibles you need a wooden raised bed, the extra height will prevent them from snacking on your produce. Slugs and snails will always manage to get to your plants but if they have further to travel up a raised bed you have more chances to catch them! Our raised bed calculator tools will indicate whether or not the structure is tall enough to keep rabbits out and it will also give you an instant price for a wooden raised bed built to your size requirements. In addition to specifying your own sizes, you can also use our free design service or browse the different shapes and sizes.
For a chance to win some great prizes including some alternative pest control products plus a battery powered multi-tool for the garden enter our Garden Detox competition.
If all gardens were flat they would be very boring! That’s not to say a flat garden is boring, but many of us have gardens with challenging terrains, slopes and sheer drops to contend with.
This is where garden retaining walls come into play, and there are many benefits of retaining walls; from simply serving the purpose of retaining an area of earth or to landscape a garden creating flat platforms and interesting focal points.
There are already many styles of retaining walls in the UK so there are lots of different options you can go for. Our modular system has proved very popular with customers looking for an alternative to brick, stone, gabions and railway sleeper retaining walls. Below we’ve provided a rundown of the materials you can use to build retaining walls in your garden and how the WoodBlocX™ retaining wall stacks up against them.
Brick and stone retaining walls are a common choice, but these materials can prove very expensive and need regular maintenance. You will need to include foundations to build on to create a stable structure. To build it yourself would really be a challenge, you need to ensure the bricks are laid straight and level and the mortar mix is correct. If you’re not experienced in bricklaying it is best to enlist the help of a skilled tradesperson. This can be costly and is another added expense you wouldn't get with a DIY product.
Gabion retaining walls are made using gabion baskets and cages. They provide a more industrial look and are generally used for retaining earth where water is close by and for extremely high retaining walls. No foundations are needed with gabions, but you will need some heavy individual stones to fill the baskets which can be very hard if you are building by yourself.
Railway sleeper retaining walls are popular and single lengths of railway sleepers can be used to build a wood retaining wall for the garden; but the individual pieces can be very large and heavy. To secure the lengths in place you will need reinforcing bars and a large drill bit to create the holes for the bars. The old treated sleepers contain harmful chemicals too, which can have an unpleasant odour and leach into the soil. New untreated versions are available, but they will become susceptible to rot after only a few years.
WoodBlocX™ supplies wooden/timber retaining walls for the garden. The quick-to-build retaining walls offer a fantastic alternative to brick, stone, gabion and railway sleepers.
Our retaining walls are the natural and beautiful choice for landscaping your garden, and with everything you need supplied directly to your door there’s no need for foundations or substantial groundworks to build the walls. The BlocX™ themselves are light and easy to handle and building requires no heavy lifting. WoodBlocX™ use wood from sustainable sources and we only use a water-based preservative. You can rest assured that your new easy to build retaining wall is eco-friendly, and suitable for organic growing too.
WoodBlocX™ can help you with your next project with our free design service; either speak to our team of designers who will work with you to create something that is totally bespoke to your garden or use our new retaining wall calculator which will give you an instant price for the size of retaining wall that you need. We provide a full retaining wall building design guide and general instructions with all purchases.
For retaining wall ideas and design guides and to see how to build a garden retaining wall using WoodBlocX™, simply head over to the retaining wall section on the website or speak to one of our friendly customer service team on 0800 389 1420 if you have any questions.
For more helpful garden tips and inspiration check out our blog page, and to find out more about our timber raised beds, planters, walls, garden furniture, ponds and more all made in Great Britain, head to our home page.
You can protect your crops all year round with WoodBlocX Crop Protectors. These attractive, rustic and functional rods enable to keep pests such at bay in the spring and summer with a covering of netting or to fix winter fleece or hessian protection too.
