A rough and scrubby patch of ground in East Sussex is now a wonderful haven for some very important (and industrious) creatures.
Based near Tunbridge Wells, BALI Award winning Sandstone Design has been designing and landscaping gardens in the Kent and East Sussex area since 1998.
In 2018, Sandstone was commissioned to work their magic on a scrubby patch of private land. The client’s brief was simple; transform an unused area of rough grass within a six-acre garden, into a wildlife space. The client also desired to keep bees within the newly created space, and this was a key requirement of the design which needed careful consideration.
The Sandstone team of landscapers began work in summer 2018 with the creation of a new, 20 x 30-foot wildlife pond, complete with oxygenating plants.
Beside this pond, reclaimed sleeper decking and an oak building (which had featured at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2017) were installed, providing the client with a joyous spot from which to enjoy the new, tranquil wildlife garden.
Also featuring next to this wonderful water feature is a wildflower meadow, with the Sandstone team laying 120m² of Native Enriched Wildflower Turf in 2019. The turf provides colour and interest throughout the warmer months and the native wildflowers now also provide a home for an abundance of wildlife. Including the client’s much-adored bees!
As bees require a sheltered area, the Sandstone team created a log wall from a tree which had been felled on the site, with this wall surrounding part of the client’s six beehives. As time marches on, this sustainable wall will provide a home for many other insects while also continuing to protect the beehives from the wind.
A line of dogwoods (Cornus) stand proud behind the log wall. Planted in a rainbow of colours, from lime green through to rich red, this hedge provides the garden with a burst of year-round colour.
As they say, the proof is in the pudding…however in this case the proof is in the honey! The bees have been hard at work while also enjoying their magnificent wildlife garden and have produced their very first batch of honey!
A jar of Wild Waddy Honey (named after the location of the garden in Wadhurst, East Sussex) was gifted to the Sandstone team by the client during a recent visit and all involved agree that this garden transformation has been nothing short of a sweet success.
If you are a landscaper and would like to see your own Wildflower Turf project featured in our blog, please drop us a line at: [email protected].
