Re-positioning a Pond

This was a job we did for a friends mother who wanted the current pond in the same place, but raising up so it was level with the surrounding surfaces as it was sunken.  With the arrival of a new granddaughter and another to follow this made sense so as to minimise the dangers of having a pond with young children around.

Firstly we needed to dig up all the surrounding plants for dividing and re-planting around the new pond. Lifting and dividing should be done in late autumn or early spring when the plant is dormant.  It is a fantastic way of getting more plants for free, (plant swaps are a good way of getting new plants for free).

The fish were taken out using a net and put in a tub of the pond water ready for re-housing in the new pond. It was drained off with a length of hose using a syphoning method.  This takes a little time, but is much cheaper than hiring a pump.

Unfortunately working on a pond in winter means disturbing hibernating pond life such as frogs and toads.

Unfortunately the frogs kept coming and we ended up with a box full of about 40!  A trip to the local French restaurant followed! (joke!!)

As we are compassionate people we built the frogs a temporary home to house them until their new home is ready.

The empty area.

The area has been banked up using rubble and then packing with topsoil.

We used empty bulk bags to form a protective layer for the liner to rest on.  The most common way to do this is to form the edges with sand, which we did under the bags.

The liner is in and an island has been put in the middle for the frogs to bask on in the sun.  Plenty of liner is needed as it gets pulled in when being filled with water.  You don't want to be left with not enough so over compensate.

The pond is re-filled and as we wanted to re-house the fish straight away we used a product that gets rid of the chlorine from tap water so it is safe for them to breathe.

The edges of the pond need covering to hide the pond liner and make it look natural.  Here we have used stone, but you can use most other things such as pavers.  There needs to be areas for pond life and any mammals such as hedgehogs to get out if they need/want to.  When using stone with high edges be sure to leave the occasional gap.

Here we have created a rockery as its looks lovely on the slope and also helps to keep the earth banked up.  We built a waterfall in the corner for some extra interest and it creates a very relaxing falling water sound.  The plants are re-planted and if you look very closely you can see the fish have been re-housed.  The frogs were too, but they scarpered quick sharp!!

Spot the ball

Can you spot something that shouldnt be there?

Ideas above our station?

How about this for a Chase Gardening Coat of Arms!!!!

Design Work

For a really proffessional design you can go to a Garden Designer, but if you require something a little simpler and cheaper most gardeners will be able to provide you with a decent design also.

We at Chase Landscaping do our very own designs and while we have not been educated fully in garden design it did form part of both our respective qualifications so we do have a decent grasp of it. Working in the profession for over fifteen years also gives you the knowledge to know what looks good where. If a client does want a professional drawing then we can refer them to a designer we work with occasionally whom Tom went to college with called Amy Lilly. She has just started out as a professional designer, but is already fantastic at what she does and also offers planting plans.

Here are a few of our very own designs.

An early design hand drawn and coloured and textured on a computer

Hand drawn with computer colour and texture

This is a design that is currently in construction (27/2/2012). Like many jobs the design has evolved and changed whilst on the job, but the overall picture is much the same.

These two designs are examples of giving the client an initial idea and then meeting with them to discuss things further, tweek things and then provide a finished design from which to estimate costs from.

Gas Store

The Islip parents bought an old farm house in the North York Moors a few years ago and after an extensive renovation project we have been doing a lot of work on the grounds.

The annex kitchen houses a gas oven so a little store house was needed just outside in order to house the gas bombs.

Firstly we laid a stone base for the bombs to sit on.

With this down the size of the house can then be determined and the frame can be built and the roof base put on. Green pressure treated timber must be used for exterior work as it is damp proof for up to 30 years.

The fascia of the house is pannelled with tongue and groove and painted in cream to match the main houses paintwork.

Battens are also nailed on ready for tiling the roof.

Clay tiles are used to match the main house.

The veneer doors were bought from a local DIY store and painted with sadolin to acheive the required finish.

To fit in with the country feel an oak colour was needed, however only a few shades are available pre-mixed. It is very easy to mix your own shades by mixing an ebony stain into a light oak in small measures.

Lead flashing was mortered into the wall to provide water-proofing and match the house.

The finished gas house in its setting.

Carpentry

Tom has been taking his passion of carpentry to the next level recently and has knocked up a bathroom cabinet for his fiancee.

The timber was sourced from old oak doors, which were reclaimed from a house renovation.

 A French antique look was given to the cabinet by painting it in antique white and then sanding lightly around the edges of the timber with a fine course sandpaper.

The finished piece is hanging pride of place, fully in use in the en-suite bathroom.

Pieces like this will be available for purchase again in winter 2012.