Make Your Garden A Spectacular Summer Retreat.

Summer is here and the garden beckons but is your garden summer ready?

We've put together some ideas and recommendations on how to make your garden a spectacular summer retreat.

Making A Splash

Are you lucky enough to have the space, the money and the weather for an outdoor pool?

Surround your pool with beautiful paving

It makes sense that the paving around your pool should have a textured surface. Riven Donegal Quartzite paving for instance, has been used for swimming pool areas across many Center Parcs resorts due to its slip resistant texture. (Other holiday resorts are available....they just might not have as nice paving.)

We can also offer customers Schellevis's fantastic range of products for swimming pools including slabs and copes.

Like the natural look?

Wild swim everyday with a natural swimming pond which not only gives you a place to cool off on a hot summers day but also attracts wildlife and can even host aquatic plants.

Image courtesy of Gartenart Swimming Ponds - Ebony Cloud Paving Sun loungers

Lounging Around

A key element to any back garden is somewhere to lounge. Somewhere to escape and relax after a hard day's work.

Whether you want comfy rattan furniture for all the family.

Maharajah Mid Grey Porcelain Paving & Imperial Silver Grey Granite Setts

A bench with a view.

Designer: Will Sandy Design, Contractor: Selby Landscapes - Sawn Yorkstone Paving & Groningen Dutch Clay Pavers. Image by William King Photography

Or a good-old hammock.

Designer: Marth Krempel Garden Design - Caithness Crazy Paving

Whatever your choice of lounging apparatus, CED Stone Landscape has the materials to make your lounging space functional and beautiful. Choose from natural stone and porcelain paving, aggregates and gravels, composite decking, resin-bound gravel, and more.

Cooking Up A Storm

Whether you're planning on building a dream outdoor kitchen, or happy wheeling the BBQ out of the garage for the season, it is a good idea to have a separate area in your garden for cooking.

BBQ lover?

A small gravel area would make a perfect base for your grill. Any fats, oils or other spillages can be hidden by simply raking the gravel, or if you need to replace it, it will be relatively inexpensive.

Dreaming of an outdoor kitchen?

If you are planning an outdoor kitchen build, we recommend a low maintenance porcelain paving tile. With a much lower absorbency rate to that of natural stone spillages can be easily cleaned from Porcelain. Natural stone, not so much.

And if you are a bit clumsy in the kitchen, a through-body porcelain would be a good choice. Through-body porcelains are the same colour and pattern all the way through the tile, so any damage to the tiles would be less noticeable.

If for you it's, natural stone or nothing, we recommend you choose a darker paving stone is chosen, and that you seal your flags regardless of the colour or stone.

Dining Alfresco

An outdoor dining area is great for enjoying meals with family and friends in the warm evenings it becomes an extra room, your own private restaurant where you can wine and dine till the wee hours.

Design & Build: Thea Pitcher Garden Design - Bespoke Granite paving. Home of Interior Stylist @maxinebradystyling

Your dining area doesn't have to be on a paved area, there are many natural stone products which would work well for an outdoor dining area;

A small dining table and chairs will look right at home on one of our stone circles.

Another great option would be a composite wood deck, long lasting and easy clean.

Gravel used with our gravel stabilisation system ECCOgravel will create a base firm enough for tables and chairs.

Or use a self compacting footpath gravel for a rustic natural look.

Designer: Lucy Willcox Garden Design - CEDEC Gold Footpath Gravel

Late Nights with Garden Lights

Garden lights are often a second thought when planning your garden, but they can help you get more use out of it when the nights start drawing in. Not only are they great for security reasons, but lights can also transform your outdoor living space at night, making it a welcoming place to host a garden party or to sit and relax.

They can be used to light the way or to light up a feature such as these fantastic paddlestone risers.

Designer: Greencube Design - Yellow Paddlestones

If you're getting your garden landscaped, talk to the designer/landscaper about garden lights and enjoy your garden right into the wee hours.

Go Wild

Invite the pollinators to visit.

Pollination is vital to life on our planet, yet our pollinators are under threat from climate change, destruction of habitat and the use of pesticides and herbicides.

Whether your garden is big or small, there are many things you can do to make it a haven for wildlife.

Build your garden with wildlife in mind.

Dry paddlestone walls, with their small holes and cracks, provide an ideal micro habitat for insects, as do rockery gardens and we have a fantastic range of rockery available.

You could incorporate a pond into your garden. Even small ponds can host a wide variety of wildlife, including; birds, insects, frogs and toads.

Let it grow.

Take a break from cutting your grass. Doing this will allow nectar-rich plants such as clover to grow and provide a food source. Or why not go one further and plant an area of wildflower turf and attract an even greater variety of pollinating insects.

Designer: Greencube Design - Sovereign Grey Sandstone Paving

Plant up those window boxes, hanging baskets, pots and borders and sit back and watch as your garden becomes abuzz with butterflies, bees and other pollinating insects.

Designer: The Garden Company - Imperial Blue Grey Granite Paving

Tales By The Firepit

A firepit area can make a great all year round garden feature.

Whether toasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories with the children or enjoying a cuddle and a glass of wine with someone special, a firepit area is guaranteed to provide lasting memories of time spent in your garden.

We have some great Natural Stone Walling options for building firepits, paddlestones being a popular one.

Designer: AR Greenspace, Contractor: Process Landscaping - Yellow Paddlestones, Scottish Beach Pebbles & Cobbles, Celtic Boulders

For the area surrounding the firepit gravels and footpath gravels would work best for dealing with soot and ash fall.

Designer: Claire Winchester Garden Design - Seaflint Gravel

Whatever Your Plans

Make the most of your garden this summer with CED Stone Landscape.

Visit your nearest depot or shop online.