Why David Domoney places great importance on first impressions.

21 April 2021

 

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

First impressions are important with properties. The entrance and exit points can impact how you feel about a space. Making you feel welcomed as you arrive, as well as feeling content when you leave with a good sense of homeliness.
 

UPFRONT PLANTING

Begin by making a statement with the front of your home. The experience of parking on the driveway and approaching the front door can be joined seamlessly by matching the driveway paving and path stones. Pavestone’s vast choices of natural stone block paving offer something that guarantees a unique aesthetic to match your style. Dark tones of Kadapha Block Paving are fantastic for a contemporary designs, or encourage a timeless cottage atmosphere with Old York & Cotswold Block Paving.
 

TIMELESS APPROACH

When you arrive home, there’s nothing better than being greeted by a bright and cosy looking space. Soften the exterior of your home by incorporating plenty of greenery to the layout. Ornamental trees such as Juniperus communis (juniper) ‘Compressa’ will grace the front of your home with their evergreen foliage. The tree is slow growing, forming a dense, weeping shaped tree. Also, growing up to 1.75m, they won’t impose on your design, but will have great impact in containers near your front door.

 

WELCOME HOME

Bring in flowering plants such as Viburnum x Bodnantense ‘Charles Lamont’. It has elegant looking blooms from November to March, with a wonderful scent to welcome you. This large shrub has interesting foliage too as the leaves are bronze in spring, turning to deep green in summer. They are a fantastic choice for hedging and screening, making them a great fit for front gardens for added privacy.

 

GATED ENTRANCES

Although, it’s not just the front of the home that has a lasting impact. For separate gates or alleyways to access your garden, this space can fit cohesively with the rest of the design. Transforming these access points into pretty and practical spaces is great for spring and summer socialising in the garden when your garden gate will be getting plenty of use.

 

Intriguing ENTRANCE

Brighten up alleyway entrances with hanging baskets full of fragrant flowers like the bright white blooms of sweet alyssum. Not only is their aroma welcoming, but hanging baskets mean you won’t compromise on floor space in a tight area.

 

REFLECTIONS

Create a unique space by fitting wall art or mirrors to the vertical spaces in the passageway. They will give the area some character whilst creating the illusion that it is larger.

 

NO COMPROMISE

Another way of extending the space is to bring in plenty of light colours. Lighten the atmosphere by using Porcelain Wall Cladding for white tones that are reminiscent of a white, sandy beach. The cladding can transform a dull garden wall into a stylish one with an incredibly impressive finish.

 

 

WOW FACTOR!

On arrival in a garden, you can often recognise the different sections. The garden might comprise of a dining area, lawn, play area, beds and borders, or vegetable plot.

 

LOW WALLING

To welcome you to each specific space, it can have a striking impact to establish some sort of boundary. Low garden walling like Burford Walling is ideal for a solid boundary. Alternatively, opt to use plants as borders like low growing shrubs with fragrant blooms like Philadelphus (mock orange) ‘Sybille’. To access other parts of the garden, use decorative patio stones to create a meandering pathway, lined with sweeping foliage to create an elegant space.

STEPS & TERRACES

If you have a sloping garden, using retaining walls and steps to create entrances to the other parts of the garden is a lovely way of welcoming you to different areas.

 

Pretty In Pink

Again, container plants on stone steps are always a great idea to add visual appeal and height. Pot up planters with spring flowers such as Bergenia and Saxifraga for pretty pots of pink, or for an array of foliage, Japanese tassel ferns and ivy.
 

FRAGRANT FLOWERS

Most gardens tend to have a patio area immediately accessible from the back door. So, set the scene with containers of fragrant plants that can accompany you whilst you enjoy your surroundings. Patio roses such as ‘Flower Power’ have peachy pink flowers with a medium spicy scent that will complement your time for rest and relaxation in the garden.

 

ROSEY

Surround the patio with ornamental grasses to soften the edging, as well as introducing a new dimension to the garden with the rustling sound of sweeping grass. Add texture to your patio with fascinating plants like red-hot pokers that rise into the sky with fiery colours. Satisfying all the senses is sure to make you feel welcome in your garden.

 

HOT STUFF

Be welcomed home by beautiful garden paving stones, pathways, and plants that will create a wonderful first impression. Focusing on embellishing the entrances and exits to your home and garden can have a stunning impact.

 

This month I've selected a video which features a newly installed driveway paving that looks like it could have been laid 100 years ago. Absolutely perfect for the approach to this period cottage property and really demonstrates the versatility of Pavestone products. Landscaping products that extend impeccably to the ultra-modern contemporary pad to the ancient historical dwelling.

 

David Domoney, TV gardener, horticultural expert and Pavestone brand ambassador blogs monthly on the Pavestone website on all things landscaping related.
 

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