21 Sep Gardens With Decking

Paul Baker shows us some of his favourite gardens with decking and offers tips on choosing, installing and caring for gardens with decking.

What is it about gardens with decking that make them feel so welcoming? Is it because they look and feel so natural? Because they create distinctive zones for entertaining and relaxing? Or is it because decking creates extra living space? Whatever it is, gardens with decking are just great! Here are some of my favourites.

Water Garden With Decking

The Holland Landscapes team have recently been invited back to do some more improvements to a garden we built 17 years ago. Timber decking played an important part in the design and build of this pretty garden and its given the family many hours of enjoyment. This is one of the very first gardens I helped to build when I was a new boy at Holland Landscapes and it holds some great memories for me.

This is a beautifully mature garden that reminds me of a Japanese garden. It contains lots of natural hard landscaping materials along with some easy care plants. The focal point of the garden is a pretty pagoda which sits atop a natural timber deck. The pagoda is reached via a set of stepping stones which cross a pretty pond. The pond is ‘fed’ and aerated by a gentle waterfall.

As you can see from the pictures, the decking is coming to the end of it’s natural life and this year we’ll be renewing it in order so that our clients can continue to enjoy every bit of their garden.

Wildlife Pond With Overhanging Deck

At Holland Landscapes, we thoroughly enjoy building gardens with decking and this one was no exception. The design for this wildlife pond with decking is all about creating a space where humans can become one with nature.

We used Millboard Composite Decking to create a multifunctional structure between an existing summerhouse and the new pond. This is a seating area with a magnificent view. It’s a carefully engineered way of navigating the sloping garden without slipping and sliding. And it’s also a wide path that uses the art of hide and reveal to tempt garden visitors down to the waters edge.

Composite decking is the perfect landscaping material for waterside applications. It looks natural but won’t decay in wet conditions. It doesn’t need any chemical or oil based preservatives. No chemicals means no nasties that can leach into the water and harm wildlife.

Holland Landscapers are accreditted Millboard installers, we’ve been trained by the Company to get the very best results from this innovative landscaping material.

Raised Decking And Boardwalk

To create a flat surface on a steeply sloping site, landscapers have two choices. Either move soil create a terrace which is then stabilised by retaining walls. Or, build a raised platform. 

The topography of this site in Great Bentley meant that the only sensible and cost effective way to create a walkway and seating area was to build a raised deck. Again, Millboard composite decking was our material of choice. This is quite a wet garden and being close to the river it can be prone to flooding. We needed water resistant decking boards. The handrails are made with natural Iroko wood which is a hardwood that copes well with damp conditions.

Large Family Garden With Hot Tub

Decking and hot tubs belong together like treacle pudding and custard. Decking has a wonderful Scandi vibe that works perfectly with the spa like ambience of a hot tub. No matter what the weather, natural timber decking is never too hot or too cold for bare feet. And best of all, the textured surface of a wooden deck is slip resistant.

This deck has been built with a stronger sub base than normal, simply because it needs to support the weight of that lovely big hot tub full of water along with five or six people sitting quite close together.

So many people overlook the fact that the supporting structure beneath decking involves careful engineering. Protecting the base against damp and pests is also an important part of a landscaper’s job. If the base fails, then the entire construction becomes dangerous.

Have you spotted the recessed lights in this decking? They really do add a lovely feel to the area when the sun goes down.

Composite Decking Dining Zone

There are many compelling reasons for using decking in a garden, one is that it can create an almost seamless indoor-outdoor living area for homes with wooden flooring.

This home in Chelmsford has bifold doors opening onto a decked area beneath an elegant modern pergola. To all intents and purposes its an extension of the house – only it didn’t need planning permission.

To keep the continuity of the design, we used the same materials to create a feature area with a very stylish water feature.

These are some of my favourite gardens with decking. If you’d like to see some more, please visit our portfolio page.