Five Ideas for New-Build Gardens in Cambridgeshire and Across East Anglia

This article looks at how owners of new-build gardens can improve their new outdoor area – even though they may be limited by space and their budgets. There’s also a look at how the product lines offered by Madingley Mulch can help meet their needs.

It will take between three and four minutes to read.

The surge in new-build housing developments i     n Cambridgeshire and across East Anglia often leaves homeowners with tiny, uninspiring, builder-grade rectangular plots with compacted “dead” topsoil. 

Here Madingley Mulch provide a practical guide on how to transform a blank-slate new-build garden plot using paving slabs, turf, railway sleepers, and – most important of all – one of our many soil improvers or conditioners.

 

Outdoor Gardening Supplies in Cambridge from Madingley Mulch

We will be able to help whatever size or shape your new-build garden is. Our friendly, experienced staff will be happy to advise you on which of our products is best suited to your garden or budget. You can call us on 01954 212144 or email shop@mulch.co.uk

 

1. Plant for Privacy

One of the key features of many new-builds is how close they are to one another. This means your garden will often be overlooked by your neigbours’. If you value your privacy, then p     lant line-trained trees such as Hornbeam or Chanticleer along fence lines. They act as an effective “hedge on stilts” without eating into your ground footprint.

 

2. Patios

A patio will help new homeowners enjoy their outdoor space to the full, particularly if you use it as an outdoor dining room. However, patios aren’t always included in a new-build home’s sale price.

Its location will depend on its purpose – if it’s for outdoor dining, you’ll probably want it close to the main house – and how much sun or shade your garden gets. I     t may be better to have it at the far end of the garden if it’s lighter and brighter there (and there could be more privacy). If you want some top tips on creating a contemporary patio, check out our previous blog post here. 

At Madingley Mulch, we stock a wide selection of paving slabs, including natural stone paving, at our Cambridge base. We also have some new additions from the Bradstone range. You can also purchase a range of patio accessories from us, including concrete edging. 

 

3. Sleepers

Wooden sleepers are renowned for their versatility. They can form the basis for a raised bed (pictured), which can be useful if either there’s a shortage of space in the garden, which is often the case with new-builds, or if the soil quality is poor. 

It’s much easier to improve your soil in such a feature because you can easily add some mulch, compost or soil conditioner, and match it to the plant or plants you want to grow. And it allows you to grow upwards, which is important if space is at a premium in your new-build garden. 

You can also use sleepers as the basis for paths, steps, decking, edging for beds and many other functions. To check out our range of sleepers and accessories, click here. 

 

4.  Laying a New Lawn

Not all new-build homes will come with their own lawn. If you just have a bare patch of soil, then the time to think about creating one is in the autumn or the spring, according to the Royal Horticultural Society.

You need to avoid laying it when it’s too cold (that is, no winter frosts to damage the grass), or too warm (and, in the case of the current heatwave, too dry as well). Either autumn or spring will give the roots of the grass plenty of time to establish themselves. And remember to leave a space between the turf and any garden fences – that way the grass is      easier to cut.

At Madingley Mulch, we supply high-quality turf which you can either come and collect from our base on the edge of Cambridge, or we can deliver it to you. For more information, including on how to lay it, follow this link. 

5. Improve Your Soil

This is probably the most critical element you can make to improve your new-build garden. Even if the soil is of high quality, it may not be exposed to the right amount of sun or rain to encourage your plants (or      lawn) to grow. New-builds can also suffer due to too much shade – many are narrow garden plots with fencing coming as part of the package. 

At Madingley Mulch, we stock a wide selection of soils, conditioners and composts which should ensure your plants have the best possible chance of flourishing. Our exclusive products include Denise’s Delight and Tony’s Tonic, which both contain plenty of valuable plant nutrients such as Fen soil and horse manure. Our lawn top dressing mix should ensure your grass stays healthy. 

Improvers are particularly important in the east of England, where much of the soil is heavy in clay, which doesn’t provide the most conducive growing conditions for many types of plants. 

Outdoor Gardening Supplies in Cambridge from Madingley Mulch 

There are plenty of other products (and potential new ideas for new-build garden projects) in our range other than those listed here. For a full list of our products and prices, click here.

And if your order is a large one, then don’t worry, as we can deliver it to your door. We operate a sliding scale of prices, as you can see from our deliveries page. A minimum order of £50 applies to all deliveries. 

 

 

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