Decking Ideas for Your Garden

 In Garden Design, Landscaping, Uncategorised

One landscaping surfaces that is often overlooked is decking. Here are some decking ideas for your garden.

Way back when I was growing up, decking was THE thing to have in your garden. This was all thanks to a certain garden makeover program on TV who made decking look easy for any enthusiastic DIY’er to build themselves.

These days, porcelain paving and natural stone seem to be the hard landscaping surfaces of choice. But that doesn’t mean that decking is dead. Far from it. Modern materials such as composite decking mean that stylish decks can be low maintenance and very durable.

Lets take a look at some decking ideas for your garden

garden with formal lawns to the left of the picture and stone retaining wall dropping to decking on the right

When your garden already has several stone features, decking will bring a different material into the mix.  In this garden in Rodney Stoke, we’ve used composite decking to create a seating area that is surrounded by low walls.  

pathway made using decking boards which match the adjacent raised planters

Who says a deck should be for sitting on? In this jungle themed garden we’ve used decking boards to create a walkway

 

Here’s a little garden design trick for you ——- use the direction of the decking boards to trick the eye into thinking that the space is wider than it is.  Boards laid widthways seem to push the boundaries further out to the side.  Boards laid longways make a space feel longer and slimmer. This is also a good way to lead your eye out towards a feature or a destination in the garden.

decked seating area in landscaped garden

This decking is being used as a relaxing, sun drenched seating area. Notice the glass balustrade to provide shelter from prevailing winds.  

view from a large deck looking over a sunken patio enclosed by planting areas and timber benches

How’s this for a decking idea? A broad deck leads down to a sunken seating area where the steps and benches are made from matching timber. These seats will be enveloped by aromatic planting and soft lighting will make this into the perfect area for relaxing with friends as the sun sets.

Do I need planning permission to build a deck?

If you are building a raised deck with a drop of 30cm or more you may need planning permission and you will certainly need some kind of fall restraint. Either a balustrade or some kind of barrier to stop anyone getting hurt.

raised decking area surrounded by planting troughs

This raised deck uses large planters as a safety measure. Once planted up, these will form pretty privacy screens. I enjoyed building this feature – particularly the diamond shaped steps.

A verandah with a view

decking project in somerset with amazing views

Decking has a wonderful way of blending into natural surroundings. Particularly if you choose a natural timber deck, or a composite decking in natural colours.

Take a look at this stunning deck that the SilverBirch Gardens team built for a client near Pensford.  Imagine how this will look when it’s finished! Can’t you just picture yourself sitting here and watching the sun set over the countryside.

 

 

 

Decking as a hot tub haven

hot tub sitting on decking in a woodland setting

I love a good session in the hot tub – and so do my children. But I’m not too keen on the idea of them stepping out on to a slippery stone surface with wet feet. Neither do I want them stepping into the hot tub with dirt or grass on their tootsies.

Decking makes a wonderful compromise.  It’s a slip proof surface that is textured enough to help brush debris off bare feet before they get to the water.  

The other thing I love about decking – especially around the hot tub – is that it doesn’t become uncomfortably hot in the sun, so it’s more pleasant to step out on to.

Creating a board walk

boardwalk leading to steps and a raised decking area

I have to admit that this isn’t my work – it was built by a fellow APL member over in Essex but I just had to share this picture with you for inspiration.

As you can see, this is a garden that looks out onto marshy ground, and as such, it can get quite soggy underfoot.  Paul and his team have built a very stylish and very practical pathway and deck using composite decking (composite decking doesn’t rot) and natural wooden posts for the balustrade.  Isn’t it awesome?  This kind of decking design is ideal for a sloping garden – you could even create built-in storage space underneath it.  Would this suit your garden? If so, please give me a ring, I’d love to build it for you!

stone steps leading to a decking area at head height - a great landscaping idea for a small garden which employs the art of hide and reveal

This raised deck uses the contours of a terraced garden to create an intriguing feature. The homeowners now have their very own sun deck which will soon be “hidden’ by tall plants in containers.

Need more decking ideas for your garden?

Contact Dan at SilverBirch Gardens for some truly imaginative garden design ideas.

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two garden chairs placed side by side on an area of decking and surrounded by plants for privacyseating is important when building the retirement area you always wanted.