Introducing Walton’s Ready Insulated Garden Rooms…

Posted on April 25, 2013 by

Walton’s is now stocking a range of ready Insulated Garden Rooms perfect for any garden! Our range of Insulated Garden Rooms are perfect if you’re looking to add more space to your home and are designed to be used all year round.

Eco Insulated Log Cabins.

Our range of Insulated Cabins have a contemporary style.

Walton’s new range of insulated log garden rooms use high quality Eco Airtec Insulation Material. Eco Airtect Insulation is made from 4mm multi-layers of bubble film insulation. The insulation is then coated with an aluminium coating on both sides for extra durability, weather proofing and insulation.

An internal shot of a Insulated Log Cabin.

An internal shot of a Insulated Log Cabin.

This range of garden rooms feature insulation in the roof panels, floor and wall panels. Eco Airtec insulation is layered with breather foam and a reflective foil layer; this 6 layer system of insulation helps make our new range of Garden Rooms waterproof and warm all year round.

Example of insulation and windows on log cabin.

Large windows let light flood into cabin and the Airtec Insulation keeps the building warm all year round!

Our range of Insulated Garden Rooms are not just well insulated but also have a striking modern design perfect for almost any use! The Ready Insulated Garden Rooms are made from high quality, timber shiplap tongue and groove cladding. Tongue and groove cladding interlocks so these garden rooms are very strong, durable and weatherproof. The quality tongue and groove cladding also adds to the look of these garden rooms giving them a modern, eye catching look.

Spotlight Image and Cladding Image.

Shiplap cladding and spotlights make these garden rooms stand out!

This range of garden rooms also features stunning built in lighting so you can enjoy the building during those warm summer evenings. Our range of log cabins also features full length windows with top openings and fully opening double glazed doors. Our range of garden rooms are modular too so you can move the window and door panels around to modify the building to your taste and needs.

An installed & treated Insulated Garden Room.

An installed & treated Insulated Garden Room.

These buildings can be used as garden offices, a second living room or even as an entertaining room. The insulated wall panels will make these buildings comfortable to use all year round. These building are easy to decorate and the outdoor, integrated lights are perfect for providing light during those summer evening barbecues!

If you’re looking for a high quality garden rooms which you can use all year round take a look at our range of beautiful, garden rooms. Our log cabins are easy to build and will provide you with a large space to use and enjoy.

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A Guide to Vertical Vegetable Growing…

Posted on April 23, 2013 by

Growing vegetables is a great way of learning new gardening skills and providing fresh, home grown food for your household! If you don’t have a lot of space in your garden growing vertically can be a great way of creating more growing space in your home! Vertical growing may look complicated but it’s easy to achieve and requires minimal DIY knowledge. If you’re garden does not get a lot of sun vertical growing can be the perfect way of taking advantage of the wall in your garden which gets the most sun.

Growing vertically can also add to the overall look of your garden. Plain brick walls or old garden buildings can be transformed with a flowers or vegetables. There are many varieties of plants which naturally grow vertically so once planted they should make their own way up a trellis or wall.

Walton's Timber Trellis Fence Panels

Trellis Fence Panels are perfect for vertical growing.

An easy way of introducing vertical growing to your garden is to use Trellis Fence Panels; trellis panels have a unique design and look. A trellis panel has a strong timber framework which holds an intricate lattice like timber interior. The lattice timber provides the perfect framework for vertical plants; simply install the fence panel and get growing!

Installing a trellis fence panel is easy! You can install a row of trellis or just one panel to use for growing. Simple install your fence posts and attach the panels with fence clips. To grow on a trellis panel you will need to plant at the bottom of your panel; if you don’t have a lawn you can simply buy a slim trough for the bottom of your panel; place the trough at the base of the panel and thread plants through the lattice gently as it grows!

Trellis fence panels are also perfect for hiding parts of your garden; one area often in need of hiding is a bin area. Simply install a trellis fence panel in front of the section of your garden you want to hide and grow a thick vertical plant like ivy or honeysuckle. Honeysuckle is ideal for this job because it will also give off a sweet scent masking the scent of bins!

Hanging small plants pots from a vertical framework can also be a great way of using the space in your garden effectively. To create a hanging vertical grower you will need to create a wooden framework; you can create your own or use a recycled wooden pallet as a frame. Once you have a frame you can attach a strong, metal mesh. This mesh will be used to hand small pots!

Honeysuckle Flower Plant.

Honeysuckle is easy to grow vertically!

Attach the hanging framework to your wall using metal brackets. You need to ensure the frame is hung securely as the weight of the pots and water can be heavy! Once the frame is attached to the walls you can then start hanging pots! You can buy plants pots with hooks already attached or you can buy a pack of hooks from local DIY stores and attach them to small plastic pots.

There are many different types of vertical growing vegetable plants; runner beans are a classic vegetable which grows vertically naturally. Simply thread the plants through your trellis or framework as it grows. There are many different tomato species which thrive when grown vertically and will produce a bountiful crop. So if you’re running out of space in your garden make use of your vertical growing space!

If you’re looking for Trellis Fence panels or growing accessories take a look at the vast range at Walton’s Garden Buildings. 

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Eco-Friendly Gardening…

Posted on April 16, 2013 by

Spring is finally upon us and for many that means spending more time in the garden! Many of us use many different gardening products to try and keep our gardens clear of any weeds or other plants which are not wanted. Gardening and using chemicals on your garden can cause harm to the environment. This blog post will go through a few simple ways you can keep your garden environmentally friendly.

Compost if something used on a regular basis to keep gardens healthy and to deliver nutrients to growing plants. A popular type of compost is peat compost; peat is an organic material found in peat bogs. Peat is very nutrient rich because it is made up of animal and plant material broken down and compressed to form this garden essential. Peat bogs are slowly disappearing around the world and very few remain. A peat bog takes millions of years to form and by using up all the peat many environments around the world are being destroyed.

There are many alternatives to peat compost which offer gardens great nutrients without harming the environment. Peat dug out to made compost in the UK released almost half a million tons of CO2 a year; that’s the same amount of CO2 emitted by 100’000 cars! Using an alternative to peat compost will help make you garden more environmentally friendly!

7 x 5 Tongue and Groove Shed

Adding guttering to your garden shed can help save rain water!

Water is an essential ingredient to any healthy garden without it many plants would just not survive! In the UK many gardens are often affected by hosepipe bans. Hosepipe bans are enforced around the country when water stocks run low and prevent gardeners from keeping a garden healthy on hot, dry days. Saving water in your garden can be a great way of limiting the amount of water you use.

Garden sprinklers are often used by gardeners to keep plants healthy but did you know that some sprinklers use 1’000 litres of water an hour! Saving water in your garden is simple and does not have to cost you any money. Many of us have garden buildings like sheds, log cabins or greenhouses; these buildings can be used to save water! Attaching guttering to these types of buildings helps save rain water. You can attach guttering to a water butt and this will collect water until it’s needed in your garden.

Many gardeners use strong chemicals in their gardens to help keep gardens healthy but we often forget plants are adapted to find their own nutrients and water themselves without any need for chemical help. Chemicals used in gardens can easily seep into surrounding environments. Garden chemicals can also be very harmful to ponds, streams, lakes and canals. Chemicals used in a garden can dramatically increased the growth of mould or moss plants.

There are many easy steps you can take to help reduce the amount of chemicals used in your garden. Coffee is a great natural addition to any garden; used coffee grounds can make a dramatic difference to your garden. Adding old coffee grounds to your soil can help increased nitrogen in the soil and help increase acidity for acid loving plants. Also coffee can help reduce pests in your garden; coffee can help deter slugs and cats! If you don’t drink coffee yourself most coffee shops just throw away their used coffee grounds and are usually happy to give used grounds away.

Image of a large Hot Bed.

A Hot Bed adds great protection against pests!

Slugs are often the most detested pest by gardeners. Slugs can easily destroy a vegetable patch and are hard to see during the day. Normally gardeners use slug pellets but they are not as effective as they claim to be. Slug pellets are usually 95% bait and 5% toxic to slugs; they often attract more slugs then they kill! A great alternative to chemicals is copper! Slugs hate copper and it can be used in many ways to protect your garden. Decorative copper tape can be added to the bottom of your plant pots; slugs cannot crawl over the tape and will leave your plants alone! Copper tape can also be added to the bottom of raised beds or any container. Eggs shells are another natural material which can be used to deter slugs. Simply save old egg shells and break them into small pieces. The sharp edges of the egg shell cannot be crossed by slugs.

Not using chemicals in your garden may seem like risky business but it can significantly help the environment. Taking a few simple steps to make your garden eco-friendly can be a great way of saving money and keeping your garden healthy.

If you’re looking for high quality garden buildings try Walton’s Garden Buildings!

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Walton’s National Garden Week 2013 Competition!

Posted on April 15, 2013 by

This year Walton’s Garden Buildings is a proud partner of the RHS National Garden Week.

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National Garden Week was launched by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to get the Nation growing!

To take part in National Garden Week 2013 Walton’s is running this amazing competition where one lucky person will WIN a Walton’s Gardening Kit!

WIN a Walton’s Gardening Kit which includes a 6’ x 4’ Gardman Walk-In Greenhouse, a 2’ x 3’ Wooden Cold Frame, a Wooden Raised Bed and a 4’ x 1’ Grow Bag Stand!

These prizes have a total RRP of £197.54!

Competition_Prizes

The prizes for this competition are perfect if you want start gardening as a hobby and would provide you with all the accessories needed!

To enter this competition:

‘Like’ the Walton’s Facebook Page and ‘Share’ the National Garden Week Competition Post!

~or~

Follow @Waltonsgarden on Twitter and Re-tweet the National Garden Week Competition Tweet!

All entries will be placed in a prize draw and a winner will be picked at random on the 22.04.2013!

This competition ends at midday on the 21.04.2013; all entries received after this time and date will not be counted.

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Terms & Conditions:

1. You must be over 18 years old to enter this competition and live on Mainland UK.
2. The start date for this competition is 9am on the 15.04.2013 and the competition will end midday on 21.04.2013. After this date no further entries to the competition will be permitted.
3 .Competition entries must be submitted by midday on 21.04.2013. Any entries received after this date will not be counted.
4. The prize may not be transferred to any other person and there are no cash alternatives or alternative prizes available.
5. To enter this competition your must ‘Like’ the Walton’s Facebook Page here and ‘Share’ the competition post. You can also enter this competition by Following @Waltonsgarden on Twitter and Retweeting the competition tweet.
6. The winner of this competition will be announced on 22.04.2013 on Twitter and contacted via a Direct Message (On Twitter) OR contacted through a message on Facebook. The winner has 48 hours only to respond.
7. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.
8. Only one entry per person; we will not accept duplicate Twitter profiles or duplicate Facebook profiles.

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Need a new hobby? Try Gardening!

Posted on April 12, 2013 by

Are you stuck of being in the house? Need a new, fun hobby? Gardening could be the solution for you. Gardening is a great hobby if you want to spend more time in the fresh air and away from the sofa. Gardening is not just about cultivating pretty flowers or mowing the lawn; gardening comes in many different forms and can be very beneficial to your health!

Gardening is great exercise; simple tasks like digging a vegetable patch or filling a wheelbarrow can burn up to 300 calories. Working in your garden can be a great way of keeping active; bending down, lifting and digging works every part of your body and will help keep your joints healthy. Gardening can also help improve your health if you start to grow your own vegetables.

Vegetable Garden Image

Starting a vegetable garden is perfect if you’re looking to spend more time outside.

Growing your own food is an easy way of introducing more vegetables into your diet. Planting, growing and eating home grown vegetables can be very satisfying. Many people feel that growing your own vegetables is difficult but with a few simple raised beds you can easily grow vegetables which are tasty to eat all year round.

To get started in the garden you first need to assess the area of your garden. Knowing your garden inside out will ensure you pick the right plants to grow in your garden and grow successfully. The most important part of gardening knows where the sun is during the day in your garden. The suns position is very important when it comes to gardening; you will then know where the sunspots in your garden.

Green Garden Image

Gardening can help you burn calories too!

Choosing the plants you want to grow will ensure you keep up your gardening. Gardening is a daily hobby and most gardens need to be tended every day. Species of flowers and vegetables need to be planted at different times of the year to ensure they bloom or produce fruit. When picking plants or seeds always check the plant label or seed packet. This should feature information about where the plant should be placed, best times to plant and care information.

Setting up your garden for growing does not have to cost a lot of money. A few accessories can help make your garden perfect for growing. Adding a greenhouse to your garden is a great way of setting up your garden for growing.

Glass Vitavia Greenhouse.

Greenhouses are perfect for growing.

Adding a greenhouse to your garden is a great way of growing easily. A greenhouse is useful for growing because it provides a warmer interior perfect for growing. Being able to control the interior of a greenhouse means adverse weather conditions won’t affect your plants.

If you’re looking for high quality garden greenhouses check Walton’s Garden Buildings.

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A Guide to Using and Installing Raised Beds…

Posted on April 11, 2013 by

If you want to grow in your garden a great accessory is a raised bed. A raised bed can be used to grow almost anything but it is popular for growing fruit plants and vegetables. Many people worry about growing fruit or vegetables in their garden as they worry about turning a nicely manicured garden into an allotment.

Raised beds have many benefits. They are often used in gardens with poor soil quality. Installing a raised bed allows you to add the right soil and compost to improve the quality for growing. Raised beds also help improve drainage in the soil; the soil can easily drain in the soil and this helps the soil warm up quickly during the spring. Have the right soil and good drainage will help growing plants; if soil does not drain properly it could cause rotting in the plants roots.

Soil temperature is also very important; soil needs to be warm to encourage plant growth. During the evening soil can get very cold and the quicker it warms up in the morning the more plants will grow. Better draining soil helps the temperature rise quickly.

Raised Bed.

Raised beds are perfect for growing!

Some plants need a special blend of soil to ensure they grow healthily. Some plants need acidic soil and other soil needs alkaline soil. Using raised beds will ensure you can tailor the soil to suit different types of soil. Some plants also need different types of plant feed to help encourage growth. Using raised beds ensures you can feed different plants without affecting the soil in your garden.

For many gardeners mobility can be very difficult. Bending down to tender plants can cause terrible back pains. A raised bed is ‘raised’; this reduces the impact of gardening on the body and makes accessing the plants very easy.

Installing a raised bed:

1. You will need to choose the right space in your garden suitable for growing. You want to choose an area free of plants, a part of your garden which receives good sunshine and an area easy to access. When choosing a raised bed ensure it is protected against wood rot. Choose a raised bed made from pressure treated timber or pre-treat a raised bed with wood treatment paint.

2. Once you have a raised bed you can then measure out the area for your first raised bed. Lay the boards of your raised bed flat on the ground. Place string and pegs into the ground and measure out the area of where your raised bed will sit.

Deep raised wooden bed.

Raised beds are easy to use and can help reduce back pain.

3. Once the pegs and string are in the ground you can then remove the boards and begin working the ground. Using a sharp spade remove any lawn or grass in strips; save the turf as this will be used in the raised bed. Aim to remove 5 cm thick of lawn in depth.

4. Once the soil is ready you can then construct the raised bed. Follow the instructions to build the raised bed. Most raised beds are constructed in the same way with galvanised metal brackets and screws depending on the size of the bed.

Raised bed on patios.

Once raised beds are installed they can be surrounded with patios.

5. Once the bed is installed lay the turf upside down in the middle of the raised bed. This provides a good base for the compost. Empty the compost into the raised bed and spread it evenly. Then light tread down the soil; you want the compost to be slightly raised in the middle of the bed; this will allow enough compost for settling.

6. To help secure a raised bed you can hammer sharpened pegs into the boarder of the beds to help hold them in placed.

7. You can now plant! Choose plants that are suited to growing together to help prevent the need for strong chemical pesticides. Be sure to water raised beds regularly as they can easily dry out. Rotating the crops you grow in your raised bed will also help ensure the beds stay healthy.

If you’re looking for high quality raised beds and other growing accessories take a look at the Walton’s Garden Buildings extensive range.

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Growing in an Urban Setting…

Posted on April 10, 2013 by

Living in a city centre has many benefits; there is always something to do and most amenities are open 24/7! Living in a city centre can also have its drawbacks; many city centre dwellers would love an outside area; somewhere to enjoy the outdoors. Vegetable growing has had a massive surge of uptake in the past few years with many of us preferring to grow our own food and know where it comes from! Many city dwellers want to grow their own food but with allotment waiting lists growing and more and more people wanting to grow it can seem impossible!

Raised Bed.

Raised beds are perfect for growing!

This blog post will go through a few simple ways you can grow in a city sized garden; whether that be a small courtyard, balcony or even just a front porch! Growing your own food has many advantages; firstly it is a great hobby; growing is easy to fit into any lifestyle and by choosing the right plants to grow you can also benefit from growing the plants you love to eat. We are also more aware of where our food comes from and air miles are a hot topic at the moment. Even everyday vegetables like bean sprouts or peas are flown in from far flung destinations to feed us. By growing your own food you know exactly what went into that food and where it has come from.

When growing in an urban area it is important to be realistic about the growing area you have; you may not be able to grow enough vegetables to feed you throughout the year but you could still grow a herbs and key vegetables which will add to your diet.

Choosing the right spot in your outside area is key; you need an area which will get as much sun as possible. Sun is very important as it helps plant grow and healthy plant growth is important if you want large vegetables. A balcony, windowsill or window box is the perfect area; courtyards are also easy to grow in.

Containers growing many different plants.

Container are perfect for growing vegetables.

Urban areas often don’t have soil or any grassy areas so you will have to grow vegetables in containers. Container growing is a term for anything not grown in the ground; a container can be almost anything from an old bath, terracotta pots or even old tin cans! A good container for growing needs to be deep enough to support the type of plant you want to grow. For example if you want to grow carrots you will need deep containers as carrots grow underground. Containers can be recycles, thrifted or just bought from the local garden centre. Ensure the containers you choose have good drainage; if a container does not have its own drainage you may need to drill some holes in.

Choosing the plants you want to grow will help you pick suitable containers. Many vegetable growers start by growing herbs; herbs are easy to grow and don’t take up much space. Herbs are also great for cooking and having a ready supply of fresh herbs would delight any chef. There are many different herbs to choose from like oregano, coriander, basil or even tarragon. Herbs can be grown in a large pot or can be potted individually. Just ensure you keep the plants well watered and don’t prune them back too far!

Choosing vegetables suited to container growing will make your task of growing vegetable much easier. Tomatoes are perfect for balconies or patios; they are easy to grow and provide a large crop of fruit to eat! Salad leaves are also easy to grow and can be harvested all year round! Green onions, squash and carrots are also perfect for growing on a balcony.

Close up of hanging basket with plants.

Hanging basket are perfect for growing tomatoes.

Hanging baskets are perfect for growing in an urban setting. Traditionally hanging baskets are used for decoration but you can grow herbs and small tomatoes in a hanging basket too. Use good quality compost and make sure you water a hanging basket regularly. Hanging baskets do not hold a lot of soil so they can dry out easily.

Growing your own vegetable is a great hobby and producing your own vegetables can be very satisfying. So why not do something different this summer and grow your own food! If you’re looking for growing accessories take a look at Walton’s Garden Buildings great range.

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