Turning a concrete garden into a natural one

If you’ve have acquired a garden that is completely concreted over, and dream of having a luscious, green garden with lots of plants, or even a nice area for you to entertain or let the children play, then we thought we’d put some of our together top tips for achieving this dream.

You’re probably wondering where on earth you are going to start, and if it is at all even possible to do such a task. But it is a dream that can become a reality. We’re not going to lie, it will be hard work, but 100% worth it in the end!

So where do you start?

Plan

Have a think about what it is you want from your garden, and how you want it to look. Do you want to put a planting bed in? Would you prefer pots, or hedges around the circumference? New patio? Do you want to grow fruit and veg too? A real lawn or artificial lawn?

Once you’ve had a think, put together a drawing or plan so you have an idea of what you need to get rid of, and how much of the concrete needs to go.

Next the hard part – getting rid of the concrete. The overall size of the area that is concrete may determine whether you can do it yourself, with help from friends and family, or if you should hire a company to get rid of all the concrete.

If you choose to do it yourself then you’ll need to hire machinery to help break up the concrete and a skip to safely get rid of it. Remember to check that there aren’t any power cables, gas mains, water pipes or telephone wires underneath the concrete you’ll be demolishing. If you break through one of these elements, it will bring your garden renovation to a grinding halt and could potentially cost you a lot of money.

Protection

Once the above has been given the go ahead, you must wear protective safety gear to protect yourself and to reduce the risk of injury. This includes wearing safety goggles, and if using loud machinery then it is vital for you to wear ear plugs.

Preparation

Make sure your site is prepped. Including clearing any garden furniture and getting rid of any dirt, leaves and anything else that may get in the way. You’ll also need to make sure your tools have all the necessary parts to do the job properly. This will help to save you time in the long run – something no doubt you’ll be pleased about after breaking a lot of concrete up.

When it comes to breaking up the concrete it’s best to do so into smaller chunks, so it is easier for you to move away from the site and to dispose off.

Outlining

Once you have completely cleared your garden of the concrete, you’ll need to outline where you’d like your lawn to go; the shape of it, if you’re including a new patio where this will go,  and where your planting beds will go. Once this has been laid out, you’ll need to fill the ground with rich soil so plants can grow.

Lawn

When it comes to the lawn an artificial lawn would be perfect. Easy to look after, no watering, no weeding, no mowing, all you’d have to do is sit, relax and enjoy your surroundings.

If you choose an artificial lawn, or a traditional lawn either through turf or grass seed (this can take a while for the seed to germinate and grow and to create your lawn), preparation is key. The ground will need to be levelled beforehand, as well as making sure there is sufficient drainage.  

Next, it’s time to bed in the plants you have chosen, and add any finishing touches you’d like, including your garden furniture, and voila! Your dream garden is a reality, ready and waiting for you to enjoy.

Depending on the size of your garden this could be a weekend job or take a couple of weeks (weather dependent also). But what better feeling than knowing you’ve done a fab job, turning what you thought was impossible to an area you can be proud to relax in and show off to friends and family.