Garden design in Didsbury and Chorlton
Garden design in Didsbury. Now open Saturdays
We design and build gardens across South Manchester. Drainage first, levels right, planting that suits the soil it is actually in.
- Registered in England and Wales, company 07734112
- Elms & Daughter is Peter Elms and Rosa Elms.
Most garden problems start below the surface.
A patio that holds a puddle every winter. A lawn that turns to moss by March. Raised beds that bow after two summers. Most of what goes wrong in a garden happens underground: ground that was never drained, levels forced to fit a drawing, topsoil spread over builder's rubble. Getting the ground right first is what makes the rest of the garden last.
Services
Four things, done properly
From the first measured survey to the plants going in, in an order that holds up.
Garden design
A measured survey, a drawn plan and a planting schedule you could hand to anyone.
Construction
Groundworks, drainage, paving, walling, decking and fencing, built by the two of us.
Planting
Planting chosen for the aspect, the soil and how much time you actually have.
Maintenance
A small number of gardens we keep on, mostly ones we built.
The kind of gardens we design and build
Paving, planting and paths. Sample images, to be replaced with photographs of real gardens.
Two of us, fourteen years.
Elms & Daughter is Peter Elms and Rosa Elms. Peter served his time in groundworks and drainage before moving into landscaping, which is why every job starts below ground. Rosa trained in planting design and looks after the drawings and the plant schedules. The two people who draw the plan are the two who build it.
Questions people ask
The things most people want to know before they start on a garden.
Do I need planning permission for a new patio?
Not usually for a back garden. In a front garden in England, paving more than five square metres needs permission unless the surface lets water through or drains onto a lawn or border.
Porcelain or natural stone paving?
Porcelain is consistent, hard wearing and shrugs off stains, which makes it low maintenance. Sandstone is warmer and every slab is different, but it weathers and needs cleaning now and then. Both last for decades when the base underneath is right.
When is the best time to plant?
Autumn and spring suit most shrubs and perennials, because the soil is moist and warm enough for roots to settle. Container-grown plants can go in at other times if they are watered through dry spells.
Why does drainage matter so much?
Standing water is what lifts paving, rots timber and turns lawns to moss. On heavy clay soil, which is common around Greater Manchester, water has nowhere to go unless the ground is shaped and drained for it.
How long does a garden build take?
It depends on the groundworks and materials. A typical back garden build is a matter of weeks on site rather than days, and the design stage comes before that.
Still have questions?
Get a quote
Tell us about your garden
Send the postcode and a rough idea. We will tell you whether it is a job for us, what it is likely to cost and when we could start.