Notes from the studio and the site
Writing from twenty-six years of designing and building gardens in Hertfordshire and Essex — planning rules, materials, soil and how a project actually runs.
Small is not a constraint on quality — layout, terraces, verticals, planting and lighting: how narrow town plots become the garden you use most.
Seven things worth checking before you commission a garden — from who actually builds the drawing, to who asks about your soil before your paving.
Drainage first, sub-base second, soil third, beauty last: how we build and plant on the heavy clay that underlies most of Essex and Hertfordshire.
Both excellent, neither universal: how porcelain and natural stone paving differ in look, wear, cost and care — and how we help clients choose.
First visit, survey, concept, construction and aftercare — how a Conway Landscapes design and build project actually runs, and what each stage commits you to.
Pergolas, garden rooms, walls and patios: when Hertfordshire's permitted development rules apply, when conservation areas and listed buildings change the answer, and how we design within it.