Gardens Guide GARDENS GUIDE GARDEN TOURS GARDEN FINDER GARDEN  DESIGN HOTEL BREAKS LANDSCAPE GUIDE GARDEN HISTORY PRODUCTS PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPHS

Garden History CD DIRECTORY PRODUCTS HOME (+ 400 photos) * + Guide to Design Theory + New Product Reviews Lighting Electric lights , Solar lights, Gas lights, Oil lights, Candles, Fireworks, Fireplaces, Outooor mirrors, Lamp posts, Underwater lighting, Outdoor wiring, Lighting design, Chinese lanterns, Gallery, Water Water Features, Fountains, Ponds, Irrigation, Swimming Pools, Natural Swimming Ponds, Hot tubs, Solar Fountains, Ornamental Misting, Stepping stones, Advice on water quality, Circular pools, Circular fountains, Hot Tub Spas, Rain Gardens, CONSTRUCTION, Furniture Wood, Cast Iron, Steel, Wrought Iron, Cane, Aluminium, Plastic, Teak, Galleries: Wood, Mild Steel, Stainless Steel, Cast Iron, Aluminium, Cane, Plastic, Planters, Tools Lawn mowers, Watering cans, Hose pipes, Rakes, Digging tools, Historic garden tools, Machinery, Trowels, Secateurs and Hand Pruners, Wheelbarrows, Gardening Clothing, Loppers, Forks, Hoes Sculpture & Ornament Sundials, Weathervanes, Sculpture, Statuary, Metal Art, Stone Art, Bronze Sculpture, Buddha in gardens, Masks, Outdoor sculpture, Pets and wildlife, Buildings & structures Garden buildings, Roof gardens, Fencing, Railings, Trellis, Gazebos, Greenhouses, Conservatory, Bridges, Steps, Timber Decking, Grottoes, Stepping Stones, Paths, Sustainable Design Sustainable cities , Sustainable gardens, Sustainable landscape architecture, Green building, Hundertwasser, Green roof planning, Solar panels, Landscaped Architecture, Walls and roofs, Vegetated walls, Accessories Composter, Feng Shui, Casinos, Gifts, Games, Barbecue, Garden Property, Hose pipes, Sprinklers, Parasols, Plants & Planting Compost, Fertilizer, Horticulture, Hydroponics, Organic Gardening, Pest Control, Garden Seeds, Fruit, Herb Gardens, Plants Online, Topiary, Turf, Wildflowers, Birds and wildlife, Choosing materials Bitumen, Brick, Cobbles, Gravel, Concrete, Granite, Limestone, Mortar, Resin, Artificial stone, Sandstone, Terracotta, Copper, Glass, Tiles, Paint, Gold Leaf, Lead, Geotextiles, Computers & Design CAD, VectorCAD, Garden CAD, BitmapCAD, Drawing Programmes, GIS, Visual effects software, Design Principles Education, Books, Styles, UK Garden Designers, EA, Feng Shui, How to design a garden, Guide to planting design, Garden and landscape design ideas,

* The directory rests on the principle: 'use only the best'. This does not mean 'use the most expensive'. Unbound gravel, if well chosen, is a material of the highest quality. But precast concrete is almost always a trashy material: it can have the charm of fresh snow when laid but decays thereafter. Similarly: grass is an excellent material and plastic is, usually, undesirable in gardens. This is not an issue of old materials vs modern materials. Laminated glass and stainless steel, for example, are modern materials of high quality. It is more a question of durability and of the aging process. Lead and stone grow old gracefully. Plastic and concrete merely decay: they do not develop an attractive patina.

See the Design Guide for more discussion.

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