Fenstanton Garden Transformation: Decorative Gravel & Sandstone Rotunda

This job was a pleasure to work in Fenstanton and we were spoiled with hot drinks and refreshments. Our dog Murphy was welcomed and loved laying in the middle of wherever we were working!

The homeowner wanted a low maintenance and aesthetically pleasing front garden. After liaising with the homeowner and a brief discussion, they decided that they would like it levelled and decorative gravel covering the majority of the space, thus removing the lawn and the need to mow it throughout the summer months. They also wanted a feature in the middle and chose a sandstone rotunda in the centre, with space in the middle to plant a tree.

Preparation Of The Front Garden

First step was to remove any organic matter, such as the lawn and shrubs which were dotted around. For this process we used a mini-digger for convenience as not only would we have to remove the green waste, but also several tons of inert soil was removed. These had to be kept separate for recycling.

We laid a weed-proof membrane across the whole area which would prevent unwanted plants growing through over the coming years and it also keeps the soil separate from the decorative gravel.

For the rotunda centre piece, we placed about 1 ton of cam spec in the middle to give our sandstone slabs a solid base, making sure they’d stay in place for years to come. An additional two ton of cam spec was put on the side of the garden to support any future vehicle traffic that potentially cut across the corner of the garden, to access the driveway. These areas where then whack-a-plated multiple times to compress them, ready for the next stage.

Decorative Gravel and Laying The Slabs

Once everything was prepped, we were ready to begin the next stage. Seven tons of decorative gravel was delivered from Bannold, Fenstanton’s local builders merchant, they always deliver on time, tons of options to choose from and have great customer service. The decorative gravel which was picked out by the homeowner was very popular and a great choice! As part of the team worked to distribute the gravel round the garden, the rest set to work on laying the rotunda in the middle, providing Murphy wasn’t trying to use the slabs as a pillow at that moment in time!

Finishing Touches

After the Rotunda was in place and we’d evenly spread the decorative gravel, making sure everything was in place as it should be. We had a good clear up, we do make a mess but always make sure we clean up after ourselves. Cleanliness is next to godliness!

We spoke to the homeowner who said she was going to choose a tree next week and place it in the middle, as we’d been spoiled with drinks we said we’d come back and put it in for her, saving her a job and it’d allow us to grab some lovely after pictures. It was a real joy to work and we were lucky enough the weather was on our side!