Derby

Derby Landscapers: stone walls, patios, lawns and drainage for Derby gardens

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In Derby, the ground under the garden does as much of the work as the landscaper: clay that holds water, slopes that move, rivers that rise.

What we are asked to build

Six kinds of work, from a garden wall to the drains under the lawn.

Four materials you will see in Derbyshire gardens

The county is built of stone and brick, and gardens follow the buildings.

A retaining wall, cut in half

Derby's suburbs climb towards the Peak District foothills, and a sloping garden needs steps or terraces. What you do not see decides whether the wall lasts.

Cross-section of a retaining wall A retaining wall holding back a bank of soil, with capping stones, gravel backfill, a land drain, a membrane, a foundation and weep holes. 1 2 3 4 5 6 retained soil lower level
  • 1
    Capping stonesThey shed water away from the wall face and finish the top.
  • 2
    Free-draining gravel behind the wallWater passes through it instead of building up against the stone.
  • 3
    A land drain at the baseA perforated pipe carries the water out to an outlet or soakaway.
  • 4
    Geotextile membraneIt keeps the soil out of the gravel so that the drainage does not clog.
  • 5
    A compacted foundationA level, compacted base carries the weight and stops the wall settling.
  • 6
    Weep holesGaps low in the wall let any trapped water out.
Man in a grey shirt and orange gloves checking a new stone retaining wall with a spirit level in a garden
Trench dug in red-brown soil with a drainage pipe laid in a bed of gravel

Water in a Derby garden

Much of the ground around Derby is heavy red clay, and parts of the city lie on the floodplains of the Derwent and the Trent. Water has to go somewhere.

Four ways to deal with it that do not simply push it into the road. Check your flood risk on GOV.UK before building low in the garden.

  • Permeable pavingA surface that lets rain soak through to a stone base below, instead of running off to the road.
  • SoakawayA pit filled with stone that holds rainwater and releases it slowly into the ground. It needs soil that drains.
  • Rain gardenA shallow planted dip that collects water from a roof or a patio and lets it sink in.
  • Water buttsThey hold roof water for the garden and take some pressure off the drains in a downpour.

Plants that suit the ground

Four sites, four short lists, like the labels in a nursery.

Gardener kneeling in a garden bed, pressing seedlings into freshly dug soil next to sacks of compost

Prepare the soil, then plant

On heavy clay, plants do better in ground opened up with organic matter and a little grit, and planted a touch proud of the surface.

Autumn is the best moment for trees, shrubs and hedges. Water in well, and mulch to keep the moisture.

Where we work around Derby

From the city centre out to the four points of the compass.

Frequently asked questions

From a few days for a low garden wall to several weeks for a long or tall one. Most of the time goes on the foundation, the drainage behind the wall and the groundwork, not on the stone.

Often not, but a wall beside a road or path over one metre high needs planning permission, and large changes to ground levels can too. Digging close to a neighbour's building or foundations can fall under the Party Wall Act. Ask your council.

Much of the ground around Derby is heavy clay, which drains slowly, and a lawn can be compacted on top of that. Aeration, better topsoil and, in bad cases, a land drain fix it. Turf laid on wet clay without preparation does not.

It lets water soak into the ground and helps with surface flooding. It needs the right sub-base and the surface needs occasional cleaning. In a front garden, a hard surface over five square metres needs planning permission unless it is permeable or drains to a lawn or border.

Autumn for trees, shrubs and hedges, when the soil is warm and moist. Spring for tender plants. Avoid frozen or waterlogged ground.

Check your long-term flood risk on GOV.UK first. Work within eight metres of a main river, such as the Derwent, can need a flood risk activity permit from the Environment Agency.

Yes: Derby and the suburbs and villages around it, including Mickleover, Allestree, Spondon, Belper and Chellaston. Enter your postcode in the form to start.

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