At least half the cost of building a garden is in the materials. It's therefore important to use products that will look good as well as stand the test of time.

At ORIGIN we prefer to use natural materials for aesthetic as well as environmental reasons. Natural stone products look good and weather better than the concrete alternatives and are less likely to need replacing as quickly. This longevity and superior look, in our opinion, makes natural stone the best choice.

We only use stone that is from a supplier with certificates of Ethical and Environmental trading policies. These firms monitor the manufacturing process to make sure the labour force has correct safety equipment, fair pay & conditions as well as adhere to good environmental practices.

Stone
Global stone is one of the companies we prefer to use, they are a natural stone importer & supplier to builders merchants throughout the UK.

If you wish to find out more about Global Stone, please visit their website & download their latest brochure. www.globalstonepaving.co.uk ORIGIN gardens are featured on pages 21, 32 & 34.

Lighting
Using good quality lighting totally transforms the garden. A good lighting scheme can create stunning effects. Garden lighting has radically improved over the years. Now they are sleeker and much more energy efficient.

Planting
Creating a the right planting scheme is an important part of the design process. Combining the right plants for the right place is essential to complete a stunning design. A good scheme should not only look good for as much of the year as possible but within it deliver an exciting mix of colour, contrast, shape and form.

It is important to choose plants that will grow in the environmental conditions as well as with the garden environment around them. Each plant should compliment the surrounding plants with size shape, texture & colour.

We source our plants from the best nurseries for the best prices. Some of our suppliers grow and stock plants specially for us, which enables us to supply customers at times of year when other garden centres and nurseries have usually sold out of the choicest plants.

Specialist
We are able to create bespoke garden features from natural stone. Working closely with the Creative Stone company we can get get virtually any piece of stone cut and drilled to our requirements.

To find out more information please visit their website www.creative-stone.co.uk