Nettleham
This rear garden in Nettleham had a good-sized lawn but nowhere comfortable to sit. The old patio was small, uneven and tucked into the shade by the house, so it was rarely used, and the boundary fence did little to screen the neighbouring gardens.
The homeowners wanted a space they could use from spring to autumn: room to eat outside with friends, a place to sit with a drink once the children were in bed, and a lawn that still left plenty of room to play.
The brief was simple to say and harder to get right: a bigger patio in the sun, built-in seating so the garden did not fill up with furniture, and more privacy at the far end without losing the light.
At the free design visit we measured the garden, checked the levels and looked at where the sun fell through the afternoon. That moved the new patio away from the house to the sunnier side of the garden, where it catches the evening light.
We drew the layout in 3D, including the bench, the screen and the lighting, so the homeowners could see the finished garden from the kitchen window before agreeing a fixed price.
We started by lifting the old patio and digging out for the new one, then laid and compacted a sub-base and set the levels so rain runs away from the seating area towards the lawn.
The patio is light grey porcelain, bedded on a full mortar bed with slip-rated slabs and weed-resistant pointing. Porcelain suited the clean lines of the design and keeps its colour with little more than a sweep.
The L-shaped hardwood bench is fixed to a hidden frame so it appears to float above the paving, with raised planters at either end to soften the corners and bring planting up to seat height.
Behind it we built a slatted timber screen on posts set in concrete, and fitted the wall lights as we went so the cables are hidden. The screen gives privacy from the neighbouring gardens while still letting light and air through.
Throughout the build we kept the site tidy, protected the lawn and kept the route to the house clear, and Owen visited to check progress and answer questions.
The patio has become the place the family heads to as soon as the weather allows. The bench seats a crowd with no furniture to move, and the planters and screen make it feel sheltered and private.
In the evening the wall lights pick out the slats and throw a soft light across the paving, so the garden is just as usable after dark as it is in the afternoon.
Because the patio sits on a proper base with falls built in, it stays dry and level, and the porcelain needs very little looking after. Like every garden we build, it carries our 10-year workmanship guarantee.
Why Fosse & Fen
Every garden starts with understanding how you want to use it. We visit, measure up and listen, then draw the garden in 3D so you can change what you like before we price it. You get a fixed, itemised quote, with no surprises later.
Our own team builds everything we design, from the dig-out to the last plant, so nothing is lost in a handover. You have one number to call, a tidy site every evening and a 10-year workmanship guarantee on the finished garden.
Gallery
More projects
A hardwood deck around a formal pond, with stepping slabs leading to a louvred pergola.
A circular block-paved courtyard, a sandstone terrace and oak pergolas by the house.
Reviews
They dug out the whole back garden and had the patio, lawn and lighting finished in four weeks. The 3D drawing meant there were no surprises. It looks exactly like the drawing.
SK
Sarah K.
Nettleham
Owen came out three times during the build to check on things. The lads were polite, started on time every morning and swept the drive every night.
DR
David and Helen R.
Heighington
Our resin driveway went down in a day once the base was in. Fixed price, no extras, and the guarantee in writing.
MT
Mark T.
Washingborough
Tell us about your garden and we will book your free design visit.
01632 960418