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Love them or hate them, decks are still very much part of the garden design scene. It may have seemed like decks were done to death in every garden installed by the BBC Ground Force team in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Each week had Tommy Walsh the builder sawing up lengths of timber to put together a deck at lightning speed, to the strains of an annoying brass band soundtrack. But they remain popular in the ‘00s (naughties) too, and are often seen in the show gardens at the many flower shows over the summer.

Decks can be created in a variety of styles to suit all types of garden from roof terraces to modern courtyards. As they are a natural material, they help to blend the garden into the surroundings. They have several advantages over traditional paving choices too. Decking is warm and comfortable underfoot and great for children to play on, better than stone or concrete in coping with tumbles. They are ideal for constructing over uneven ground, or taking account of a large drop from the floor of a new extension to the existing garden. You can hide all manner of cables, pipes and transformers in the substructure.

When choosing the timber, you will need to decide between softwood and hardwood.

Softwood decking usually means pine, which is the cheapest option too. It is air dried and then treated with a preservative chemical, which binds to the lignin in the timber, and stays in the timber. Boards are either smooth or grooved. Grooved boards are often marketed as an anti-slip choice. However, if the grooves are running along the direction in which you are walking, there is little slip resistance.

Another softwood option is Western Red Cedar, which comes from North America and Canada, where it grows in mixed forests. These are managed under sustainable forest management principles, audited by third party inspection. Virtually 100% of the timber harvested is used, either as timber , wood pulp or energy to run the mills. It is a lovely choice for decking. The wood contains natural oils, which make it naturally resistant to decay and insect attack. It contains no pitch and doesn’t need the application of a preservative. It is a warm amber brown colour, which fades to silver-grey and it is resistant to warping and twisting.

Hardwood decking comes from South America. Ipe is 3 times harder than oak and a rich dark brown colour, which ages to a lighter brown. Yellow Balau from Malaysia is a yellowish brown.

Green oak is sometimes suggested as a decking material, but it tends to warp, so is not the best choice.

Take advice from the supplier as to the best type of screws to use for decking boards, as the wrong screw will react with the timber and cause staining.

When deciding on the size of the deck, put out your table and chairs, so you get an idea of how much space you need to leave for them and around them. You might also want space for pots or spaces to plant in the ground between the deck and the house walls. An integral sandpit is nice for children and it’s easy to sweep the sand back in afterwards.

So think again about decking as a choice for your garden. After all, at this time of year, what better place to put the ‘deck’ chairs for a spot of summer relaxation.The author Linda Regel runs a garden design and consultancy business, Green. Visit www.greengardendesign.co.uk or telephone 01344 844320.

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Jobs for July

Summer sunshine and long warm days makes all the effort you’ve put into your garden worthwhile. Flowering plants should be looking lovely, although they will need feeding and watering to keep them blooming. Fill gaps in your borders with potted bedding plants and perk up patio pots with a few fresh plants to see out the summer. Pots can be moved around so the ones in best condition are on display.

Cottage garden favourites such as roses, rudbeckia, hollyhocks and snapdragons should be blooming well and providing colour throughout the garden. Summer flowering shrubs such as philadelphus, jasmine and weigela will benefit if you cut back flowering shoots to strong new growth immediately after all the flowers have faded. Encouraging new growth helps carry flowers all over the plant instead of just at the top. To give them energy, dress around the roots with a slow release rose and shrub food.

Perk up plants in pots with a weekly boost of plant food. Apply it in the evening, over the leaves and into the compost to help your plants overflow with flowers. For a sizzling display, plant tubs full of red or orange flowering plants mixed with vibrant yellows. Check all hanging baskets and patio planters daily and water as required. Even on dull days they can use up water reserves.

Dead-heading roses will encourage more blooms later in the year. For best results the Royal National Rose Society recommends you simply snap off the dead head without removing any leaves. According to their trials the traditional way of using secateurs to cut back the stem at the same time slows down future flowering and reduces the number of blooms.

If we have a dry spell, see that your flowering plants are thoroughly watered once a week, rather than little and often. Cover the soil surface with a mulch such as decorative bark to encourage deeper roots that need less watering.

Keep cutting the grass regularly and trim the edges for a sharp look. Feeding and watering during mid-summer is beneficial to see the lawn through to the autumn rains. If you want to save time by watering and feeding the grass at the same time use Miracle-Gro Liquafeed. It has an adjustable sprayer head for a gentle spray or a jet of water to thoroughly wet the grass followed up with a diluted feed to improve the look of your lawn.

If lawn weeds such as clover, daisies and dandelions are a problem then use a selective weedkiller that can recognise the difference between grass and broad-leaved weeds. The best known is Verdone. Apply your lawn treatment mid-way between mowings, ideally when the soil is moist.

It’s time for picking, protecting and feeding the fruit in your garden. Protect strawberries, raspberries and redcurrants from birds by using suitable netting. After your strawberries have finished, peg down strawberry runners so you can have new plants for next year’s crop. Feed tomatoes with a liquid tomato food.

© 2008 Piranha PR Ltd Last update: 15/07/2008