Restore, Renew or Replace?

Why reinvent the wheel? Ok, so cave dwelling families may have made them a bit lumpy and bumpy… rough around the edges… but they still did the same job - right? Sure technology has evolved in the past 20,000 years or so. But we can still thank our fore-fathers and mothers for their legacy.

Photo credit to The National Trust (Mount Stewart, Northern Ireland).

I see this analogy in gardens too. Why rip out and replace when you could simply improve? Patios can be cleaned, sealed and regrouted. Plants can be pruned, divided and repositioned. Fences can be cleaned and painted. Lawns can be scarified, aerated, seeded and fed. Equally, lost corners can be reconsidered and made better use of…. with a little creativity and imagination.

I see a garden as a journey, not an end point.

The ‘gardens’ of new build properties may however be the exception… a blank canvas to create with as you wish.

Still, often it is best to work with what you have. Does it not make economical and environmental sense?