CJ Landscapes is a landscaping company working with homeowners in Claygate on garden design, construction, planting, lighting and maintenance. Here, good landscaping starts below the surface. The village takes its name from its clay, and the ground in many gardens is heavy, slow to drain and inclined to move with the weather. Planning for that from the start is what makes a garden last.
Claygate is a Surrey village and the only civil parish in Elmbridge. Its clay pits once supplied bricks for a wide area, including parts of Hampton Court Palace. The Claygate Beds, the youngest layers of the London Clay, are named after the village, and green belt land borders it to the south and east.
Clay soil holds on to water. Through the winter it can stay wet for long spells, leaving lawns soft and patios slow to dry. In a dry summer the same ground can shrink and crack. That movement affects everything built on it, from paving to garden walls, so it needs to be understood before any work begins.
Clay has real advantages too. It holds nutrients well and, once its structure improves, it can support strong and healthy planting. The aim is not to fight the soil but to work with it, through sensible drainage, careful levels and steady improvement of the ground.
Most of the problems people notice on clay come down to water. Before we design a patio or a lawn, we look at how the garden falls, where water gathers after rain and where it can be carried away. Levels are set so surfaces shed water rather than hold it, and drainage is planned as part of the groundwork instead of being added once a problem shows itself.
Paving on clay needs a firm, well compacted base laid to the right depth for the ground and for the use it will get. We think carefully about the finish as well, because some materials and layouts cope better with slight movement than others. Walls, steps and edges are built with the same care. Our landscape construction page has more detail.
A lawn on clay often struggles because water sits just below the surface. Preparing the ground well before seeding or turfing makes a big difference. Depending on the garden, that can include improving the soil, adjusting the levels and adding drainage where it is needed. An established lawn can also be brought on over time with regular care at the right points in the year.
Plenty of plants do well in clay once they are established. Roses, viburnums, dogwoods, hardy geraniums and asters are good examples, along with trees such as crab apple and hawthorn. We choose plants that suit both the soil and the aspect of your garden, then prepare the beds so roots can get going in the first season.
Adding organic matter to borders over the years helps to open up heavy soil and makes it easier to work. Our garden planting page explains how we put planting schemes together.
Outdoor lighting is easiest to install while a garden is being built, as cables can be laid before paving and beds are finished. We plan lighting for paths, steps and seating areas, and keep it soft so it suits a village setting with open green belt land close by.
Once your garden is complete, our maintenance team can look after it through a monthly programme. On clay that care matters, as borders benefit from regular attention and lawns from work at the right time of year. It makes no difference if a different firm laid the garden out in the first place.
In a village built on clay, a garden that looks good on the day it is finished is only half the job. It also needs to drain after a wet week in January and hold together after a hot, dry August. That is why we look at the ground first and the finishes second.
Our garden designers and our construction team work from the same plan, so the drainage, the levels and the planting all point in the same direction. The result is a garden that is easier to live with and easier to look after.
Our quotes cost nothing and you are under no obligation. We are a local business with years of hands on experience, every garden we design is bespoke, and we aim to deal with you honestly and respectfully at every stage of the job.
Garden design is the focus of our page for neighbouring Esher.
On clay soil, water drains slowly and can sit near the surface for weeks. Improving the soil, adjusting the levels and adding drainage where needed can all help. We look at the lawn and at the way the garden falls before recommending anything.
The base matters more than the surface. A well compacted base at the right depth gives any paving the best start. We then talk through finishes that suit the look you want and the way the ground behaves in your garden.
Yes. Clay can be improved over time with organic matter and good bed preparation, and we choose plants that are happy in heavy soil.
Yes. Our monthly maintenance programme can look after your garden once it is built, and we can also take on gardens put in by another contractor.
To talk about drainage, paving, lawns, planting or maintenance in Claygate, call 01276 582095 or 07717 058646. Alternatively, fill in the short form on our contact us page and we will come back to you.
