The wooden deck

What could be more pleasant than a wooden deck to take the time to live fully in your garden? Aesthetically pleasing and easy to install, it is an interesting option to extend the house and create a new living space when the weather is nice.

Contrary to popular belief, a wooden deck is easier to install than a paved or tiled deck. More aesthetic, ecological and integrated, it will blend in much better with the landscape.

Please note that a building permit must be requested for a surface greater than 20m².

Implementation

The location of the terrace depends on the level of sunlight you want, its ideal orientation will be south, southwest. You will then have the possibility to equip it with pergolas or micro perforated canvas in summer. Before building your terrace, take into account the trees in the neighborhood that could provide shade or lose their leaves and fruit and stain the wood permanently. Another important parameter is wind. Choose a protected area, such as between the corner of a wall and the house, to avoid having your deck swept away by the prevailing winds.

Don't forget that your deck should not interfere with your garden, but rather be integrated into it. To do this, install it on one side of the lot or next to the house rather than in the center to avoid the multiplication of small, unusable and unsightly surfaces.

The different structures

You can build your wood deck on various supports.

Often an unsightly concrete slab extends the house, you can exploit it by covering it with wood, thus creating a warm terrace. Simply attach joists directly to the slab, and screw the wood boards to it. It's a job that any good handyman can do, and it won't take you long to do.

If you start directly from the ground of your garden, the preparation of the structure must be careful to avoid future problems: plant concrete blocks every two meters, then spread a polymer wire to prevent the rise of water and the growth of weeds. You will fix the joists on these blocks, then perpendicularly wooden cleats on which the boards will be fixed. For high terraces or terraces on stilts, call in a professional.

The Wood

Exotic woods are ideal for this type of construction. Teak, although expensive, is a "must" for making a deck, it is solid, rot-proof and has its own beautiful characteristic color; ipe is also a brown wood that is very resistant to humidity, fungus and insects, and is a little less expensive. Padauk is currently very popular thanks to its properties and its beautiful coral red color. Its mechanical qualities allow for clip-on or screw-down installation.

All you have to do is make your choice and enjoy your new living space!

Evergreen planters

A planter, a decorative container all winter long, is best planted now, in September/October.

Pansies, cornuta, C anto® cyclamen and primroses are excellent for providing flowers... but it can become boring and flat month after month and year after year. Plus, these species don't dress up their containers!

You will find in your usual garden center evergreen plants proposed in 10 cm pots. These products are very interesting to compose your planter, to dress the front and to serve as a case and/or protection for flowering plants...

• A blue grass (Fescue or Koleria) to sit an orange cornuta or a Canto® cyclamen.
• A copper grass (Carex) to present a pansy or a pure blue cornuta.
• The silver and curry-scented Helichrysum italicum highlights, in particular, scarlet reds, but also all other bright colors.
• The various ornamental thymes, golden, variegated or silver, will dress up the front of the planter or container with a high density of foliage and form a cushion like a display for the flowering plant that will be placed in the background.
• It is the same with Ajuga, a little more vigorous or Lamium and Lysimachia numularia, whose vigor allows to go down to the bottom of the planter.

The variegated Vinca (periwinkle), the ivy and also the Lysimachia numularia, form long branches that give volume and movement to the whole composition.

Make your own wood deck

The wood deck has been a real craze for several years. It has gradually become the reference for landscaping around the house. Indeed, what better than wood to ensure a smooth transition between the house and the garden?

The wooden deck has many advantages :

• easy adaptation to different land configurations,
• a natural and relaxed look that adapts to all styles
• good value for money (the price of a wooden deck)
• Wood is a pleasant material to live with,
• wood is easy to work with,
• low maintenance,
• durability over time.

A simple construction

Depending on the case, the administrative formalities can be reduced or simply non-existent.

Moreover, a wooden deck is easy to build. It is a project within the reach of a beginner. However, the most important thing is to follow the rules of the trade because there are many mistakes made, whether the deck is installed by a beginner or an experienced handyman.

Because there are things that cannot be invented. A good source of information, complete and up-to-date documentation, is therefore a must.

Do the deck yourself

In an estimate for a professionally installed wood deck, the total price is the surface area of the deck multiplied by a flat rate per square meter. This price per m² depends on the complexity of the supporting structure. It includes the price of materials (structural wood, deck boards, fasteners, supplies, finishes, etc.) and the price of labor. The installer includes overhead, social charges and an additional margin. It's normal, he has to earn a living like everyone else. As a result, the price per m² may seem exaggerated at first. There is no exaggeration, but only the addition of very real costs.

By doing it yourself, the savings are very important. You can cut the bill in half and even save 60% or more.

Adopt the right structure

A wooden deck is composed of wooden slats, the decking, attached to a structure.

There are different types of structures depending on the nature of the land and the height:

• laying on concrete slab
• laying on PVC blocks
• laying on concrete blocks
• laying at ground level
• laying on beams

The choice of a type of structure depends on the nature of the ground supporting the wood deck and the height of the wood deck in relation to the natural ground.

It is essential to properly size the structure, otherwise the solidity and safety of the work will be compromised. On the other hand, an oversized structure represents an unnecessary extra cost of several hundred euros and will require much more effort during assembly.

Beware of the "ready-made" solutions offered by some merchants. They are not necessarily the best solution for you. For example, the dimensions and spacing of the joists depend on the section and mechanical characteristics of the deck boards. The dimensions of the beams and joists depend on the loads and spans to be crossed.

Wood decking and sustainable development

Of course, wood is a natural, non-toxic (if not treated), renewable material. At first glance, there is no greener building material.

But BE CAREFUL, choose a wood labeled FSC, if it is an exotic wood.

But the ideal is to use a local wood. Choosing a local wood, it is to support the local economic fabric. It means more jobs. Choosing a local wood is an incentive to exploit the forests, to maintain them, and therefore to promote their growth. For example, Robinia and Chestnut have an excellent resistance to xylophagous agents. Oak, Douglas fir and Larch can also be used with a few precautions.

Planters for Christmas

Today, the Christmas decor is opening up to the outside world! Coming from Northern Europe, we want to give our windows, façades and gardens their festive finery. Decorating contests are organized in some towns and people come from all around to admire the most spectacular creations at night.

In addition to the illuminations, the plants bring you material to stimulate your creativity. There is an unsuspected palette to decorate balconies and windowsills.

Winter flowers, gleaming berries and colorful evergreen foliage can be combined to decorate your windows during the day.

Garlands and other lights will take care of the night show.

Miniature and related fir trees for window boxes 

• False cypress 'Top Point
• Dwarf spruce
• Juniper 'Sentinel
• Juniper 'Stricta
• Dwarf Serbian Fir
• Dwarf Blue Fir

Flowers that never get cold 

• Winter heather (white, pink, purple red)
• Autumn Camellia (pink, white)
• Hellbore (white)
• Winter jasmine (yellow) if pruned regularly
• Japanese Skimmia 'Rubella' (pink)

Berries for the holidays 

• Gaultheria (red, purple)
• Pernettya (pink, white)
• Japanese Skimmia (red)

Red and purple foliage that lasts all winter

• Purple creeping bugle
• Heuchera 'Palace Purple', 'Rachel
• Leucothoe 'Scarletta
• Dwarf Purple Pittosporum
• Purple Sage

Foliage in soft green 

• Muehlenbeckia
• Golden lumpwort
• Rosemary
• Green Santolinia
• Lemon Thyme 'Golden Dwarf

Blue-green foliage 

• Blue Fescue
• Street

Variegated foliage 

• Abelia 'Confetti
• variegated Acore
• Mugwort 'Oriental Limelight
• Carex 'Evergold'
• variegated evergreen sedge
• Fusain 'Emerald Gaity
• Lime 'Golden anniversary
• Golden Anniversary' Lame Tree
• Leucothoe 'Rainbow' (French)
• Ivy
• Pachysandra variegated
• Periwinkle 'Illumination
• Pittosporum small leaf variegated
• variegated sage 'Icterina

Grey foliage 

• Mugwort 'Powis Castle
• Calocephalus
• Maritime Cinerea
• Hebe 'Pagei
• Helichrysum woolly
• Heuchera 'Pretty Polly', 'Can Can'...
• Lavender
• Bear's Ear 'Silver Carpet
• Grey Santolin
• Sage 'Berggarten

Geraniums with fragrant foliage

Surprisingly, scented geraniums diffuse their fragrance as soon as their foliage is crumpled with your fingertips. Ideal for beds, borders and walkways, they are sure to charm you!

Scented cranesbill : what is it ?

Wrongly called 'geraniums', they are in fact plants belonging to the Pelargonium genus, so vast that it includes 230 species of plants and multiple cultivars. There are many forms of Pelargoniums, including the well-known ivies on our balconies, the zonals used in pots and beds, but also the fragrant Pelargoniums whose foliage often gives off a characteristic odor when it is crumpled or when the sun heats it, or even when the dew touches it.

The shapes and textures of the foliage vary from one species or variety to another: velvety, lobed, toothed, cut...

The flowers of these Pelargoniums are often simple, pink or white, rarely spectacular, but this does not matter since it is mainly the fragrance of the leaves that will hold the attention of the gardener.

Species and varieties of scented geraniums

There are botanical species with a strong scent, such as Pelargonium tomentosum, a species that spreads easily on the ground and has beautiful, velvety, hard green leaves. A strong mentholated smell escapes from the plant as soon as it is touched.  The small white flowers are charming and appear in summer. Attention this species native of South Africa is frileuse! Take the pots inside in winter.

Pelargonium odoratissimum is also native to South Africa. The rounded apple green leaves give off the scent of this fruit! From March to July, beautiful star-shaped flowers appear, adding to the ornamental power of this 'geranium'.

Pelargonium blandfordianum is a remarkable and amazing subject! Its very cut, almost feathery, grey/green foliage gives off the scent of almond and vermouth. The flowers of this species are white spotted with dark pink.

On the side of the cultivars and other hybrids, one finds the famous Pelargonium graveolens in these horticultural productions with the marked fragrance of pink. It is used in the field of perfumery and cosmetics. It is used in the composition of rose geranium essential oil, used to treat stress, but also skin problems, nausea and viral infections.

Let's also note the refreshing 'Torento Ginger' with its invigorating scent of lemon and ginger, the 'Lemon Fresh Mosquito Fighter' which keeps mosquitoes away and the no less charming 'Prince of Orange' which is reminiscent of the scent of this citrus fruit.

More surprising, 'Choco Scent' exhales a sweet chocolate and hazelnut scent. It is remarkable by its very cut bright green foliage and by its small pink flowers which contrast with this last one and what to say about 'Chocolate Peppermint' which combines the perfumes of mint and chocolate like a certain well known delicacy!

Balconies in full bloom

In the past, balconies were only decorated with ivy geraniums. Nowadays, the wide choice of plants in various colors, textures and forms offers many possibilities. Pleasure of the eyes assured during all the beautiful season!

New trends, new techniques

Flowering balconies has become a national sport in our country. Some municipalities even encourage residents to do so, to the delight of walkers. The choice of PVC planters in flashy but also more classic colors is growing. English baskets and hanging baskets are available in many models and materials.

New techniques that allow for better water retention (gel, beads...), new substrates that are very rich and specific to each crop, slow release fertilizers but also drip systems applied to the balcony are all advances that facilitate the work of urban gardeners.

In the past, there was only a limited choice of potted plants, nowadays, it is possible to order mini-pots on the Internet in one click and have them delivered to your home. This ingenious system makes it possible to obtain many plants in the beginning of growth, thus less expensive. No more need to sow your seeds while keeping the pleasure of seeing the plant grow!

Every year new varieties are created and flood the market. Original colors, more resistant plants, thematic classification (shade, sun, beautiful foliage ...) offer the possibility of infinite modulation of plantings on the balcony.

Cascades of flowers on the balcony

Just go to any garden center in the spring to realize the sea of flowers that it offers. Among them, the great classics of our balconies such as the ivy pelargoniums or the petunias, but also the osteopermums with their large white, pink or orange daisies, the surfinias forming cascades of flowers with new colors every year, the 'Million Bells' with their small and very colorful flowers, or the multiple cultivars of verbena.

Ideal plants in compositions, bidens, illuminate the pots with their golden yellow, lobelias, lighten the decor with their airy white or deep blue flowers while diascias bring a touch of originality.

Balconies located in the shade or half-shade will benefit from the new impatiens cultivars, including those from New Guinea, with delicately iridescent flowers, as if glittering when a ray of sunlight touches them. Impatiens with very double flowers will be perfect in a pot on a table, in order to fully enjoy their buds looking like small roses.

Let's not forget the timeless fuchsia, which also benefits from numerous hybridizations to come back every year in new versions with ever more chubby and colorful flowers!