Green Fingered - Or Deadly Touch??

I have to say that by no means am I a florist or very "green fingered" but now I've invested in some Unreal Tree's & Hanging Baskets, I don't need to be either....woohoo!!!

Yes I can turn my hand to a bit of tree lopping and I have even managed to nurture an almost dead miniature rose tree back to health!!! I am quite good at creating or designing minimalist kind of spaces, that are practical and largely enjoyable, but I do love to see flowers tree's and greenery in my garden. Our garden is largely decked out at the rear, which is fabulous for those balmy summers evenings and great for entertaining (Frank Sinatra eat your heart out!!) but we have very few places or areas where we could actually "Grow" anything give or take the odd hole in the decking where the weeds seem to make their way through, and with that in mind we seem to spend hundreds of pounds every year on potted plants, tree's, bushes and anything else which seems a good idea at the time when we all venture out of hibernation come the long awaited Springtime, and every year those said plants and flowers die either due to harsh winters (see all the lifeless palm tree's dotted around lately) or long drought periods through summer.

Well this year we decided to turn a leaf (no pun intended) and practice what we preach. We've added a range of artificial hanging baskets to the Unreal range of products as well as a range of artificial tree's. We are also in the process of setting up an artificial tree hire company for those customers who need products to simply borrow short term.

I have to say though, you'd be hard pressed to be able to tell the difference (from a distance of course) between the real thing and the Unreal, low cost, zero maintenance, re-usable and ultra realistic alternatives. The only thing missing is the bee's which are sadly in decline, but on the same token if the bee's are gone then so too are the wasps - and that is by no means a sad thing in my way of looking at things.

I have a certain fascination with Bee's and being an Unreal fan as I quite obviously am, I am actually working on what I can do to counter act this contradiction of interests. I did quite a lot of research into Roof Gardens or Green Roofs as they are also known, and one of the terminologies used to classify green roofs is Bio diverse or Extensive and Brown Roofs. These feature what can only be described as wild flower and meadow land but high up in our towns and cities, attracting all kinds of insects, birds and wildlife which also require minimal maintenance - which is what Unreal Gardens or should we say Unreal Solutions is really all about - Creating low maintenance landscapes and open spaces using a variety of products and systems which either enhance, protect or benefit the environment in some way shape or form and ultimately for the greater good.

So for all those who are screaming at me for being partly responsible for the demise of our planet, we have to stop and say what are the real problems which lie beneath and what can we do to resolve these issues?

• Global Warming
• Water Shortages
• Insect Decline
• Landfill Excess
• Food Shortages
• Fossil Fuel Shortages

The list goes on and on, and for every answer there is a negative to compound it. We can't take on everything at once, but we can make a difference bit by bit, and its that what I want us to do at Unreal Solutions - Make A Difference, and with you our customers, we will.

Ground Reinforcement & Gravel Stabilisation

Continuing on the theme of Ground Stabilisation systems, I figured I would write about the other type of products we also offer which fall into the ground protection product family.

Cellular systems have come a long way since the early days of the hugely heavy concrete systems. There are literally hundreds of products on the market these days all claiming to do this better or that better, or can carry this much weight or can tolerate that much heat expansion, and the fact of the matter is that yes they can, and many of the products are generically similar in design - quite who copied who and which patents were infringed first is the subject of many long and expensive legal wranglings, and most of which really won't make a jot of difference, because as one goes another will reappear claiming to be an enhancement to its predecessor.

The point you have to ask is:

"Will it do what you want it to do, and what will be the intended infill?"

It is a valid point that some products perform better with different infill materials - by which I mean gravel or loose aggregate as opposed to grass. And what easily defines this is the make up of the cell structure. A predominantly open cell base is far better for grass than that of a predominantly closed structure as the root system has a better opportunity to pass through to the subsoil beneath. Whereas a closed cell structure is better for gravel and aggregate as it is more difficult for the aggregate to pass through.

(Above: Closed Cell With Aggregate Infill)

As mentioned there are quite literally hundreds of cellular ground reinforcement products currently available and Unreal Solutions offer 2 products too. We chose two as in our experience one is particularly suitable as a Grass Paving System while the other is ideal as a Gravel Stabilisation System. When contacting us we suggest mentioning which most interests you and we will endeavour to help you with this.

We also have a team of installers who can operate in and around North East Lincolnshire to install these systems, and we can also supply all the necessary materials too which you may need to complete your project (membranes, edgings, fixing pins etc)

These paving systems are completely permeable allowing water to pass through naturally to the subgrade beneath and can also help to alleviate storm water run off which at times inundates our rainwater drainage system, and being made largely from recycled materials, these products are also environmentally friendly too.

One critical point as with all systems like these, they are only as effective as the base on which they are laid. The more emphasis that is put on preparation beforehand the better the product will perform. If corners are cut on sub base materials for example using broken bricks and flagstones instead of good quality sub base material the product is likely to fail. and the same if there is no membrane used to separate the subsoil from the sub base, the base will migrate and the sub base will fail resulting in a disappointing and uneven surface.

Call us to discuss further, we are here to help and advise accordingly.

More blogs on products to follow shortly, thanks for reading.

Grass Protection Mesh

Well having had such a fabulous week and a busy one at that I figured it was time to add to the Unreal Blog again, and I have to say I wasn't sure what to Blog about first, so there may well follow another post after this one.

I'd like to talk a little about another fabulous range of products we can offer which are suitable for a wide range of applications and not least of all the domestic homeowners. Grass Protection Mesh is a fantastic product which is very simple to install and very effective at doing what it says on the tin - protecting grass!!



The system is a kind of stiff, extruded netting which when laid on top of existing grass, protects the root system from damage caused by frequent trafficking be it pedestrian or vehicular. The product is a none invasive system meaning little or no prior preparation is required, simply measure the total area required and then decide which variety is best for the application at hand.

Our Grass Protection Mesh does not require any planning permission and can be installed very quickly and providing the area is not over used and the grass is allowed to grow prior to first use - the system will save time and money and put otherwise inaccessible land to good use for overspill parking areas, events, golf courses parks and gardens, and other areas at risk from frequent trafficking.

The grass must be allowed to grow through the mesh as it is this which provides the mesh with its optimum strength binding the grass sytem together and strengthening the surface tension. Spring & summer are the ideal times to install due to rapid grass growth, although it can be installed during winter, but usage must be ket to a minimum until the grass grows through.

The picture above really shows what happens when the are is used too quickly. What needs to happen here is that the whole area be cordoned off and re seeded and left untouched for probably 12 months until the new grass area is completely sewn into the mesh.

Grass protection meshes can be great for the homeowner too as children gradually grow and learn to drive, then suddenly the two car driveway needs to become 3 or maybe even 4 car acceptable. If you have a front lawn (and lets face it - who actually "uses" their front lawn these days) then by adding grass protection mesh you are quickly and affordably extending your driveway and making maximum use of your garden space.

Ideal for agricultural use too for farm tracks, and equine uses as well as field gateways etc, and also for local authority use, for making their parks and gardens more useable and accessible to all.

For more information or to discuss any requirements you may have why not call us on 01472 235619 or drop us and email to sales@unrealgardens.co.uk We would be only too pleased to hear from you and offer our unequalled service and recomendations without any obligation.

More coming soon.