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Finally we are approaching the time of year where we see less cold and rain and more bright sunny days (fingers crossed). With spring now just around the corner, we can all look forward to spending more time outside in our beloved gardens and look at the Garden Trends for Spring 2024.
Although, after months of being subjected to the harsh winter conditions many of our gardens aren’t looking as pristine as we might like. So, with this in mind, here are some of the top 2024 garden trends that you can incorporate into your spring garden tidy up and have it ready to burst into life this spring.
Embracing the Wild Side
Typically, there is an idea that wild plants and flowers aren’t visually appealing in our gardens, with rigid geometric designs being preferred in the gardening world.
However, natural, realistic garden aesthetics are becoming increasingly popular in 2024! Think carpets of wildflowers bursting with colour, meandering pathways that weave through your space like woodland trails and uneven borders that mimic the natural world’s organic flow.
By incorporating native flowers and habitats for pollinators, you can foster biodiversity while adding a vibrant touch to your garden that looks stunning.
With Grangewood Fencing’s beautiful hazel hurdles, you can add a sustainably sourced, natural border to your wild themed garden that provides a seamless rustic appeal and blends with your untamed aesthetic.
Open Air Sitting Rooms
As we enjoy longer days and warmer weather, the outdoors becomes an extension of our living space.
Outdoor seating areas aren’t new, but 2024 emphasizes comfort blending seamlessly with garden nature.
Use wooden garden furniture instead of metal or plastic seating and glass tables.
Many garden enthusiasts are building their own wooden garden furniture.
Using railway sleepers or other timber, you can create elegant seating, tables, and planter boxes.
DIY wooden garden furniture adds uniqueness, environmental friendliness, and robustness to your garden.
For an extra touch of comfort, add neutral coloured throws, cushions and weatherproof rugs.
For more inspiration on using railway sleepers for your garden furniture, click below!
Five Uses for Railway Sleepers in your Garden
A Feast for the Senses and the Stomach
Nature and sustainability take center stage again.
As people grow more conscious of their food origins and seek sustainable practices, edible gardens are thriving in 2024.
This year, it’s about more than growing vegetables and herbs; it’s a culinary adventure with your garden.
Edible gardens in 2024 focus on exploration and experimentation. Instead of sticking to traditional staples, try incorporating:
Unique Vegetables: Grow heirloom tomatoes and peppers with exciting colors and flavors. Experiment with lesser-known vegetables like kohlrabi, romanesco broccoli, or okra, adding variety and visual interest to your garden and plate.
Edible Flowers: Admire their beauty and add them to salads, desserts, or cocktails for elegance and flavor. Use pansies, nasturtiums, or violas to enhance both aesthetics and taste.
Herb Delights: Explore the vast world of culinary herbs beyond the usual ones. Grow lemon balm, lemongrass, or Thai basil to add unique aromas and flavors to your dishes and garden.
Growing your own food lets you control its quality and origin. Its also great for reducing reliance on commercially produced food and its environmental impact.
2024 – The Year of Sustainability
When it comes to choosing the right fence posts, the options can be overwhelming.
While traditional wooden fence posts remain a popular choice for some, the increasingly unpredictable weather and a demand for security has seen many people turn to concrete fence posts as a sturdy alternative.
For those considering concrete posts for their next fencing project, this comprehensive guide will delve into everything you need to know about concrete fence posts, answering common questions and equipping you with the knowledge to make an informed decision.
Why Use Concrete Fence Posts?
For homeowners that value privacy, safety and reliable performance, concrete fence posts are the ideal solution to provide additional reinforcement to your fencing.
Due to their inherent weight and strength, concrete posts are extremely difficult to break, meaning that they add significant stability to your fence when subjected to extreme weather conditions or even intentional damage.
Concrete fence posts anchor firmly into the ground, especially when installed with our high-quality rapid-set post concrete, offering a solid foundation for your fence panels and minimising the risk of leaning or shifting.
As a material, the production of concrete also involves minimal environmental impact and it can be easily recycled or repurposed at the end of its life cycle, making it an eco-friendly choice.
Shop Concrete Fencing Products
Are Concrete Fence Posts Better Than Wood?
Whilst wooden fence posts have their merits, concrete posts often outperform them in terms of durability, maintenance and longevity.
Rot, pests and weathering are all common issues presented with the use of wooden posts. However, concrete is unaffected by these factors, saving you the time and money associated with regular treatments, coatings and repairs.
| Feature | Concrete | Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Durability | Excellent | Moderate |
| Maintenance | Low | High |
| Security | High | Moderate |
| Cost | Varies by size and style | Varies by type and quality |
| Aesthetics | Modern, Industrial | Traditional, Natural |
As you can see above, concrete offers superior durability and lower maintenance requirements, ensuring long-term performance.
Can You Paint Concrete Fence Posts?
Yes! While concrete has its own natural aesthetics, you can customise concrete posts to match your existing panels or personal preferences, ensuring that they blend seamlessly with the overall design palette of your garden.
There are some important things to consider when painting concrete posts.
Firstly, concrete is a porous material, meaning that it will need to be cleaned and primed (using an acrylic latex primer) to guarantee successful paint adherence.
Once your primer layers have completely dried out, use a high-quality masonry paint designed for concrete surfaces and apply the paint carefully using a roller for the best results and a smoother finish.
Allow each coat to dry thoroughly before applying the next one. Pinterest has some wonderful ideas for painting concrete posts, and may give some inspiration for your own garden.
Can Concrete Fence Posts Be Drilled?
Yes, concrete fence posts can be drilled, although it does require specialised tools, techniques, and precautions to ensure that posts aren’t cracked or damaged during the drilling process.
- Hammer drill
- Masonry drill bits
- Safety glasses
- Ear protection
- Dusk mask
- Gloves
- Wear your safety goggles, ear protection and gloves.
- Choose a masonry bit appropriate for the hole size you need.
- Mark your drilling spots.
- Create a pilot hole with a smaller-sized masonry bit.
- Attach a larger bit and hold the drill firmly to gradually increase size.
- Clear dust regularly.
- Use water for deeper holes (3+ Inches).
Consider concrete posts for a new fence installation or an upgrade for a durable, attractive solution.
At Grangewood, we stock a wide selection of concrete fence posts and related products. Our offerings include various sizes and heavy-duty options to meet your needs.
Explore our Range
Concrete fence posts offer a robust and reliable choice for fencing projects, offering durability, low maintenance and versatility.
Whether you’re considering a new fence installation or upgrading an existing one, choosing concrete posts can provide a long-lasting solution.
At Grangewood, we stock a wide selection of concrete fence posts and related products.
Autumn Garden Projects
As the days get colder and the nights draw in, the time comes to savour those days where we actually get a bit of sunshine. These days present the perfect opportunity to get your Autumn garden projects underway. To give you a little inspiration, we’ve come up with our top 5 products to help you spruce up your garden this November.
Decking
To begin with we have decking! Our timber decking boards make for both an attractive and practical outdoor surface which will last for years to come. Our pressure treated decking boards are more resistant to rotting and warping, so other than the occasional Ronseal coating to maintain your colour of choice, your deck will need very little TLC.
If you’re looking for an alternative to your traditional timber decking, we also stock HD composite decking. This is a low maintenance and durable alternative to timber. Although it looks like wood, it uses the latest in composite technology to create a long-lasting decking. This decking maintains consistent colour and has slip resistant properties. It’s perfect for you Autumn garden projects and we even have our own handy guide on how to install it, making your life that little bit easier.
Hazel Hurdles
Another great product we have right now are our hazel hurdles and we can’t talk about them enough! They’re currently on offer too, which makes them an even more attractive pick for this month’s top 5. If you’re not a fan of the traditional decorative fencing look, hazel hurdles are a high-quality rustic style fence for those who prefer something a little more natural looking with the same amount of style and luxury. Due to their construction, the panels look the same from both sides. This makes them excellent for boundary fencing between neighbours. Lots of people use our shorter hazel hurdles (heights range from 0.9m to 1.8m) as borders within their own gardens. This can be seen in the photo below, and it looks great!
Our hazel hurdles also hold the FSC logo which identifies products which contains wood from well-managed forests. This way you know you’re getting an ethical product, as well as a beautiful fence.
Featheredge Board
Featheredge boards are one of our favourite fencing products! These boards are 125mm x 22m and are ideal for creating a sturdy boundary fence that will stand up to heavy winds, whilst still looking attractive. The boards are extremely durable. Often we see bad weather at this time of year, so they’re great for repairing existing fence panels that may have been damaged. They can even be affixed to closeboard panels so that both neighbours can have the same perfect finish – there’s no need for neighbourhood wars over fencing anymore! All of our featheredge boards are pressure-treated with TANATONE. This provides long term protection against fungal and insect attack. What’s not to love!?
4×4 Brown Timber Posts
Arguably a staple regardless of the time of year, our pressure treated 4×4 brown timber posts are ideal for supporting most types of timber fence panels. Having pressure-treated posts not only enhances the look of the posts but protects the timber from insect infestation, fungal decay and rot too. The posts come in a variety of heights to suit any project. They’re perfect – what else can we say!? They’re simply a staple!
Rapid Set Fence Post Concrete
Last but not least, we have our rapid set fence post concrete. Some may not consider this the most exciting product, and whilst it isn’t our most beautiful it definitely is one of the most useful! Our rapid set fence post concrete is a mixture of dried sands, cement and other additives. It also sets in only 5 to 10 minutes! It’s quick and easy to use – perfect for Autumn garden projects when daylight is fleeting. Only one bag per post is required and no mixing is needed. All you need to do is add water. The concrete is in polythene packaging so it’s suitable for outdoor storage. Even if the weather takes a turn (like it often does this month), the plastic bags are showerproof so there’s no need to worry. Simply put – the rapid set concrete is a product that makes your project easy and simpler!
So that wraps up our top 5 products for this month! We have plenty to show off so be sure to check back next month for December’s top products.
FENCEMATE DuraPost – A Revolutionary New Fencing System
Made of galvanised steel, the FENCEMATE DuraPost System creates durable fencing that is quick to install. DuraPost is suitable for all the jobs where you might have used concrete or timber posts. The system is compatible with virtually all types of timber fencing panels including feather board, hit and miss, European panels and close boarded fencing.
What types of jobs is FENCEMATE DuraPost suitable for?
DuraPost is suitable for all the jobs where you might have used concrete or timber posts.
Why does DuraPost come with a continuous run of holes?
The continuous run of holes provided on the DuraPost allows you to fix your fence panel or gravel board from the rear of the post. The holes make it easier to construct your fence, particularly when building on a slope.
Which types of fencing is DuraPost suitable for?
DuraPost is suitable for virtually all types of timber fencing panels including feather board, hit and miss, European panels and close boarded fencing. The post can be used for post and rail fencing but is not designed for any type of wire fencing systems.
Is DuraPost really up to twice as quick as concrete to install?
A test was carried out using independent professional contractors. This demonstrated that the time taken to fit fence panels with DuraPost took only half the time in terms of man-hours when compared to concrete posts. One person was able to carry out the tasks normally requiring two people because DuraPost is so much lighter and easier to use than concrete posts.
Does FENCEMATE DuraPost really withstand high winds?
Yes. The product underwent independent testing at the Building Research Establishment and proved to withstand wind speeds in excess of 70MPH.
How sustainable is FENCEMATE DuraPost?
DuraPost is made from steel which is a sustainable material and can be infinitely recycled.
FENCEMATE DuraPost – Technical Specifications
FENCEMATE DuraPost – Installation Instructions
Step 1:
Set your first post into the ground using Rapid Set Fence Post Concrete and check the height. Dig the next hole. You can now position the gravelboard at the correct height and checked for level.
Step 2:
Slide your fence panel into the first post and secure with screws. Position your second post, check for alignment and set into the ground.
Step 3:
Fix capping rail and post caps if required.
You can find the full range of FENCEMATE Durapost products on our website.