Small is beautiful...

Instead of dumping old concrete or excavated soil in the tip, consider how they could be repurposed within the new garden. The concrete can be crushed and used as a sub-base for a new terrace or path while, depending on its quality, the soil, a precious resource, can be reused for new planting beds or landscape features. “This simple principle will reduce both waste and costs,” says Fi Boyle. “In this Bath garden, the stone we uncovered became drystone walls, while reclaimed oak sleepers and iron girders form the retaining wall, which we’ve planted with ferns and erigeron and other spillers. By reusing the soil and as many plants as possible, we kept waste to a minimum and allowed the garden to evolve with a greater sense of maturity.”