by Jo | Oct 15, 2018 | Landscaping
How we maintain a great range of quality landscaping materials Kebur’s Director, Cliff Mosey, is responsible for sourcing all our landscaping materials, ensuring they meet our customers’ needs. Fresh back from international stone and porcelain trade fairs in Italy, and supplier visits in the UK, we asked Cliff what this work involves. What are the main things you look for when sourcing garden materials for Kebur? When we choose and monitor suppliers, we’re always thinking about three things. The first is value; finding products that offer excellent value for money whilst meeting our customer’s needs. Key to this is understanding our supply chain and each product’s technical specification so that we can ensure quality is good and prices are fair. This also includes thinking about the wider impact of production. For example, all our Grange fencing has Forest Stewardship Council certification, and we work personally with our stone suppliers to monitor their working conditions and practices. Secondly, we expect our suppliers to be reliable; this means holding good stock levels so they can be responsive to demand. In the last couple of weeks, for example, we have been talking to our fencing suppliers to make sure they have sufficient stock and manufacturing capability to cope with any severe weather this Autumn or Winter. Finally, our aim as a company is to always offer our customers plenty of choice. We know it’s really important for landscapers and home-owners to put their own stamp on their garden project, from the design and size format of paving, to different laying methods. We are look for suppliers who can fulfil a...
by Jo | Sep 24, 2018 | Landscaping
Despite what you might think, the most important part of our soil could be the space between the soil particles. About half of the total mass of soil is made of up interconnecting cavities or holes. These holes fill with both air and water. The amount of air and water in these spaces varies by season and location, but averages about 50% each. Maintaining the spaces between the soil particles is essential for healthy plants to grow because they: Allow mineral nutrients dissolved in water to reach the roots of plants Support the structure of the plant Allow water to pass through so the plant can take it up through the roots without sitting in water and rotting Hold oxygen that sustains the bacteria and fungi so they can break down organic matter, making nutrients available to the plants With all that in mind, it’s no surprise that one of the biggest risks to plant health is compaction of the soil. To give plants the best chance in your garden, here are three simple steps you can take to avoid over-compacting and protect those spaces between the soil particles: Avoid trampling on wet soil and be careful about driving vehicles or heavy machinery across it, especially if the soil is clay. If you are a hard landscaper, be mindful that your repeated footfall or machinery could harm the health of soil when you work in wet weather. Make sure you have plenty of organic matter. This helps to create larger soil particles so the spaces between them become larger too. Adding a regular layer of mulch...
by Jo | Aug 10, 2018 | Landscaping, Paving, Inspiration and ideas
Yes, you might think this is obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people get it wrong. Of course, jet washing can make light work of cleaning your patio, driveway or decking, and let’s face it, that’s not everyone’s favourite job. But done incorrectly or too often, jet-washing can cause costly damage to paving and joints. So let’s brush up on the basics… A stiff brush and soapy water is usually enough to clean stains, so it is always a good idea to use this method most of the time and jet wash only occasionally. Before you go near your paving with a pressure washer… Always check it is suitable for jet washing and test a small discrete patch first. Avoid jet washing natural stone as it can damage joint pointing and loosen the natural layers of some stone. Light jet wash concrete only occasionally to avoid damaging the surface of the paving. 10 pointers for a perfectly clean patio Make sure your hose is fastened securely to the tap and attach the appropriate fitting Turn on the tap, making sure water is running freely before you turn on the power Always point the hose at a 45o angle to the ground. This is enough to loosen dirt, but not enough to pound the surface Hold the washer 30-40cm from the surface you are washing Always use the fan spray. A small nozzle will increase the power significantly which can dislodge jointing material and cause water to get into and eventually break up some surfaces Avoid joint lines Never use a rotary nozzle on block paving...
by Jo | Aug 2, 2018 | Landscaping
How we started In the 1950s, after serving in the Second World War, local man George Bursey saw an opportunity to set up a landscaping and tree surgery business in the Aldershot area. He was quick to notice a gap in the market for good quality landscape products. In 1961, he and his wife Iris put their life savings into purchasing machinery to manufacture concrete slabs, which were growing in popularity at the time. Starting with just five colours, they soon needed more space for a growing product range and to meet demand. By the late 1980s, George had recruited young slab-maker, Tony Lane, as well as other staff to help in the yard, and Kebur had re-located to its current location in Lynchford Lane, where the old tram line once stood. Iris and George Bursey Slab making in the yard Partner, Tony Lane earlier in his career Over the following years, George’s stepson, Alan Booton, became more involved in the business and Kebur expanded to include more land, which now totals over an acre. The Fir Tree pub next door had become unviable after the Blackwater Valley Road was built, and provided the perfect place for extra offices in the early 2000s. Today, Kebur supplies a wider range of landscaping materials than ever, to professionals and retail customers locally and nationwide. Of course, things have moved on since the limited range of concrete slabs of the sixties and we now stock over 2900 products including fencing, paving and aggregates. We source from well-known landscaping suppliers, and also import our own natural stone and porcelain collection directly from Europe,...
by Ian Metcalfe | Jul 27, 2018 | Landscaping, Paving
When it comes to durability and aesthetics, there’s no match for natural stone; every piece is unique, with a huge range of stunning colours and textures determined by millennia of geological processes. And it’s so strong it will outlast us all, making it a sound investment. There are many different types of natural stones commonly used for paving projects such as; sandstone, limestone, granite, basalt and slate from countries such as India, China, Vietnam, Brazil, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey and Portugal to name just a few. So if you’re choosing natural stone for your garden, how do you decide on the right product? You’ll need to think about its position, appearance, colour and the finish. The processes and finishing applied to a stone can mean that a completely different look and effect can be achieved using exactly the same type of stone. Some finishes are better suited to certain types of stone. How the finish can change the look In the example below, Fossil Mint Indian Sandstone which is an extremely popular option for paving is finished in several different ways. The most common and cost effective is the natural finish, the tumbled antique finish gives a softer, time-worn look whilst the honed and sandblasted finishes create a more modern look and a completely flat surface, with the sandblasting providing greater grip. When stone such as this is honed or sandblasted many of the markings (which some may view as blemishes) in natural stone tend to disappear and a more even colour tone is achieved. 2. This next example illustrates how different Asian Blue (Vietnamese) Limestone can look depending on the finish...
by Jo | Jul 19, 2018 | Landscaping, Garden case studies, Paving, Inspiration and ideas
Mr and Mrs Collins asked us to redesign their Hampshire garden which they found overgrown and enclosed due to the position of a number of large shrubs and the poor layout. The brief was for a low maintenance two-tiered patio with a contemporary look, clean and simple lines to suit the house and a high-quality finish. Our clients chose Kebur’s Contempo Thunderstorm porcelain, in a large format 900×450 for the top tier and a complementary, lighter grey Contempo Waterfall porcelain in the same size tiles for the lower tier. Both are finished with sawn graphite granite setts as an edging around the perimeter of the patio. Contrasting bullnose granite step treads were used with a porcelain insert. Twinning Kebur Contempo porcelain with natural stone accessories created a sleek and striking effect. When we visited Mr and Mrs Collins a year on, they were delighted with the end result and now use their garden more than ever. ‘Because the patio is easy to keep clean and the garden is designed with low maintenance in mind’ Mr Collins said, ‘I am finding I now enjoy gardening more than I did before’. Before: a small eating space Now: Plenty of space to eat and relax Before: enclosed and overgrown Now: Contemporary lines in keeping with the house Before: poor sight lines from house to garden Now: A calm spot to look over the garden During the works After: porcelain steps with granite...
by Jo | May 4, 2018 | Landscaping, Community
With National Gardening Week in full swing, it’s great to see so many activities celebrating our outdoor spaces. We are hearing more than ever about the power of green space and gardens to improve our social, physical and mental wellbeing. School gardening projects have been shown to boost confidence and creativity, and to break down social barriers for children with learning and/or behavioural difficulties. Studies also show that stress levels and mood are directly related to the amount of green space in people’s area. And for those with stress and depression, garden-oriented rehab programmes have been shown to significantly reduce the number of GP visits. Gardening is not only great for boosting endorphins, the body’s natural ‘feel good’ hormone, the physical activity means it burns the calories too. No wonder then that doctors are starting to recognise ‘horticultural therapy’ as an effective prescription. As you might expect, we at Kebur are passionate about helping people benefit from gardens and nature, so it has been a great privilege to help some recent local projects to do just this. This March, we donated materials for a forest school canopy at St Peter’s Primary School in Farnham. The canopy allows children from across the school to benefit from learning outdoors in a natural environment whatever the weather. Last month, we were impressed with the number and range of nominations for the Kebur Community Challenge, our annual competition, in conjunction with Eagle Radio, for £2000 worth of materials. It has been great to see local groups wanting to improve their green spaces for so many reasons; for healthy eating, play and risk-taking, contemplation...
by Ian Metcalfe | Nov 9, 2017 | Landscaping, Paving
Cliff and Ian recently visited Kebur’s porcelain suppliers in Italy and Spain to check out the manufacturing process, the product ranges and to strengthen our partnerships. In Italy most of the many producers are based in or near the Sassuolo area, just south of Modena in the province of Emilia-Romagna. In Spain it’s very similar with a high concentration of factories in the Castellon area just north of Valencia. Whilst there are many tile producers, a relatively small proportion currently produce the 20mm thick tiles suitable for exterior paving. In all the factories we visited, the manufacturing process is very similar. Technicians scan real wood, stone or concrete pieces that they want to recreate as porcelain tiles. The scanned images are then manipulated or “photoshopped” to produce a series of designs for the tiles. The carefully selected raw materials of clay, sand and other minerals are mixed and stored in silos. Different colours are produced to form the appropriate coloured bodies for each specific type of tile. The silos then feed large presses that press the tiles in molds at around 600kg per cm². At this stage the formed tile is solid but can be snapped like a biscuit. The tiles are then dried to remove the moisture, before moving on to a conveyor system where a glaze is applied and then digitally printed, with the ink penetrating through into the top layers of the paving. This relatively new digital printing technology has hugely improved the quality of the final appearance of the tiles in recent years. Robots transport the tiles in giant racks from one stage to the next....
by Jo | Oct 30, 2017 | Landscaping, Inspiration and ideas
You don’t have to spend a fortune or all your spare time on your garden. If yours needs a pick-up in time for Christmas, these easy weekend projects won’t break the bank and will still leave you time to enjoy a cosy Sunday roast… 1. Paint your fencing The British weather can have a damaging effect on any garden so all timber needs a bit of TLC from time to time. A simple coat of wood treatment can prolong the life of your fence and leave it looking much fresher. With a range of colours on the market, you can transform the look of your garden, all for relatively little cost. 2. Refresh with decorative aggregates Make your garden easier to maintain by replacing grass with decorative aggregates. This space has been given a contemporary facelift by switching lawn for a local gravel and elegant grasses, which are great for drought resistance and don’t need regular mowing! Gravel provides better drainage than paving and is a great value option for large spaces. Photo by Oxford Garden Design – More exterior ideas 3. Add a garden structure for a focal point Focal points help guide your eyes through your garden, entice you into the space and add your personal character and style. Sit and stand in places where you are most likely to look at your garden and visualise where you would like to lead the eye. Consider statement planting, a winding path and seating or timber structures. This path leading to a pergola creates an appealing place to relax. 4. Clean up your driveway or patio Natural stone can be prone to build up of stains, mould, algae and residue that can be difficult to shift...
by Jo | Sep 29, 2017 | Landscaping
To mark FSC® Friday, we thought we’d share this short video, which is a great reminder of how many products are timber-related and why we should think about protecting our forests. Choosing responsibly sourced timber is a small action we can all take to protect the future of our forests and the wildlife in them. We at Kebur are proud to be offering all our Grange products – including fencing, trellis, gates and structures – as fully FSC® certified. Next time you are looking for a timber-related product, from construction or landscaping timber, to paper or toys, remember to look for the FSC ® logo....
by Jo | Sep 11, 2017 | Landscaping, Garden case studies, Paving, Inspiration and ideas
Creating the perfect garden requires careful thought about the look and feel you want, working with your existing space, light and budget, and usually over-coming the odd challenge to make things happen! We asked Christine from our sales team what makes her new garden special… What were your main considerations when designing your garden? We moved to our new home December 2016. The only room that needed any attention was the outside room, better known as the garden. It was unkempt, unloved with no real appeal. There were many discussions about what we wanted from our garden. As it’s southeast facing it attracts sun most of the day. We discussed our ideas with Dan Grimes, a landscaper who uses Kebur. We wanted an open feeling, somewhere to sit, sunbathe and most importantly relax in the evenings and weekends. Nothing too fussy and reasonably low maintenance. Each time Dan came around, our planned patio area was getting larger – we’re really glad it did! Why did you choose the products? The slabs we wanted needed to be low maintenance, bright and good looking. We had a budget, discussed and weighed up which would be the best options to suit our requirements. Kebur had just launched their new porcelain range. Although they were at the higher end of our price bracket, we liked the fact that they didn’t need sealing, are very easy to keep clean, hard wearing, anti-slip and keep the same appearance from new. We chose the beautiful Thunderstorm porcelain which has a lovely detail that looks very like veining in natural stone. What was it like having the work...
by Ian Metcalfe | Mar 22, 2017 | Landscaping
Porcelain paving advice Since the launch of our Contempo Porcelain earlier this year, we have had a lot of interest from customers and many of the landscapers have been cracking on with some impressive installations. We are always happy to talk to you about preferred laying methods and the advantages of porcelain as a paving material. Just call or ask in our office for details and view our full range of porcelain paving on display. Reward on Cement Purchases At Kebur we supply the Hope Professional Grade Cement. A strong, durable cement in plastic bags with consistent colour, great workability, frost protection and reduced bleed. Hope Cement have a Reward Loyalty scheme which means you collect points on bags of cement you buy. Build your points to collect rewards in the shape of vouchers from John Lewis, River Island, Red Letter Days, iTunes, M&S and many many more. Simply download the very user friendly app from the App Store or Google Play and start building your points. Simple to use, all you have to do is select Kebur Garden Materials as the stockist, Professional Grade Cement as the product and upload a picture of your receipt. And as an added bonus in April, Hope Cement will be giving away a Ford Transit Custom Van to one lucky Hope Cement App user. For any further questions please call us on 01252 517571 or email us on...
by Ellie Sawdy | Feb 22, 2017 | Landscaping, Paving
Our Kebur Contempo Brazilian Slate Paving is now available in store and online. This gorgeous slate comes in two different colours blue and grey. Both colours come in contemporary sizes 900 x 600, 600 x 600, 600 x 400. This slate has a lightly riven surface with sawn edges. Brazilian slate is strong, with low water absorption and frost resistance ensuring the stone looks good for longer and requires little maintenance. Our Brazilian slate is laid in our outside display area in both colours, we would always recommend customers to come and have a look at the paving laid. For any further questions please email us sales@kebur.co.uk or call on 01252...
by Ellie Sawdy | Jan 10, 2017 | Landscaping
Its here! Over the last year Kebur have been carefully selecting the finest porcelain from Spain and Italy for our new Contempo Porcelain range. We have the items available to order in store and online. The range features a number of different colours and styles including a wood effect paving and French Limestone replicas. This 20mm thick porcelain stoneware tile is especially designed for outdoor use. Its high resistance to breaking load and stress, as well as its extraordinary slip-resistant features, make this an ideal tile for outdoor areas, both public and private. Unlimited Durability: Anti-icing and fireproof High resistance to chemical and atmospehric agents Not affected by moss or insects Easy to maintain and clean. Does not absorb stains. Fade & scratch resistant Our porcelain is currently a stock item, our 2017 brochure will be available soon. For any further questions please contact us on 01252 517571 or email us sales@kebur.co.uk ...
by Ian Metcalfe | Nov 24, 2016 | Landscaping, Paving
Cliff and Ian embarked on a business trip to India to meet up with their suppliers to witness production practices, look at new products and schedule natural stone landscaping products for 2017. DAY 1 Our flight finally arrived in Jaipur in the early hours of the morning after an early start from Heathrow. After going through more security checks we headed for the airport money exchange to change some of our Sterling. Last week the Indian government had, without warning, decided to discontinue the 500 and 1000 Rupee notes from circulation causing mayhem and money shortages throughout India, so with this in mind we headed for the airport money exchange. We were quickly told that there was no cash available and told to try an ATM. The problem here was that there is a limit of 2000 Rupees (which is about £25) per card. We were however lucky and managed to obtain our limit in cash. Little did we know that getting more cash would be a problem due to them all being empty. We finally arrived at the hotel at 4am. We arranged for Roopesh to pick us up at 11:30. Roopesh is one of our stone suppliers in India that we have been dealing with since 2012. Roopesh and his brother in law Guresh picked us up, and took us back to Guresh’s office to view some stone samples including paving and a mixed selection of cobbles. We were then taken to an industrial area in Jaipur to visit a cobble manufacturing yard. After this we had a late lunch and were then dropped off in Jaipur’s Pink or walled city which...
by Ellie Sawdy | Aug 19, 2016 | Landscaping
This year Bradstone held a competition offering a brand new Isuzo Truck to any Landscaper that spent £600.00 worth of their products. They had lots of entries and last week they picked the winner, Winslade Landscapes! Dan is a regular customer at Kebur and have completed some truly stunning jobs using Bradstone’s materials. Today a team at Bradstone came to the yard to hand over the keys. Congratulations Dan, we hope you love your new truck!...
by Ellie Sawdy | Aug 10, 2016 | Landscaping
This year we released our very own Honed Sandstone, we have been listening to your feedback and have now got our new and improved Honed Sandstone is Desert Sand and Mint Cream. Our new Honed Sandstone is now 25mm and has a chamfered edge. It is available in 600 x 900, 600 x 600 and 600 x 400. Due to our new range coming into stock we have put our Discontinued Honed Sandstone in Mint Ivory on special offer, was £9.50-£14.45 now only £8.04-£12.20 while stocks last. We have samples on show in our show room, these products our available in store and online, please call us on 01252 517571 or email us at sales@kebur.co.uk for any further...
by Ellie Sawdy | Jun 29, 2016 | Landscaping
This month Kebur Landscape Division have been laying a patio in Camberley using the Bradstone Mode Porcelain Paving in beige with sawn silver grey granite setts to edge. The mode paving can give any garden a modern contemporary look. It comes in 20mm thick slabs in two different finishes, textured and profiled. Both come in four colours, beige, shell, dark grey and graphite. Bradstone mode paving really does offer state-of-the-are design choice they boast an incredible inherent strength and exceptional durability. Our landscaping division used 7mm tile spaces to keep all of the joints consistence, these are available at Kebur and cost £3.95 INC. VAT for a pack of 100. For any further questions please email us at sales@kebur.co.uk or call us on 01252 517571....
by Ellie Sawdy | Jun 16, 2016 | Landscaping
This month the Kebur Landscape division completed their first job using our Contempo Sinai Pearl Limestone. Using two sizes 600 x 600 and 600 x 400 slabs to create this stunning linear patio. They have edged the patio with Chartham Multi bricks to match the house and created raised beds using sleepers. Once the paving was completed they pointed it using GFTK 850. For any further questions please call us on 01252 517571 or email us at...
by Ellie Sawdy | May 23, 2016 | Landscaping
Kebur Landscape Division has been very busy over the last few weeks, two recent project which were completed by the team was one using Ethan Mason Paving in Raj Green, these patio packs come in 15.3m2 with four different sizes to create a traditional looking patio. Along side the new paving they fitted Kebur’s Dartmoor Artificial Grass. Another job completed by the team was using our Trade Packs Silver Grey. The Silver grey comes in patio packs or you can purchase it individually in 600 x 600 or 900 x 600. Have a look on our website to see more information on our trade packs https://www.kebur.co.uk/product/indian-sandstone-trade-packs/ For any further information please call us on 01252 517571 or email us sales@kebur.co.uk. ...
by Ellie Sawdy | Apr 27, 2016 | Landscaping
Last week Tony and Ellie from Kebur attended the Eagle Radio Biz Awards. The Biz awards celebrate company’s in the local area for a number of things such as Employee of the year and the greenest company of the years. It’s a chance for companies to nominate themselves for a number of awards. Kebur were up for the Community Consideration Award. Over the years Kebur have taken part in a number of events which raise money for various charities such as Parity Christmas Jumper Day and Macmillan Coffee Morning. On the 12th of April the staff attended a gala lunch at Great Fosters in Egham a beautiful venue and got to see Travis perform live to everyone. After lunch they gave out the awards and Kebur where a finalist with Hobbledown Epom winning the award. Thank you to Eagle for hosting such a great day and congratulations to all the winners, we look forward to attending next...
by Ellie Sawdy | Feb 17, 2016 | Landscaping, Inspiration and ideas
Sleepers have many different uses in the garden but one of the most popular is using them to create planters or retaining walls. You don’t need to get in a professional landscaper to do it, these simple and easy instructions are perfect for DIY! Firstly, you need to mark out the area that you want to create into a planter. Once you have purchased our sleepers you need to decide what shape you want the planter then cut the sleepers down to the correct size (Kebur do offer a sleeper cutting service however we don’t recommend cutting the reclaimed sleepers). Once these are cut you need to lay them out on the area into the shape that we want your planter to be. You need to butt them up end to side at the corners. Then using a shovel make our the area into the grass on the outside perimeter of the sleepers. Now that you have marked out the area you need to dig out a trench around the edge which the bottom sleepers will go in half of their depth. Arrange them so the butt end of one meets the side of the next in a clockwise fashion. Using a 4-foot level and framing square, level and square the four timbers, adding or removing gravel as necessary. Next you can place the next sleeper on top screw them together at the 90 degree corners, allowing at least 50mm (or 2″) of the screw to go into the adjoining sleeper. Kebur sell hardened steel, self drilling, timber framing screws. Black coated for extended corrosion resistance. These landscaping screws are an ideal...
by Ellie Sawdy | Feb 10, 2016 | Landscaping
Kebur has just released its new YouTube video. This video is a brief demonstration on how to use our Gftk Vdw. In the video our landscapers use the Stone grey but it also comes in the colour ‘Stone’. Its so easy to use and takes no time...
by Ellie Sawdy | Feb 4, 2016 | Landscaping
Kebur always has piles of pallets around the yard, as customers often ask if we want them back or what they can do with them. After browsing the internet and discovering a site http://www.1001pallets.com/home/page/8/ we have picked our favourite ideas that we might try ourselves! Our first pick was this too rack, so simple but useful, the creator stained to wood and then glued on some old bathroom tiles to jazz it up. It then was nailed to the wall, its perfect for storing your long tools instead of tripping up on them every time you walk in. Our next idea is this simple BBQ rack using a single pallet. This has been made by staining the pallet and then painting onto the wood, you can have as many or little shelves as you want for sources or oils and then use small hooks to hang up your utensils. Our final favourite is this patio seating. Getting furniture for your garden can be so expensive so this is a cheap almost free alternative. This is a very simple idea simply securing the pallet on top of the other and decorate how you please. Let us know if you try any ideas and send us a...
by Ellie Sawdy | Jan 6, 2016 | Uncategorized, Landscaping
This year Bradstone have brought out a number of new products, one of which is the Madera Porcelain Range. These contemporary slabs are available in a Birch and Oak shade and come in 900 x 225 x 20mm. This beautiful linear paving fits in with the latest paving fashions, it has the appearance of traditional wood without any maintenance issues. The porcelain slabs are fired up at 1400 degrees making them extremely hard wearing, ideal for anyone who wants a sophisticated practical garden. It is weather and colour fading resistant so it’s not only maintenance free but will last for many years. Available on the website within the next few weeks, if you have any further questions please call us on 01252 517571 or email us on sales@kebur.co.uk...
by Ellie Sawdy | Nov 12, 2015 | Landscaping
Kebur is now stocking GftK vdw 815! This product will be sold in sand and stone grey. The 815 is a epoxy paving joint mortar. It is ideal for paving with narrow joints with light to medium traffic loads, for example commercial and domestic patios. It is used for larger format paving (generally means more than 400mm x 400mm) This advanced paving joint technology is fast and extremely easy to apply as a self compacting wet-slurry that is applied on wet surface so there is no waiting for the services to dry on or the rain to stop. This mortar can be used on natural and concrete slabs, the finish is easy to clean, water permeable, abrasion resistant and even mechanical sweeper resistant. Come in for one of our 10kg tub or call us on 01252 517571 to arrange delivery!...
by Ian Metcalfe | Dec 3, 2014 | Landscaping
Kebur Garden Materials recently assisted New Scotland Hill Primary school in a new sensory garden project. Regular trade customer to Kebur, Mark from MD Landscaping was also involved as Yvonne Bird, PTA School Liaison Officer explains: “New Scotland Hill Primary School and Nursery have been busy creating a new sensory garden to be enjoyed by all the children. In the Summer Term, the Eco-Coordinator, Natasha Feeney, and the Eco-Committee held a whole school competition to design a sensory garden. The winner, Jake (Year 4), had his design created along with some of the other ideas from the entries. All the children who entered the competition and the Eco-Committee helped to plant an exciting range of plants and herbs with different smells and textures. Every child in the school was also involved by decorating boards with handprints in the four house colours of red, yellow, blue and green. Tyres and benches were also painted in the house colours and chimes added to the trees. We have a wonderful music wall made from recycled pots and pans and two resident scarecrows. The whole project could not have been possible without the help and support from a number of parents, the volunteers from the Community Partners scheme at Waitrose in Sandhurst, materials donated from Kebur Garden Materials and Heathlands Garden Centre, support and material from East Berkshire Fencing and the money donated from the Crowthorne Trust. We’re all now very much enjoying our new space and look forward to developing the garden further in the future. We have also enhanced the front of our school with a new planter made with timber...
by Ian Metcalfe | Nov 17, 2014 | Landscaping
Sleepers can be used in a wide variety of building and landscaping projects such as steps, planters, edging, terracing, fencing/screens and benches. A number of different types are available and at Kebur Garden Materials we supply three main types as outlined below: Reclaimed Sleepers; These are the sleepers that have been on the railway. They provide an attractive rustic look but caution must be taken when handling these as they can be very heavy. Avoid skin contact and don’t use in public or play areas. New Softwood Sleepers; Lighter in weight and easy to use, these sleepers are pressure treated for long lasting protection. New Oak Sleepers; A relatively new choice in garden landscaping sleepers, these European Oak Sleepers are surprisingly good value. They provide a neat modern look and have become the most popular choice in our range. When using sleepers for steps and terracing, concrete the sleepers in on a 100mm deep bed. Haunch at the back end of the sleeper and if possible, the front end too. If using sleepers for a low border or planter it may well be sufficient to fix a wooden post or spike behind the sleepers and fix this into the ground. There are various ways of connecting sleepers together if building planters or walls. Steel road pins are a good way of securing a higher stack of sleepers. Long landscaping screws that are counter-sunk into the sleeper is perhaps the most popular method, whilst metal plates and corner braces on the inside of the build also prove useful and help keep the build nice and square. Sleepers can be incredibly versatile and using them vertically can...
by Ian Metcalfe | May 30, 2013 | Landscaping
Thakeham Tiles is a concrete manufacturer based in Storrington, West Sussex. For over 75 years this family run business has been producing an evolving range of garden products using locally sourced materials and supplying throughout the South East. The company started in 1933, producing concrete roof tiles but seeing little future in this they started manufacturing paving slabs and walling blocks instead. Since Kebur Garden Materials stopped manufacturing their own paving in the early 2000’s, Thakeham have been a key supplier for them. Thakeham prove to be a reliable supplier and the two companies seek to continue their prosperous working relationship. The key lines that Thakeham supply to Kebur are two lines of wet cast paving; Regency Ripple and Flagstone Riven Edge. With both of these ranges there are various sizes and circle features available. In addition to this Thakeham supply Kebur with the elegant Sovereign paving with its antique colours and hand tooled textures that capture the smooth timeworn look of chancery settings. Furthermore the textured Sussex Paving and indeed the complete Thakeham range can be ordered from Kebur. Thakeham are also a big supplier of structural concrete blocks and the growth in this sector has risen to such an extent that it now caters for around half of their business. A wander around the site at Thakeham and you quickly discover that some of the techniques and machinery is quite archaic, but quite simply these tried and tested techniques continue to prove to be the most effective way of producing certain elements of their range. For example the semi drymix rock faced walling, screen walling blocks, pier caps...
