The newest garden at St Mary’s Hospital officially opened on the 1st May 2009. The ribbon was cut and a speech given by Sheila Paul, chief operating officer. (See county press May 8 2009).The garden can be discovered between the maternity unit, endoscopy unit, chemotherapy unit and the Mottist...
Our garden design and installation for the Chemotherapy department, St Mary’s Hospital, Newport, IOW. Nearing completion, you are welcome to visit the garden which can be found between the Endoscopy and Maternity departments.
The Japanese Anemone. This lovely plant is a real spirit lifter during all this rubbish weather. It bears its flowers on long stems that nod in the wind, from mid to late summer. Its easy to grow, spreads nicely, enjoys most positions and will even be happy in clay, and damp shady spots. A great [&h...
Thank you Karin and David who recently contacted us with these kind words. You can see images of this project on this blog. “It is a great pleasure to supply this testimonial for C. A. R. Gardens as the conduct of our decking project from initial consultation to completion was exemplary. Craig...
Acer Palmatum dissectum
We love plants! They are after all what brings a garden to life. Whatever your style, care requirements and budget C.A.R. Gardens can suggest suitable plants. We carefully assess your garden’s aspect and soil conditions (which vary widely on the island) and can prepare professional planting pl...
C.A.R. Gardens offers an island wide garden maintenance service that is honest, reliable and professional. We are proud to offer a personal and tailored service that will suit both you and your garden. We can be reactive, or schedule to visit your garden fortnightly, monthly or on a quarterly basis....
The recent thunder storms have created some dramatic weather. I only wish I could capture it on camera! The change in light has a interesting effect on the garden, its plants and flowers.Reducing the amount of blossom on fruit trees at this time of year will produce an even, healthy and abundant cro...
C.A.R. Gardens has links with several artists producing unique pieces of art suitable for outdoor environments. If you would like to commission a piece for your garden, please feel free to discuss with us or with the artist directly. Artists: we invite you to display your work on our web pages, so p...
We would love to hear from you! If you wish to discuss your ideas about your outdoor space, please contact Craig at: C.A.R. Gardens , 15 Winton StreetRyde, Isle of Wight, UK. PO33 2BX Mobile 07940 598145Office 01983 617008 or email the office onacorns@cargardens.co.uk We operate island wide, and off...
Lunaria, common name Honesty. This beautiful plant and highly scented flower is attracting our attention (and the bees) in our garden at home. Jemma and I planted the seeds last May and kind of forgot about them until this year we have this amazing display. The dried seed heads later in the year res...
If you enjoy browsing the web for gardening advice or ideas… here are some of our favourite and most visited web sites. We’ve also included some local Isle of Wight sites we like and a couple more general ‘life style’ sites. Its all very Green and Organic!(All links open in a new window....
C. A. R. Gardens is a landscape gardening company, based on the Isle of Wight, UK. Craig Ratcliff is the owner, and he employs a small team to assist in designing, constructing and maintaining private, public and commercial outdoor spaces. With our busy environment we endeavor to supply work to loca...
Since my school days sculpture has been close to my heart. I studied ceramics to degree level, and gained a strong sense for form and function. This training is applied to my gardens, and has forged a desire to incorporate interesting art in the garden. I welcome artists to display their work on my ...
Thank you to all our customers who have taken the time to think about and send us these comments: Sanjay Randany at Waxham House Residential Home, Ryde wrote: Thank you for the lovely work you & your colleagues have undertaken for us. The residents are extremely happy with the new look garden. ...
CAR Gardens have an ambition to succeed as a business whilst reducing its impact on the natural environment. After all, the natural environment is fundamental to the sustainability of a gardening business! So to be part of the solution of a changing planet we have promised to donate 2.5% of our annu...
In response to ‘The meet the team’ blog a couple of weeks ago, Warren has reconsidered his position on “favourite plant right now” and asked me to post the following: Allium var ‘Hair’ Looks like something out of a Dr. Seuss storybook! Whimsical blooms have reddis...
Looking after gardens organically means working with and harnessing the forces of nature. And so with this in mind we are using wildlife habitats in each new design and offering our regular maintenance customers these bat, bird and bug boxes. Birds, bats and bugs such as lady birds and lacewings wil...
The owner of Waxham House Residential Care Home in Ryde approached C.A.R. Gardens with an interesting brief. The garden was almost entirely laid to lawn and concrete, with a loved but dominant fish pond. Our customer really wanted the garden to be a place of interest, vitality and movement. Crucial ...
Craig. Owner of CAR Gardens. I have been gardening since as long as I can remember. As a child I grew vegetables at home, and dug a hole to Australia in the back garden! I graduated from Bath with a BA Hons in 3D design, and after a few years paying my student debts of […]
Valentines day sees the launch of National Nest Box Week. Sometimes it feels like each day of the year is allocated to some cause, but we are of course happy to advertise this annual event. Tradition has it that the 14th February is when wild British birds start pairing up before preparing for their...
Saturday was spent with the vegetables!Managing to grab an hour in the garden with my young son was, as always a great pleasure. He’s only two and a half but together we managed to sow some beetroot, turnips and radish seeds.A trip to the bottom of the garden has become a weekly focus; feeding...
Since October 2007 we have been busy landscaping in Totland. Our new customers have the good of their garden wildlife very much in mind, which gave us an added interest in the project.Firstly, a run of 12 mature Leylandii trees were felled and uprooted, revealing a magnificent view to the Downs. In ...
If you are finding these wet and dank days of late winter a frustration to your desire to garden, then perhaps flicking through the books, magazines and catalogues will help in planning what you can do when the weather improves. If like me you have very little time to amuse yourself in this manner t...
A smaller but great project for us this January. Since moving to the Island we have been asked to create bespoke gardens and features, but on this occasion our customers asked us to replace an arch and pergola in their garden. The old versions had fallen away with age and the battering winds of the ...
In our own garden we have really enjoyed growing these giants. They were grown from organic seeds, called Russian Mammoths. Sown directly last May in our flower bed that was planned to give us cut flowers and to attract pollinating and predatory insects. They were very successful (admittedly with li...
Just to wish all our readers and customers a very peaceful New Year. Do you have new year resolutions? I have already broken one of mine! However, as a business we will continue to be resolute in 2008 towards becoming more sustainable and focusing on what is really important in life. Obviously this ...
Craig and Warren would like to say a big thank you to all our loyal customers who have helped support and grow this little enterprise, that is CAR Gardens. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a very Peaceful New Year. We are looking forward to a bright 2008. Look out for lots of […]