We all love seeing the before and after photos of garden transformations so we thought we’d share a few photos from a recent makeover in Bridge of Allan. Our clients were fed up with their uninspiring garden and wanted a garden they could enjoy spending time in again. We created a large new patio and paths using beautiful smooth sandstone and breathed life into an old wall by cladding it in stunning slate. The curves create a lovely, gentle feel to the garden which will be softened even more once the planting goes in. What a stunning garden makeover!
The new smooth sandstone patios are stunning
The new slate cladding and smooth sandstone coping transforms the old wall
The new steps from the French Doors are now safe and welcoming
The lawn has been reshaped to work with the new design
The new paving will be set off beautifully once the planting goes in.
The curving smooth sandstone paving looks stunning.
The steps are now safe and beautiful
Hope you’ve enjoyed seeing these before and after photos of our garden makeover in Bridge of Allan. If you would like us to design and landscape your garden, please get in touch.
Team Vialii
What a beautiful day it was on Sunday 6th June 2021 in Bridge of Allan and not just because the sun was shining. Several talented gardeners kindly agreed to open their gardens to the public as part of Scotland’s Garden Scheme. Spread across Bridge of Allan, there were all sorts of sizes and styles to see, something to suit all tastes. Here are some photos from our visits…
The woodman is a stunning garden sculpture with great symbolism
What a delightful spot for afternoon tea
A stunning walkway of climbers
Roses clamber over this pretty wall
A stunning terraced garden
A beautiful cantilevered pergola
We loved this pizza oven
This garden was full of bloom & slate sculpture
A relaxing water feature and arbour
Glorious trees ablaze in the June sunshine
The scent in this garden was amazing
Stunning water feature, sculpture and planting
More amazing scent from this wisteria
A stunning terraced garden
A wonderful surprise of a Japanese Zen garden
The relaxing Zen garden
We had a wonderful afternoon exploring these gardens and we highly recommend visiting when the opportunity arises.
Vialii
Hey everyone. I went for a fun ramble along the Darn Walk during the school holidays. The Darn Walk if you have never been is a pretty walk along the River Allan which links Bridge of Allan and Dunblane. I decided to collect from nature along the way and make a nature art picture when I got home.
We all enjoyed our ramble along the Darn Walk
One of the many cool things to see along the way on the Darn Walk is a cave which is said to have inspired the writer Robert Louis Stevenson for Ben Gunn’s cave in Treasure Island. There is a fab pirate bench beside it too!
Ben Gunn’s cave at the Darn Walk
We loved playing at the river, collecting treasure, speaking to the horses and watching the golfers on our amble up to Dunblane! I took lots of pics along the way too!
And here’s the horse I made with what I found on the walk. Why don’t you go on a walk, see what you can find and make a picture up with your own treasure!
Happy rambling!
Lulu x
An article on the official opening of Provost’s Park which Vialii designed and which was opened by our very own Lulu.
The official opening of Vialii’s Provost Park in Bridge of Allan by our very own Lulu Burt.
I had an awesome day yesterday as I, Lulu Burt, (aged two and a half) had the great honour of officially opening Provost’s Park in Bridge of Allan! M&D have been working on the re-design of the Park from even before I was born (wow!) but it was really worth the wait to see the finished park and see so many people come out for the opening. Here are some pics from my big day along with a little bit about the park and the new design…
I unveil the plaque with Gavin Drummond
and declare Provost’s park officially open!
The site of the park used to be a church, waaaaay long ago. Even before M&D were born! The corner beside the toilet has been made into the Ecclesiastical (fancy name for church) garden to reflect this and features pews from a village church as well as ecclesiastic type planting.
The crowds gather in Provost’s Park
A Victorian theme was chosen for the new park to reflect Bridge of Allan being a Victorian spa town.
Lots of seating and wide paths in the park was important so locals and visitors can use the garden comfortably.
Low maintenance planting that tied in with the Victorian theme was important so that the park remains easy to manage by the wonderful Friends of Bridge of Allan who look after it.
A clever lady called Claire Gibbons designed the screens around the toilet block. They feature lovely details from around the village such as the bridge, heron, Paterson’s clock and a church window.
The entertainment on the day was from:
The plaque with my name on it
Me, M&D. What a proud day!
The completed park
Being based in the village, we have been delighted to have been involved in the project from its initial concept right through the funding process and throughout the build and are thrilled to be able to give something back to the community for residents and visitors to enjoy.
Since the controversial new toilet block was finally completed in Bridge of Allan, the space around it, known as Provost’s Park, had largely been left untouched and was a sad space in an otherwise beautiful and prosperous village. The Provost’s Lamp had been renovated and given a new life but its surroundings had yet to be brought up to the same standard.
Before: the park was not befitting of beautiful Bridge of Allan
We were approached in late 2010 to discuss the possibility of being involved in the renovation of Provost Park. As a local company based in Bridge of Allan, we were delighted to be able to provide advice and designs for the benefit of the community.
Initially, Michael and Jill Burt met with some of the Community Council to discuss the project. Jill recalls:
“It was in the middle of a cold snap in the winter of 2010 when we first met up Gavin Drummond and Liz Rankin from the Community Council. They were putting up the village Christmas tree in the park to try and add some sparkle to what was otherwise an uninspiring space. At least the thick covering of snow hid the lack of interest underneath! At the meeting Liz and Gavin discussed some of the ideas that had been considered for the space and asked if we were able to pull together some thoughts.”
The design for the new Provost’s Park
Jill explains the inspiration for the design:
“There were three main requirements which jumped out at us from the outset. Firstly, the community required a practical area where they can relax and enjoy the world going by. The space needed to be usable by everyone in the community whether that’s families, couples or elderly so path widths and surfaces were important. Plentiful seating was clearly important too. Secondly, the area had to look good. The Friends of Bridge of Allan, who look after many of Bridge of Allan’s public gardens, carry out fantastic work in the community and Provost’s Park has been a contentious issue for some time. We were keen to design a space that the community could all be proud of and be happy to use. It’s a great space, right in the middle of the village so it needed to have the “wow factor” and be fitting of its focal point in such an attractive village. Lastly, we were keen to reflect the Victorian inspiration which surrounds the park and the spa village and design a garden which would be appropriate for the space.
The gazebo makes a wonderful focal point
“The main focal point for the design is a stunning, cast iron gazebo, situated in the centre of the formal gardens. Victorians loved symmetry and topiary so we made sure these were key features of the space. Vintage style bricks edge wide pathways suitable for all members of the community. Decorative metal screens surround the toilet block providing a nicer backdrop to the gardens and include details inspired by the village itself. In the corner closest to the toilets, an ecclesiastical garden has been created, reflecting the park once being the site of a church. Liz managed to obtain beautiful pew benches from one of the village churches which sit in this area looking onto a centre bed of perfumed plants. The central focal point of this area is the existing stone fountain.
The wall which runs the length of Provost Park will boast new interpretation boards highlighting some of the key features and historical information about Bridge of Allan. To the front of the park, a grassy area has been included, allowing space to sit out and relax and watch the world passing by.
The ecclesiastical garden and the new screens
View down onto the new Provost’s Park
The official opening will take place on Sunday 28th September 2014 from 3pm. The official opening will be undertaken by Gavin Drummond and our very own Lulu Burt. There will be music from Beaconhurst School and dancers from Dance Connections. Malcolm Allan will be giving a short talk on the Park and there will be refreshments, a slideshow and a performance by Dance Connections in the Parish Church afterwards. All are very welcome and we hope you can join us to celebrate this wonderful project.
Lulu preparing to open the new Provost’s Park
You can read more about Provost’s Park and our other garden transformations on our website.
Best wishes,
All at Vialii
An update on the Provost’s Park revamp as the initial landscaping works start to take shape and bring Vialii’s design to life.
Our article on the re-design of Provost’s Park in Bridge of Allan.
Work on Provost’s Park which Vialii designed finally gets underway after several years of designing, consulting and fund raising for the make-over.
For almost three years, local business Vialii Garden Design have been working closely with Bridge of Allan Community Council to create a new design for the village’s Provost Park. Having secured funding for the build, the design is about to be finally brought to life. Being based in the village, Vialii are delighted to have been involved in the project from its initial concept and to be able to give something back to the community for residents and visitors to enjoy.
Vialii’s design for the new Provost Park
Since the controversial new toilet block was finally completed in Bridge of Allan, the space around it, known as Provost Park, had largely been left untouched and was a sad space in an otherwise beautiful and prosperous village. The Provost Lamp had been renovated and given a new life but its surroundings had yet to be brought up to the same standard.
Vialii Garden Design were approached in late 2010 to discuss the possibility of being involved in the renovation of Provost Park. As a local company based in Bridge of Allan, Vialii were delighted to be able to provide advice and designs for the benefit of the community.
Initially, company directors Michael and Jill Burt met with some of the Community Council to discuss the project. Jill recalls:
“It was in the middle of a cold snap in the winter of 2010 when we first met up Gavin Drummond and Liz Rankin from the Community Council. They were putting up the village Christmas tree in the park to try and add some sparkle to what was otherwise an uninspiring space. At least the thick covering of snow hid the lack of interest underneath! At the meeting Liz and Gavin discussed some of the ideas that had been considered for the space and asked if we were able to pull together some thoughts.”
The beautiful, renovated Provost Lamp
Jill explains the inspiration for the design:
“There were three main requirements which jumped out at us from the outset. Firstly, the community required a practical area where they can relax and enjoy the world going by. The space needed to be usable by everyone in the community whether that’s families, couples or elderly so path widths and surfaces were important. Plentiful seating was clearly important too. Secondly, the area had to look good. The Friends of Bridge of Allan, who look after many of Bridge of Allan’s public gardens, carry out fantastic work in the community and Provost Park has been a contentious issue for some time. We were keen to design a space that the community could all be proud of and be happy to use. It’s a great space, right in the middle of the village so it needed to have the “wow factor” and be fitting of its focal point in such an attractive village. Lastly, we were keen to reflect the Victorian inspiration which surrounds the park and the spa village and design a garden which would be appropriate for the space.
The current park is uninspiring
“The main focal point for the design is a stunning, cast iron gazebo, situated in the centre of formal gardens. Victorians loved symmetry and topiary so we made sure these were key features of the space. Vintage style bricks edge wide pathways suitable for all members of the community. Decorative metal screens will surround the toilet block providing a nicer backdrop to the gardens and will include details inspired by the village itself. In the corner closest to the toilets, an ecclesiastical garden is to be created, reflecting the park once being the site of a church. Liz has managed to obtain beautiful pew benches from one of the village churches which will sit in this area looking onto a centre bed of perfumed plants. The central focal point of this area will be the existing stone fountain.
The wall which runs the length of Provost Park will boast new interpretation boards highlighting some of the key features and historical information about Bridge of Allan. To the front of the park, a grassy area has been included, allowing space to sit out and relax and watch the world passing by.
The mood-board shows the inspiration behind Vialii’s new design for Provost Park
The planting is a mixture of formal topiary as well as smaller shrubs, bedding plants and bulbs. The aim is to keep the gardens fairly low maintenance to reduce pressure on the Friends of Bridge of Allan, who will take over responsibility for the garden once it is complete.
It’s been a delight to work with Gavin, Liz and the team as well as working with the local community and taking their views on board. We are honoured to have been asked to be involved in such an important project and to be able to give something back to the community. We look forward to seeing the actual gardens being constructed very soon but the real icing on the cake will be seeing local residents and visitors using and enjoying the space.”
Thanks for reading
All at Vialii
Bridge of Allan Community Council apply for funding to turn Vialii’s design for Provost’s Park into reality.
The new design for Provost Park
Since the controversial new toilet block was finally completed in Bridge of Allan, the space around it, known as Provost Park, has largely been left untouched and is a sad space in an otherwise beautiful and prosperous village. The Provost Lamp has been renovated and given a new life but its surroundings have yet to be brought up to the same standard.
It was in the middle of the cold snap last winter when we first met up with Gavin Drummond and Liz Rankin from the Community Council. They were putting up the village Christmas tree in the park to try and add some sparkle to what was otherwise an uninspiring space. At least the thick covering of snow hid the lack of interest underneath! At the meeting Liz and Gavin discussed some of the ideas that had been considered for the space and asked if we were able to pull together some thoughts.
The park in its current state
From that meeting, we were able to go away and develop some concept drawings. This initial stage of the design process gives clients a couple of choices of what can be done with the space, and often clients choose bits from each and ask for these to be brought together. These were presented in February 2011. The concepts were discussed in detail and good feedback was provided. Vialii left copies of the drawings with Gavin and Liz so that further feedback could be gained from other community council members who were interested in the project. All this information was fed back to Vialii in June 2011, allowing them to move onto the final design pack.
In terms of inspiration and our choice of design style, there were three main requirements which jumped out at us from the outset. Firstly, the community required a practical area where they can relax and enjoy the world going by. The space needed to be usable by everyone in the community whether that’s families, couples or elderly so path widths and surfaces were important. Plentiful seating was clearly important too. Secondly, the area had to look good. Provost Park has been a contentious issue for some time and we need to address this and create a space to be proud of. It needed to be a space that would be easy to maintain too. Bridge of Allan is incredibly fortunate to have the Friends of Bridge of Allan, a local voluntary organisation who look after many of Bridge of Allan’s public gardens and carry out fantastic work in the community. We wanted to design a space that the Friends felt comfortable taking over once it was complete. It’s a great space, right in the middle of the village so it needed to have the “wow factor” and be fitting of its focal point in such an attractive village. Lastly, we were keen to reflect the Victorian inspiration which surrounds the park and the spa village and design a garden which would be appropriate for the space.
The mood board for the new design
The main focal point for the design, along with the Provost Lamp, is a stunning, cast iron gazebo, situated in the centre of formal gardens. Victorians loved symmetry and topiary so we made sure these were key features of the space. Vintage style bricks edge wide pathways suitable for all members of the community. Wrought iron screens will surround the toilet block providing a nicer backdrop to the gardens and reflect the design of the gazebo as well as some details inspired by the village itself. In the corner closest to the toilets, an ecclesiastical garden is to be created, reflecting the park once being the site of a church. Liz has managed to obtain beautiful pew benches from one of the village churches which will sit in this area looking onto a centre bed of perfumed plants. The central focal point of this area will be the existing stone fountain which may be possible to be recommissioned as a working water feature. Behind, the embankment will be cleared and planted with a mix of feature trees and ground cover plants.
The wall which runs the length of Provost Park will boast new interpretation boards highlighting some of the key features and historical information about Bridge of Allan. To the front of the park, a grassy area has been included incorporating the popular annual flower bed and seats looking out to the street.
The planting is a mixture of formal topiary as well as smaller shrubs, bedding plants and bulbs. The aim is to keep the gardens fairly low maintenance to reduce pressure on the Friends of Bridge of Allan, who will take over responsibility for the garden once it is complete.
It’s been a delight to work with Gavin, Liz and the team and we are honoured to have been asked to be involved in such an important project and to be able to give something back to the community. We love the final design and were delighted to hear such positive feedback from the community during the recent consultation. We look forward to seeing the actual gardens being constructed in due course but the real icing on the cake will be seeing local residents and visitors using and enjoying the space.
All at Vialii
Our design for Provost’s Park has been revealed by Bridge of Allan Community Council and the local community have an opportunity to provide their feedback on the design.
We showcase some of the latest aspirational products available to buy for your garden this year.
We’re now trudging well into 2011 and we’re all very excited here at Vialii (despite the weather). We have just been granted the builds on a further three of our garden designs and we have a further three in the pipeline so were holding out high hopes for another bumper year. Before we wax lyrical too much about what’s ahead of us, we thought we’d write a bit of a review of 2010 as it was memorable for all the right reasons (and the odd painfully sore ones!)
Before: our garden had no interest and the beautiful view was blocked by overgrown shrubs
2010 was a fab year. Most importantly, we tied the knot. The ceremony was held in our own garden and was attended by our nearest and dearest and was the best day ever. The fine day was made all the sweeter by the preceding level of work that was carried out throughout the year to turn what was effectively a veg patch and some bare soil into a venue befitting of such a great occasion. As the saying goes “the cobbler’s bairns are aye the worst shod” so the same goes for a landscaper’s garden.
After: the garden all set up for our wedding day
It was good year for the business in all facets; design, build and maintenance so the inclusion of an additional project (suitable for a wedding!) was always going to be a challenge both financially and physically. So much so that it almost didn’t get done. We reached a point where the cold realisation came that we could not complete all that had to be done in the time available to do it. An emergency meeting was held and a a humble and begging email was sent out to friends for assistance and to their credit, our friends came through, and in style too. Our garden was completed (just) and the ceremony went off with a bang. We thanked our helpers at the wedding but we’d like to take the opportunity to give a hearty thanks again to all those that helped. We wouldn’t have managed it without you.
So without further ado we come to the Vialii Garden Design Awards 2010…
As tempting as it would be to gush over our own achievements in Bridge of Allan for this category we’re going to restrain ourselves. Our garden of the year would have to be the Nitobe Memorial Gardens in the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Widely regarded as one of the best Japanese gardens outside Japan, it really was one of the most beautiful spaces we have spent time in.
Nitobe Memorial Gardens in Canada
Michael only made it to Hampton Court this year (Jill managed to squeeze in Chelsea too) and whilst there were some inspiring ideas, all-in-all Hampton Court left us feeling a tad underwhelmed so we’re going to award Chelsea this accolade.
Michael’s big toe! In April Michael picked up a slab and then quite quickly managed to drop the very same slab which subsequently landed on his foot. A valuable lesson was learned that day about always wearing steel toe capped boots on site.
Not garden related I know but, hey, this is our awards ceremony. The Defamation of Strickland Banks by Plan B. It’s a soulful soundtrack of a character who’s been ‘sent dahn’ for a crime he didn’t commit. Loved it…
Hope you all had a great 2010 too and here’s to a great 2011.
All at Vialii
We explain how in these economically challenging times, you can sustain an environmentally friendly future whilst still maintaining your bank balance.
We share our top tips on how to create your own wildlife friendly garden…
We share some insider’s secrets on how to create a beautifully designed garden…
Our article “Jump On The Veg Wagon” explains the benefits of home allotments and tips for “grow your own”.