< PreviousYour Dream Kitchen...From planning to reality?View our credentials atCall now for your FREE quoteon 01522 526400Visit our showroom at: SunningdaleTrading Estate, Dixon Street, LincolnLN6 7UBwww.dreamdoors.co.uk• Trusted reputation• Made to measure custom built doors and units• Fitted by our own experts020:Layout 1 21/1/13 09:20 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY21HOMESNew life forold kitchensDream Doors, off Dixon Street in Lincoln is ashowroom that covers many aspects of bespoke,luxurious kitchen interiors and appliances, so weasked director Chris Hann what options they offer.The tagline for the showroom is ‘New lifefor old kitchens’ and after eight years inbusiness, the company is widely knownlocally as specialising in kitchen suite facelifts,however they also offer bespoke kitchendesigns, appliances, supplies and fittingservices too. The onus is on luxury, but also,as Chris puts it: “Giving the customer whatthey want and making changes in theirkitchen to the level they want.”Having Neff and Bosch kitchens on showin their light, airy premises gives customersthe chance to see what different kitchenscan mean for them. There is a Neff kitchenkitted out with cooking in mind. Indeed,representatives from Neff do cookingdemonstrations throughout the year, but a‘facelift’ kitchen is also on display. Lookingat it, you could be mistaken for thinking itwas a completely new fit, but as Chris saysthe quality is such that it isn’t simply acosmetic cover-all process, rather a way ofsaving money over buying and fitting anentirely new kitchen.“Most customers we work with arehomeowners who want to improve theirliving space, rather than to do theirproperties up and sell them. We spendmuch more time in our kitchens thesedays, indeed more than ever, so it’simportant that it feels right.“There are significant savings to bemade with our facelift service, but that’snot to say that a bespoke kitchen with allnew appliances, surfaces, plinths andcornices might not be right for you too.We work with customers to get the kitchenthey want.”As Chris says, there are only one or twoinstances in one’s lifetime that you planand purchase a new kitchen, so you wantit to be right. He points out that DreamDoors have a dedicated team of fitters whoare tracked on the tradesmen websiteCheckatrade.com, which rates work carriedout by using customer feedback.The ethos at Dream Doors seems to becare of the customer and finding the rightsolution for your needs, drop by theshowroom for a warm welcome and ahelping hand from initial idea to fruition. 021:Layout 1 21/1/13 09:21 Page 122 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYWe hear much these days about energy efficiency and how thoseconstructing their own homes have the opportunity to incorporate newgreen ideas into their design. A great example comes in Caistor whereNeil Knapton is developing Evergreen Drive, four new modern homeswith energy efficiency at their heart.Neil’s company Goldcrest Properties has worked with Hodson Architectsof Cleethorpes and JK Construction to create the development, which isactually behind Neil’s home in Caistor. Work is currently going on and thefirst property should be complete by the summer – and energy efficiencyhas been a top priority in its construction. Natural light is a priority andthe aim is to blur the lines between the home and the garden.Neil tells us, “The garden is huge – it’s three acres – so when I boughtthe house I always intended to develop the garden, it was a question oftiming. I recently developed a luxury resort of four tropical villas with myson Giles in Goa, and although the climate is very different, it enabled usto see the benefits of merging outdoor living with the comfort of thehome, creating a healthier and more modern life style, which thesehouses are designed to do.“A lot of the design is down to the architect Hugh McPherson fromHodson Architects. He decided that the windows would all be facingsouth and west so they receive the maximum amount of sunlightpossible, and that there would be thermal block walls to absorb the heat,so it becomes a heat store.”One of the other aspects of the design is the way the air moves aroundthe house. Air inside naturally circulates and is exhausted out through apassive air stack, which prevents a build-up of stale are and allows thewarm ambient air to reach the whole house. “Along with the insulation and air source heat pumps, it will be veryTheGREENhouseA new development inCaistor is leading the wayin energy efficiency022-023:Layout 1 21/1/13 09:25 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY23HOMESeconomical to run – the heat pumps are efficient way down to -15°c. You can’timagine how they can draw in air at that temperature and make it warm butthat’s what happens. It’s also more efficient because it’s used for underfloorheating rather than radiators which operate at much lower temperatures.”As Andy Potts of JK Construction points out, “It’s particularly useful in a ruralsetting because most houses around here use oil for their heating, and that canbe very expensive. In the winter it’ll be really warm too, we’ve never insulated ahouse like this – especially the density in the roof. It’s well over and above whatthe regulations require. Our last development was thirty homes which were verynice but very traditional. This is something new for us and we’ve really found thework on this development interesting.”Evergreen Drive illustrates the increased interest in energy efficiency inLincolnshire and the items that are being introduced into the development arenow becoming mainstream concepts – not just in new projects but being addedto existing homes.For more information about Evergreen Drive, visit www.evergreendrivecaistor.co.uk orcontact Amanda Thompson at Robert Bell and Company in Lincoln on 01522 538888.“This is something new for us and we’ve really found thework on this development interesting.”022-023:Layout 1 21/1/13 09:26 Page 224 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIREHaving had a life full of outdoor pursuitsand having picked up a whole range ofskills along the way, Peter Wood is still asbusy as he possibly can be. Having retiredas an art teacher, he has lived in France andsouthern England, but has settled at thequiet, unassuming village of Theddlethorpe,just a short journey from Mablethorpe onour county’s wonderful coastline. With asmall gallery building at his property as wellas a studio inside, Peter’s life, as he puts it,has always been centred around thecountryside.Indeed his talents know no end - anaccomplished angler, taxidermist, gun dogbreeder and a good shot to boot in the past,he has had to curb his interests somewhatsince ill health means he can’t be as active.However, this hasn’t stopped him fromsharing his talents with those around him. “When I paint, I’m sharing the skills Ihave,” says Peter. “I have a website full ofmy paintings and photography, but I’vefound my tutorial videos on YouTube havebeen the most interesting.”Take a cursory look on the video sharingsite and you’ll see hours and hours ofvideos, made both recently and when Peterlived in France. They range from paintingtutorials and classes to taxidermyinstructions. “The Americans in particularlove the taxidermy. Over there it’s still allthe rage to have animals in the home so Iget lots of interesting comments, that’s whyI keep doing it.”Two trout, expertly mounted and paintedhang above his PC in his study, but whatARTopen to allPeter Wood is an artist, operating from a secluded yet enviable base inTheddlethorpe. With the beach just a stone’s throw away, his opendoor policy should be reason enough to look him up but there’s muchmore going on at Curlew Cottage than just painting.really stands out throughout Peter’s homeand gallery is his paintings. Working acrossall mediums and with an array of materials,his style is impressionist, but he is influencedby all sorts of contempory art too. “I’m not just an impressionist, I admire allsorts. Hockney for example is incredible.”says Peter. “I’ve been inspired by thecountryside and nature all my life, but it’staken a while for me to truly appreciate theLincolnshire landscape. Now I’m starting towarm to it, the flatness and the expanse ofsky and the dykes and marshes are reallystarting to be reflected in my work.”At the time of our visit, Peter is finishing asecond take on a lakeside scene, havingcompleted one with an empty sky, he hasadded geese to a new version. Usingphotography to produce composite images,he works from these during the wintermonths but loves to work on location whenthe weather allows. His style changes as towhat he is painting, describing his overallapproach as using the best methods for thesubject. This results in mixed media thatcould include textures on the canvas in theform of rice or even breakfast cereal.A whole chunk of Peter’s work is based onhis garden. Not a garden in the traditionalsense, he has created an artists’ retreat ofsorts. Not only does he teach small, focusedgroups on a Friday, but he welcomes anyonewho wants to paint, draw, photograph oreven picnic in the garden. An arbour offlowers takes up the centre of the lawn and afish sculpture stands resplendent in the areatoo but what is the highlight for many is thesheer amount of painting positions available.Be it by the duck pond, by the Victorian-styleglass greenhouse or elsewhere, there areopportunities for hundreds of different viewsand scenes to depict. We’re not the onlyones impressed, East Midlands in Bloomrecently handed Peter the Judge’s Award forhis ‘wonderful wildlife garden andcommunity spirit’.We’ll be returning to Peter’s garden inthe summer but in the meantime, hewelcomes those interested to take a lookaround the gallery and studio and maybeeven join a class. To find out more, visitwww.peterwoodarts.com or look him upon YouTube.024-025:Layout 1 21/1/13 09:28 Page 1“WhenI paint, I’msharing the skills I have”Peter has the following paintingdemonstrations and classes coming up soon: Grimsby Library - Tuesday 5th March - 9.30 to11.30am - Early morning lake scene, acrylics– £1.50Cleethorpes Library - Tuesday 12th March -10am – noon- Beach scene using relief andtexture. Acrylics and mixed medium - £1.50Cleethorpes Library - Tuesday 12th March –2 to 5pm - The figure in movement - £2.00Fishing Heritage Centre – Wednesday 20thMarch – 10am to noon - Painting water, sea,lakes and rivers. Water colour, acrylics andpastels - £2.00024-025:Layout 1 21/1/13 09:28 Page 226 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYREADERS’ GARDENSOsteospermum “ Silver Sparkler”Lychnis Coronaria AlbaThe trains aren’t full size thankfully,but her husband Laurie’s modeltrains, which glide around a trackthat winds its way across the right-handside of the couple’s meticulously neatgarden. Making all the buildings himself,Laurie builds them brick by individual brickand the effect is a world in miniature. Dueto the weather, the trains and the majorityof buildings are being stored inside, but foropen garden events, Laurie has the full setout, including an individually-madepopulace which peppers the scenery.Cecile and Laurie moved to MarketRasen and Everdon ten years ago and theirnew build sits at the edge of a cul-de-sacjust near the town’s racecourse. This havenof calm has been made a home thanks tothe carefully-planned garden Cecile hascreated. The main garden has an almostoriental feel and feels like it has beenplanned down to the last detail. Dark greyslabs give it a modern edge, but with anexplosion of white drawing your eye, thisbecomes the main focus when enteringthe garden. On the day we visited, the sun wasblazing and the lush borders and bedswere dazzling. With the immaculate boxhedges, it makes for a neat and tidy spacethat is welcoming and relaxing.Cecile explains the garden was planned tobe low maintenance, but from the way itlooks it must take time and love to reallymake it shine. Four custom-made blackobelisks stand in the centre of the garden,while the views gained from standing ineither an elevated position from theproperty’s French doors or from the quaintsummer house give you a great view of thegarden from a different perspective. In the white sections, care has beenPhlox Paniculata “ Blue Paradise”A modelGARDENCecile Povey has created a carefully-planned garden thatshowcases the best of her purple and white themes and is a havenof calm - it even has its own garden railway!026-027:Layout 1 21/1/13 09:32 Page 1green leaves, clematis, astratia,Mt Fuji and the intriguinglybeautiful sweet rocket hesperis, which hassmall, cross-like flowers. In the purple section of the garden, whichworks incredibly well against the sea of white,stands a staggering selection which rivals thewhite flowers for unusual examples. Thissection always draws a lot of questions fromvisitors, of which there were more than 200this year for an open gardens event.Agastache Urticfolia, or ‘liquorice blue’ standsup in an almost cylindrical flower that is deeppurple, standing close to Actaea Simplex,which is also known as the saucy moniker of‘black negligee’. Polemoniums also standnext to geraniums, hibiscus bluebirds and thebeguilingly-named elephants’ ears, which liketheir namesake are large and floppy.The next time the garden is open for theweekend, why not pop down to MarketRasen? As well as the wonderfulsurroundings, you may catch sight of thewonderful railway in full flight too.READERS’ GARDENSEchinops ritro “Veitchs Blue”taken to mix up the texture and shape offlowers, so your eye is drawn to differentareas at different points. This reflectsCecile’s interest in flower arranging,involved as she is in local clubs as well ashaving a significant part to play in theLincoln Cathedral Flower Festival. The border bristles with all sorts ofvarieties, most notable is Miss Wilmott’sGhost, a variety that has a backstory. A ladynamed Ellen Wilmott, a keen horticulturist,used to keep seeds in her pockets andwould either surreptitiously drop them inpeople’s gardens or plant them in bordersbefore they could protest. Although thereare several types of flower named after her,the version Cecile has - out of choice! - isthe white, Syringa vulgaria variety, but itcan appear in red too. Alongside these is Accillea ptarmica,known as ‘The Pearl’ or by its lessglamorous name ‘sneezewort’. Sweet peasalso stand alongside a variety of aquilegiacalled mellow yellow, which boasts limeLINCOLNSHIRETODAY27026-027:Layout 1 21/1/13 09:32 Page 228 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYGARDENSThere is a chink of light through winter’s cold dark spell with thedays getting longer and the first plants of the year bracing thecold to give us a colourful display of encouragement in thegarden.The first stars of this time of year are the pure snowdrops, closelyfollowed by spectacularly colourful crocuses and then the emerginggreen shoots of early daffodils. For me, it is these signs of life that reallyawaken my excitement for the abundance of foliage and flower colourthat’s on its way. The snowdrops start us off with their simple white and green beauty,swiftly followed by bolder yet subtle colours of crocuses and aconites.This is not to say that we can go out all guns blazing in the garden asthere will undoubtedly be some harsh weather to come. But it doesgive us that incentive to get out and do what we can this month.Snowdrops (Galanthus) can be planted as bulbs but I have foundbest results from planting them in the green (growing plants lifted andshipped promptly) as the very small bulbs dry out quickly in theirdormant period. Buying and planting ‘in the green’ is best done inFebruary and apart from the better survival rate of single bulbs is thatwhen you’re planting you can still see the growth on top, thereforeRob Parry returns to give us somegardening tips for February, especiallyuseful as the days begin to lengthenThe new seasonEMERGES028-029:Layout 1 21/1/13 09:36 Page 1getting a good idea of how plants will look next year. Galanthus are most effective planted in swathes under trees in the grass,but even in small gardens will bring joy in February if planted in smallclumps at the front of borders.The British common snowdrop is Galanthus nivalis and for anyonewanting to introduce these beautiful early flowering plants into their gardensshould choose this variety if wanting to mimic what is generally seen acrossthe British countryside. However, there is an abundance of old and newvarieties to choose from if you wanted to go for something different. A good companion perennial for snow drops at this time of year are theHellebores, with their fantastic toothed evergreen foliage giving interest forthe whole season, they also produce clusters of flowers all through winterinto spring. There are many types of Helleborus with differing foliage shapesand colours and the flower tones run into greens, whites and pinks. Thesebrilliant winter interest plants look great planted in clumps with snowdropsgrowing round their base.Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Bobs Best’ has dark green, neatly toothed leaveswith a silvery cast carried on red stems, with white flowers that fade to redbeing produced from winter into spring. This will grow best in full sun orpartial shade in moist and drained soil.Jobs to doCarry on preparing vegetable andflower beds for planting.Lift and split perennials to invigoratethe parent plant and multiply yourgarden stock.Sow some seeds undercover to get anearly start.Chit seed potatoes so there are strongshoots when you’re ready to plant.Prune winter flowering shrubs thathave finished flowering.Divide bulbs such as snow drops andplant new ones in the green.Trim back lavender to promote freshgrowth and stop them getting woody.Prune hardy evergreen hedges andrenovate overgrown deciduoushedges.028-029:Layout 1 21/1/13 09:36 Page 2Next >