Adding winter interest to a garden is not difficult you just need to adapt a different way of thinking. Don’t think flower – think texture and colour instead. Grasses ooze texture and planted in bold groups either on their own or within a border the effect can be stunning. Add to that a covering of … Continue reading »
I stumbled across Angie Lewin’s work a couple of years ago. I was visiting the Botanic Gardens in Cambridge and bought a birthday card with one of her prints on from their gift shop. Ever since then I’ve been hooked! As a garden designer and someone who loves plants for their form, texture and structure … Continue reading »
As a garden designer in Hertfordshire I think it’s really important that our gardens work for us in the winter months. You can do this by creating a ‘focal point’. It will add interest and colour at a time when most of your other plants have died down. By making a statement with plants or … Continue reading »
Perennials are a great way to get late summer colour. Creating a garden full of colour during the summer months is easy but as we head towards August and September a lot of our plants start to look tired and past their best. Summer bedding plants are popular with many people because they provide an … Continue reading »
Front gardens often get neglected and dismissed when it comes to plants. But a small area can still look great if planted well. Choosing low maintenance, slow growing evergreens is one way of providing texture and colour all year round. This courtyard front garden worked well keeping the planting simple with interesting foliage. Euonymus are … Continue reading »
Many people get despondent with their gardens especially if it’s shady and find it difficult to buy the right plants. I love to use rich colours in my borders and these Geranium Phaeum with their purple black flowers are perfect for shade. Tolerant of any soil they work really well planted under deciduous trees or … Continue reading »
If you like the idea of having a fruit tree in your garden but don’t have the space – then plant what’s called an espalier. It’s a technique that creates a beautiful plant structure, and is great at saving space in a small area. In the spring they are covered with blossom and in winter … Continue reading »
My spirits lift when I see snowdrops. For such a small flower they give enormous pleasure at what is such a gloomy time of year. However small or large your garden snowdrops are a must for this time of year. They will delight even the grumpiest and reluctant gardener with their simple yet elegant beauty. … Continue reading »
“No holiday in the Loire Valley is complete without a trip to the gardens at Villandry” I told my reluctant family on a very warm day. We holidayed in France this summer and it was on my list of definite places to visit. Fortunately we were not disappointed and the gardens though precisely manicured were … Continue reading »
A willow dome or wigwam is a fun, living feature that can be incorporated in any family garden design. They are available to buy in kit form and will provide hours of fun for the children to play in. Because willow is a natural material it blends effortlessly with the rest of the garden too. … Continue reading »
