When I initially visited this garden it had a tired lawn and large overgrown shrubs that dominated the small space. It was also disjointed with a separate seating area at the bottom of the garden which was never used. My brief was to replace the lawn with paving and create a courtyard garden which would … Continue reading
Front Gardens are often overlooked and end up as somewhere to park the car or dump the wheelie bins. However, they can be as attractive as a back garden given a little imagination and plant knowledge. The brief for this front garden in Hitchin was to make it very low maintenance but enhance the house and … Continue reading
A garden to relax in but also easy to maintain were two of the main objectives for this garden design in Hitchin. The original lawn had seen better days and it was decided from the very start to get rid of it and create a courtyard style garden instead. The lawn was replaced with an attractive Indian sandstone which lifted … Continue reading
Garden design styling can enhance any garden regardless of it’s size. Choosing the right furniture, containers or even sculpture can transform an interesting garden into a really stunning space. I saw this circular metal seat recently on holiday in France and thought it looked beautiful. It makes the tree a real focal point in the courtyard … Continue reading
I was lucky enough to visit the Forestry Commission Arboretum at Westonbirt last weekend. It is situated in the heart of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire. Autumn is a fantastic time of year to visit for the stunning array of colours. Westonbirt is internationally known for it’s collection of 2000 Japanese maples. and in late Autumnn … Continue reading
Trying to grow carrots on our allotmet in Hitchin has always met with failure! This year I thought I’d try something different. I stumbled across these woven sacks in the Marshall’s seed catalogue and thought they’d be perfect for growing carrots in. They’re sold as potato Gro-Sacks but in fact you could plant almost anything … 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
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
If you haven’t got the space in your garden for a clematis armandii but would like a clematis that is evergreen – consider planting one of these. It’s one of my favourites and is called clematis cirrhosa ‘Wisley Cream’. It has small, creamy, bell-shaped flowers and mid-green leaves that are retained throughout the year. It … 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
