It’s now that time of the year when Rhododendrons and Azaleas are starting to put on vibrant displays of colour the length and breadth of the country. As a garden designer working in areas where these plants thrive, I was delighted to find out that specialist grower (and Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner) Millais […]
It’s not quite spring yet, but being a hardy Northerner I never let a bit of cold weather get between me and my garden visits, so this weekend I headed off to the RHS garden at Wisley which is just half an hour’s drive from Petersfield. Wisley is somewhere I’ve visited on a regular basis […]
In the depths of winter when there’s not much else going on in the garden scented plants really come into their own. One of the top plants for winter fragrance has to be Sarcococca which is commonly known as ‘Christmas Box’. There are a number of varieties of Sarcococca but I tend to plant Sarcococca […]
I have to admit I do like a bit of topiary. There’s nothing quite like a clipped hedge or box ball to add structure to a garden. And the beauty of clipped shapes is that they are so versatile – they can lend a garden a contemporary or a traditional feel. In winter topiary shapes […]
At this time of year it’s very tempting to stay inside, keep warm and banish all thoughts of garden visiting until April. But if you do that you’ll really be missing out. I’ve noticed that more and more public gardens are starting to offer ‘winter gardens’ or ‘winter walks’ or simply ‘winter borders’. Either way, […]
Autumn is the best time to plant new trees. From November until March you can buy a wide variety of ‘bare-root’ and rootball trees (which are dug out of the ground in the dormant season). If you plant now, the trees have plenty of time to establish during the wet winter months before they have to […]
At this time of year there’s really no excuse for gardens to be boring! Surprisingly though, it seems to be a common problem when I go to visit new clients. There are so many great plants out there doing their stuff in autumn, that it’s just a question of planning ahead, maybe not being obsessed […]
Did your garden lack a certain je ne sais quoi this summer? If you’re like many of my clients (who want a lovely garden, but have little time to do the gardening), then it might be a good idea to consider adding more flowering shrubs to your garden in time for next summer. With the […]
I don’t know what it is about wildflower meadows that are so appealing, but I for one love them! Maybe it’s just the gorgeous mix of simple flowers or the fact that they attract so much insect life – or maybe it’s just a bit of old-fashioned nostalgia. Either way I know I’m not alone, […]