Plan Your Garden
If you’re looking for ideas for your garden or are interested in reading about our garden design topics, you will find them all here. Use the drop down menu for specific design topics or simply browse or use the search box in the bar above. Enjoy!
Making space for all the things you want to grow
Modern new build houses seem to be allocated ever smaller gardens; we find that even large dwellings nowadays are often… Read more.
The Holly & The Ivy – A Seasonal Blog Post
It may be seasonal, but I have to say that Ivy (Hedera) is not my favourite plant. It can be… Read more.
Creative Ways with Plants
When designing a planting scheme for clients, garden designers (me included) always look to provide structure and plant interest all… Read more.
What to plant in a narrow border
Most gardens that I visit have a few borders which are really narrow and this can often pose a planting… Read more.
Plant Focus: Polystichum setiferum ‘Herrenhausen’ & ‘Proliferum’
Little plants with long names! Anyone who has ever asked me to design a planting scheme for them will know… Read more.
Designing on the Diagonal
Garden designers often like to tilt the orientation of a garden so that, for example, lawns and paths run at… Read more.
Plant Focus: Cotinus coggygria ‘Golden Spirit’
Another of my favourite plants, this yellow leaved form of the smoke bush is perhaps less well known than its… Read more.
Paving Comparison: Yorkstone
Yorkstone is a naturally occurring sedimentary Carboniferous sandstone of extremely good quality. It is sourced from the quarries of Northern… Read more.
Paving Comparison: Porcelain
Porcelain paving is a relatively new and exciting product to arrive on the paving market and is proving popular due… Read more.
How to create a workable garden on a steep slope
Client Brief: create a new level lawn for their children to play on. Problem: how to create a workable garden on… Read more.
Plant Focus: Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’
Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’ is a really useful, attractive and elegant medium sized garden tree. Whilst it is deciduous, designers like… Read more.
Paving Comparison: Slate
Like sandstone and limestone, slate is a natural stone which has been used for hundreds of years as a building… Read more.
Paving Comparison: Limestone
Natural limestone has been a key building material throughout the ages and used all over the world – even the… Read more.
How to cope with a wide / deep border
We often receive calls and emails from people who have recently moved into a new home, feeling overawed at taking on… Read more.
Plant Focus: Cotoneaster ‘Cornubia’
Cotoneasters are generally very easy to grow – and fast growing - evergreen and deciduous shrubs, with white spring flowers,… Read more.
Paving Comparison: Indian Sandstone
Of the many options available for paving, my personal favourite is Indian Sandstone. Currently it is by far the most… Read more.
Plant to Watch – Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’
I thought I would just share some details of this plant which was recently brought to my attention by several… Read more.
Growing Brussel Sprouts
“How about writing a blog on growing Brussel Sprouts?” Sarah, our web adviser suggested a short while ago. “But I’m… Read more.
Learning to love Roses… well, … like them at least
Prospective clients often say to me "please don’t give me any roses - they're too much hard work", or "no, definitely… Read more.
Musings on choosing a garden designer
Garden designers need to know a lot about a lot of things. Just consider for a moment. He or she… Read more.
Sedum ‘Jose Aubergine’
I first came across this newish form of Stonecrop at an open day of our main perennial wholesale nursery a… Read more.
Growing Vegetables – Design Considerations
This is the second of a series of design blogs aimed at encouraging people to make space to grow vegetables… Read more.
Have you ever considered a garden room?
Tempted by a chill out space in your garden…..? This summer house built by ALDA Landscapes in 2011 in my… Read more.
Plant Focus: Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’
Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’ – a yellow berried form of Rowan / Mountain Ash - is one of my favourite small… Read more.
Mastering manhole covers
Mastering the problem of a manhole cover..... manhole covers might not seem the most exciting topic when considering a new… Read more.
Making room for vegetables
I have been asked on numerous occasions over the years to give some tips and advice about growing vegetables and… Read more.
Plant Focus: Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’
Following on from last month's look at Euonymus alatus, this month I want to share another of my favourites with… Read more.
Inspiration – Raised Beds
Are you fed up with back breaking days in the garden? Here's a thought - why not make life easier… Read more.