Last week I joined this group, which is open to anyone interested in garden design and professional garden designers alike. It was such a friendly group and everyone that I talked to made me feel very welcome. I really enjoyed their first talk, about Arts and Crafts gardens, and I am looking forward to the …
Contemporary garden in Bookham
This garden was completed earlier this year. The brief was to create a Contemporary style garden with a sawn (smooth) paving slab, with steps, raised beds and a sunken trampoline. The before shot is at the bottom of this post. The steps lead off from wide bi-fold doors to a level lawn. The paving slab …
Chelsea – WOW!
I really enjoyed watching the Chelsea flower Show on tv this year. This is the ‘Help for Heroes’ garden designed by Matt Keightley, which won a Silver Gilt and the ‘Peoples’Choice’ award. Gorgeous planting of white agapanthus, Stipa, foxgloves, bronze fennel, with evergreen Buxus, Euphorbia mellifera and Pittosprum ‘Nana’ for structure. The backdrop of a …
Soft slate/aged lead planters
Last week I popped back to a garden to drop off some plants. We planted it up 2 years ago, working closely with the client, who had given me a very clear brief on what style and colour scheme she liked. We recently added the pots for the Olives and Bays – a ridged design …
Garden in progress
I visited a garden today that I designed last autumn. The landscaping is in progress, and I was really pleased to see how well it is coming on. The pointing of the paving will be done next, then the 2 circular lawns will be laid. At the bottom of the garden will be a Victorian …
Monty Don’s Jewel Garden
I am reading quite a bit of Monty Don’s books recently. He is a very good writer, in fact when he was younger his passion was writing above all else. He is very honest, and it makes for compelling reading. So far in ‘The Jewel Garden’, his diary of the creation of his current private …
Room with a view
What heavenly weather we are having right now. I happened to be passing a garden yesterday that we designed a while ago, and the owners kindly let me take this photo, with the bi- fold doors fully wide open. Many new-build houses now have these very wide doors, and if the garden is not very …
Snowing again!
It’s snowing lightly here again, and the forecast is remaining very cold for the coming week. Luckily, I have got plenty to keep me busy indoors – 3 large planting plans and a layout plan for a garden in Esher. We are fortunate in the south of England not to have the heavy snow and …
New Build planting plan
Lots of planning at this time of year! I have just completed a planting plan for a new build garden in Worcestor Park. New build gardens nearly always tend to be furnished with a certain amount of utility paving, and little else except a lawn from fence to fence. Perhaps a token tree! Of course …
Luciano Giubbilei inspired garden
Yesterday we carried out a survey (among the snowflakes!) in a garden which has as the brief, a structural, minimalist contemporary style. My client had already sent me a ‘mood board’ of gardens and plants that she liked, which was very helpful, and while we were doing the survey, I also gave her my own …