Steeply sloping garden in Gerrards Cross - Update 2

Work has started again on the Gerrards Cross garden after being temporarily interrupted by the snow - mortar and freezing conditions are not compatible. Although the site still looks a bit of a mess the bones of the new garden are beginning to emerge.

The lowest level a paved courtyard terrace is now taking shape. The blockwork walls are almost complete and ready for their scratch coat of render. The sub-base for the paving is down and the footings for the steps up to the upper levels are being poured.




There is still an element of danger as you can see from the precipitous angle of the digger - rather him than me!




We are in the process of deciding what to do about the left-hand boundary fence which belongs to the neighbour. There are a couple of options. We can replace the fence in its current location (tricky due to level changes on the other side of the fence). We can construct a new fence adjoining the existing fence which won't look so elegant, but avoids costly re-building of existing and sound retaining walls.




The chaps from Manor Landscapes are doing a fabulous job in this tricky site. Here's Chris, my 'Mr December' :)




I've designed the route up the garden as three linked shallow ramps with railway sleeper retaining walls. The reason for using railway sleepers for the upper terraces of this garden is simply down to cost. Building walls out of blockwork or bricks is expensive. If I had specified blockwork and render for all the retaining walls it would have pushed the construction costs way over budget. Because sleepers do not need a footing, are much quicker to put up and cheper to buy than hard materials they are a highly cost effective way to create retaining walls. If you use new sleepers and make sure they are neatly finished they can look good in a contemporary scheme. In every garden build there will be compromises, I felt this was one which had to be made and would not ruin the overall aesthetic of the new garden.



If you need help desgining your garden email me linsey@linseysgardens.com or visit my Web site for all other contact details.

Designing a front driveway

Although I hate to say it, sacrificing the front garden for parking where parking space is scarce/non-existent near the house, is sometimes unavoidable and guaranteed to add value to a property. I dislike the idea of turning the front garden into a car park, but understand (from experience) the need for doing so.

Here are some suggestions for what makes a good driveway surface:-

1. Stone setts: these are blocks of stone usually 50 or 100mm square and either 50mm or 100mm deep. They are usually made from granite, basalt or sandstone. Setts are laid on a mortar bed on a compacted hardcore sub-base and pointed with a mortar joint. They make a fabulous driveway surface which is durable, attractive and will take most kinds of traffic. However, they are expensive to buy and lay and drainage will be required.

2. Block paving: block paviors are made of dyed concrete and come in various colours. There are two types of block paving. The first uses paviors of the same size 100mm x 200mm, laid in a regular pattern. The second uses a variety of sizes of pavior laid in a semi-random pattern. Block paving is laid on on sand over a compacted hardcore sub-base and the joints are filled with fine sand. They are cheaper than setts, and are permeable – water runs through the sand in the joints of the blocks. They are also easy to lift if you need to get access to, for example, a service pipe underneath the driveway.

3. Resin-bound/resin-bonded gravel: my absolute favourite. Gravel is either sprayed onto a resin layer thereby sticking it onto the surface, or mixed with resin and applyed to the surface with a trowel. It comes in loads of great colours and unlike loose gravel can be swept. It is hard wearing and gives a lovely natural looking surface. Resin-bound and resin-bonded gravel requires a hard edging – setts, bricks or block paviors are often used – and a sub-base. It is not the cheapest option but can be made self-draining.

4. Loose gravel: this is the cheapest and most often used solution for driveways. You can lay gravel directly onto the sub-soil, but I don’t recommend this. It should be laid on a sub-base over a membrane. A gravel driveway will also need a hard edging to stop the gravel moving onto the pavement and other garden areas. Gravel is self-draining, cheap, looks attractive if well maintained and gives a crunch when walked on that helps with security. It is hard to keep clean as you cannot sweep it and requires maintenance.

5. Stabilised gravel: this involves laying a structure comprising plastic honeycomb pockets which hold the gravel in place. The structure is made up of square sections which join together. Stabilised gravel requires a sub-base and an edging – railway sleepers will do, but setts, bricks, or paviours are also used. A membrane should be laid over the sub-base, but the best system available has a membrane attached to the base of each section avoiding the need for a separate membrane. This system gives a hard surface that can be walked on in heels and driven on by heavy vehicles – I know because I’ve just specified it for a Polo yard car park. It’s a little more expensive than just chucking down a bulk bag of gravel, but will last longer, look better, require less maintenance and is easier to rake clean than loose gravel.

There are other solutions, and a combination of two of the above (some gravel and some block paving, for example) can work well and help get a quality look at less cost. Don’t forget to check with the Local Authority before ripping up the front garden and putting in parking, it’s always worth getting a Permitted Development Certificate. If you want to avoid the SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems) legislation check the requirements and make sure your scheme is compliant otherwise you’ll need planning permission.

Another necessary expense it to get the local authority to drop the kerb so that you can access the driveway. If you do not do this people can still legally park in front of your new driveway.

One final plea, if there is space, include some planting to soften the scheme and keep the front of the house looking more like a garden and less like a car park.

Have a look at these front gardens in Woking, Surrey, Crowthorne, Berkshire and Chiswick, London.

If you need help designing your garden please visit my Web site to have a look at some of my work. All contact details are on the Web site.

Sloping Garden in Gerrards Cross, Bucks - Update 1

Visited site yesterday for the first time since construction started. Although destruction is a more appropriate term for what's going on in the garden at present.



I love this part when the old garden is taken down to reveal the skeleton on which my new design will be built.



This garden has a 3m drop from top to bottom. I'm used to surveying tricky spaces and usually love doing sloping sites. However, this garden was a devil to survey with plants in the way and multiple level changes. The contractors will check my levels carefully before starting construction.



The garden is not huge, so it's very important that all measurements are accurate - even the smallest discrepancy will have an effect on all parts of the plan. The contractors will double check all my measurements before putting in any of the retaining walls.



It's an old property and we're not sure what's under the existing garden, although nothing alarming has shown up so far.

If you'd like help designing your garden please visit my Web site for telephone contact details, or simply email me linsey@linseysgardens.com.

Sloping Garden in Gerrards Cross

Slopes - I love 'em! This garden in Gerrards Cross is exactly the kind of challenge I like. It is on a steep slope, and the only access is through a church at the rear of the property.

The client has had the interior of this traditional property updated in a more contemporary style and wanted a garden that reflected the inside of the house.



A much larger patio area is required.



The planting has become overgrown and the retaining walls need replacing.



The clients love gardening, but wanted the garden to have more structure and for the planting to be more manageable.




The top of the garden catches the last of the day's sun and the clients requested a large lawn area where they could sit in the evening.



A more gentle route up the garden is required.



Here's the garden is designed for them.



There will be planting and a pergola on the upper lawn terrace although this is not shown on the plan. The green, pointy cones in the ends of the horizontal borders will be Cupressus sempervirens (Italian Cypress) which were requested by the client.



The build started this week and I can't wait to see the garden take shape.

If you'd like help designing your garden please visit my Web site for telephone contact details, or simply email me linsey@linseysgardens.com.

Fragrant Shrubs for your Winter Garden

Winter can often be overlooked when planning a planting scheme. My clients always ask for year-round interest in their planting schemes, so I have some recommendations for plants that really come into their own in the Winter months.

Some of the most fragrant plants are those which flower in winter. The reason for this is they are trying extra hard to attract the very few insects around at this time of year. Here are some of my favourite winter flowering shrubs:-

1. Daphne odora aureomarginata: this is one of my favourite shrubs. It’s evergreen with a variegated leaf and small pink highly fragrant flowers. It holds a nice tight shape and can be pruned if it gets too big for its allotted space. It will also tolerate shade, and prefers a well-drained alkaline soil.

2. Viburnum bodnantense ‘Charles Lamont’: another great plant that will grow in sun or shade. Give it some space as it can get quite large, although you can keep it pruned. It is deciduous, with clusters of pale pink fragrant flowers on bare branches throughout the winter. It will grow virtually anywhere in any kind of soil.

3. Sarcococca confusa: an evergreen shrub with gorgeous scented white flowers, and an interesting arching habit. You will be able to smell the scent of its rather insignificant flowers all over the garden. It is highly shade tolerant and can be planted under trees. It is not fussy about soil type.

4. Lonicera frangrantissima: a shrubby deciduous honeysuckle with cream flowers with a gorgeous sweet scent. It will tolerate some shade, but does better in full sun. Give it some space as it can get quite large and looks better with just a little light pruning. It will grow in any kind of soil.

5. Osmanthus burkwoodii: this is a fantastic evergreen shrub which makes an excellent hedge. It has white flowers that appear in late winter and are very fragrant. It will grow in sun or shade and any type of soil. It performs best when kept well pruned.

6. Chimonanthus praecox: best grown against a warm, sunny wall. This shrub has pretty yellow, fragrant flowers with brownish purple centres on bare stems throughout the winter. In summer it has attractive glossy, lance-shaped leaves. A lovely fragrant shrub, its stems are often cut and used in flower arranging. It will grow in all soil types.

7. Mahonia x media ‘Charity’: one of my least favourite plants due to its overuse in municipal planting schemes. Mahonia can be used to good effect at the back of a border where its architectural foliage and plumes of yellow fragrant flowers do light up a dull winter day. But do keep it pruned or it will get huge, woody and hideous. It will tolerate shade and any soil type.

8. Hammamelis: commonly known as Witchhazel, this lovely shrub is a must for the winter garden. Delicate, spidery flowers which can be either yellow red or orange appear in late winter on bare branches. The subtle, unusual scent from the flowers is a real treat in the midst of winter. It prefers an acid to neutral soil and will grow in shade. Although it’s deciduous the leaves also provide lovely autumn colour.

If you’d like help with your garden please get in touch. Please visit my Web site and have a look at some of my work.

New work from artist Nate Frizzell

Some more amazing art by Nate Frizzell. I had to look twice as I thought it was a photograph. He's so talented.

Dwarf Japanese Anemones

Anyone who's ever worked with me knows I love Japanese Anemones (particularly Queen Charlotte) and whenever I plant a garden I try to fit some in. The problem with them is they are tall and can get bashed down by the autumn rains. Here's a link to Graham Rice's new plants blog introducing four new dwarf varieties of Japanese Anemone - I'll certainly be using them.

Planning Issues - Landscape Schemes for New Developments

This article in Horticulture Week is yet more proof that landscape schemes around new developments are not being enforced.

It's all very well for people to pay lip service to wanting to improve the landscape around new developments, it's a very popular stance. Introducing legislation to encourage more green space and additional planting is also excellent. However, if the legislation is not enforced and developers know they will get away with not complying they simply will not. How depressing.

Creating Walls using Rammed Earth

A very big thank you to my guest blogger Michael Thompson from Rammed-Earth.Org. Michael is an expert on creating beautiful and environmentally friendly rammed earth walls.

An introduction to Rammed Earth by Michael Thompson Rammed-Earth.Org

When I first stumbled upon rammed earth, I was no eco warrior. The most I ever did to save the planet was recycle my empty beer cans. But building with earth turns out to be a very sustainable thing to do...

The rammed earth building method is a very clean process that produces a smooth finish and avoids the heavy cost to the environment of building with bricks and blocks; but best of all, It's dirt cheap!

Using rammed earth involves a process of compressing a mixture of damp earth that has suitable proportions of sand, gravel and clay into an externally supported former that moulds the shape of a wall section creating a solid block of earth. Traditional stabilisers such as lime or even animal blood can be used to stabilise the material, but cement has been the stabiliser of choice for modern times.



The use of cement is contentious as its manufacture creates ten percent of manmade carbon emissions. However, this may be substantially offset by the partial substitution of cement with alternatives such as ground granulated blast furnace slag or by using hydrated lime.

Formwork is set up to create the desired shape of the section of wall and damp subsoil is placed inside the former to a depth of around 100 to 150mm. A pneumatically powered backfill tamper - something like a hand-held pogo stick with a flat plate on the bottom (or alternatively a manual tamper) is then used to compact the material to around fifty percent of its original volume. Further layers of material are added and the process is repeated until the wall has reached the required height.

A rammed earth wall is so solid that the former can be removed immediately. However it will require a number of warm dry days after construction to dry and harden. The structure can take up to two years to cure completely and the more it cures the stronger the structure becomes. When the process is complete, it is much like constructing a handmade wall of solid rock.
In modern variations of the method, rammed earth walls are constructed on top of conventional footings or a reinforced concrete base. To add interest to the structure, some builders add coloured oxides or items such as bottles or pieces of timber.



Because rammed earth structures utilise locally available materials, they typically have a low embodied energy rating and generate very little waste. Earth used for building is a widely available resource and harvesting it for use in construction has minimal environmental impact.
Insects won't infest rammed earth and if unstabilised the material is reusable and biodegradable.

Rammed earth is not only an economically viable construction technique; it also results in a visually pleasing end product.

To find out more please visit my Web site and browse through all the photos and videos or even buy my recently published DIY Rammed Earth Manual.

Maybe i'll meet you on one of my rammed earth courses one day...

Michael RammedEarthOrg
Oh, and one more thing,
Reduce - Re-use - Recycle, One Planet... TO THE MAX!

Planning Issues for Garden Construction

This is a really useful site all about garden buildings. It's got an excellent section on planning and building regulations - people are often confused about the difference between the two - setting out what doesn't need planning permission. When I designed a garden room for a Maidenhead (Berkshire) garden I checked with the planners. I was told that as well as the total square metreage and other planning considerations the structure has to be more than 5.5m away from the house.

When you're doing anything major in your garden a phone call to the planning office in your local Council is always worthwhile. Some things need planning that you would not expect. Under certain circumstances you may need planning for decking. A quick call will clarify the issue, and if you need planning permission I know it's a nuisance and slows things down, but at least you will avoid expensive alterations or even being made to remove the structure entirely.

For driveways even if you're sure you don't need planning permission, it's worth applying for a permitted development certificate, so that there can be no doubt whatsoever in the future.

Changes to Planning Legislation - Will New Houses Get Larger Gardens?

I’ve lived in my current house in Bracknell, Berkshire for longer than I originally intended and am considering moving – I need a bit more space. It will be with great regret that I leave this house. I bought it because it has a lovely feel to it and a great sized garden – not too dauntingly huge, but large enough to create some interesting, distinct areas and grow loads of plants. I’ve got room for two sheds, a greenhouse, three seating areas at different levels, a herb garden, a pergola and plenty of interesting plants. I’ve spent countless hours excavating, constructing the different levels (well, recently paying other people to do the construction), building the pergola, laying a pretty brick and pebble mosaic seating area, fiddling about with the planting and growing stuff in my greenhouse. I’ll hate to leave my garden; I love it and it gives me an emotional connection to this house.

However, looking around for a suitable new house has filled me with despair. I may be getting a detached house, and for that privilege I’ll have to pay a lot more, but they all seem to have miniscule gardens. What I really want is a detached three bedroom house that has a third reception room which I can use as an office, and a nice large garden. Such a property does not seem to exist. The main problem is that a lot of the new houses around Bracknell have tiny, in some cases almost non-existent gardens.

It was therefore encouraging to read in The Garden recently that the Government has decided to scrap housing density targets for councils that currently require 30 dwellings per hectare. This, according to Greg Clarke, Minister for Decentralisation, was forcing councils to build houses without gardens. The theory is that this will result in the creation of new houses with larger gardens.

I’m encouraged by the change in legislation, but call me skeptical if you will, when I say that I’m not convinced this will result in a sudden proliferation of new houses with generous-sized gardens. I think that developers will still try and maximize their profits, which means cramming as many houses as possible on any given piece of land.

If you'd like to talk to me about making the most of your garden, however small, contact me through my Web site.

Victorian front garden design in Chiswick

On the surface this Chiswick front garden doesn't look like it needs a plan. However, the plan although simple was used to get quotes from landscapers and help the clients visualise the garden and choose materials.

Designing a Victorian front garden is all about the detail. Wall to railing height ratio depends partly on individual taste and partly on the depth of the garden. An elevation of the wall and railings was used to show the clients how different wall and railing heights would work in the garden.

It's the details that are so important in designing a small Victorian front garden. Choice of path tiles, rail heads, railings and in this case designing some simple new gateposts to complmement the scheme.

I chose a different tile to give the garden a modern twist, but the client was unsure and decided to go with a traditional checkerboard pattern. We scoured the James Hoyle catalogue and found the cast iron urns for the tops of the gateposts, and some unusual railing heads. To keep costs down we had the railings and new gateposts made in mild steel, but the urns and rail heads are an original Victorian pattern and made in cast iron.

Also important is knowing the maximum distance apart for railings in a public place. The railings must be no more than 100mm apart. The reason for this is so that children cannot get their heads stuck in them - really! Then bearing this in mind, rail heads need to be chosen that will work in scale with these distances and the height of the railings.

The rest of the paving is black Limestone which blends really nicely with the black and white Victorian tiled pathway.

The client decided to spend a little more and use re-claimed London stock bricks for the front wall and re-claimed York stone for the wall capping. In such a small space it is important to ensure a high quality of finishes and build.

I finished this small Victorian front garden with some simple planting. A half-standard Magnolia grandiflora sits in a circular planting pocket in the centre of the garden. Box balls and Lavender 'Hidcote' give an elegant and timeless finish to the perimeter borders. The client also requested a Wisteria which will be trained along the neighbouring fence and up a trellis boxing in the downpipes.

Ideally, I would have liked to re-instate the railings on the boundaries with the neighbouring properties. These would have been full height with no wall at their base. Unfortunately, the neighbours were not keen on the idea, so we had to work with the existing boundary fences.

Take a look at the before and after shots:-

Before


After


Before


After


Before


After


Urn detail


Railing head detail


If you need help designing your garden whatever it's size get in touch via my Web site.

Welcome back Large Blue butterfly

This is an amazing story of perseverance. The reintroduction of the Large Blue butterfly to the UK where it was extinct. The key lay in understanding the latter part of it's caterpillar phase. Its a fascinating story of tricking a single species of ant into believing it is an ant grub. It does this by singing to the ants and secreting honeydew. The ants take it down into their nests where it feeds on ant grubs before hatching out into a buttefly.

Read the full story here.

My Garden

My garden is looking very pretty at the moment.

Free Garden Design Advice

I have been asked to take part in the Love Bracknell, Love Summer Livin’ event being held in Bracknell town centre next Friday and Saturday 16 and 17 July. I will be dispensing free garden design advice to anyone who needs it. All you need to do is come into Bracknell town centre and find me (I will be near the central clock water fountain) and ask me anything you like about your garden project. I will be able to give you advice on any aspect of getting the best out of your garden, such as preparing a scale garden design plan, designing and maintaining appropriate planting, DIY garden construction, and selecting good contractors.

I have designed a garden to demonstrate what can be achieved in even the smallest space – in this case 5.6m x 5.6m. Landscaper Greg Tranckle will be building the garden which includes raised beds, paving and decking. Sadly, we won’t be able to put up the pergola on the day because Bracknell Town Council won’t let us dig up the block paving to get the posts in – spoilsports! Obviously we can’t use mortar, but the walls will be built, paving laid and decking constructed to create a useable outdoor space. Come along and have a look.

Check out my Web site for other examples of my work and in particular how to cope with tricky spaces and steeply sloping gardens.

Small Garden Design

If you’ve got a very small garden it doesn’t mean you can’t have a beautiful outdoor space. I’ve seen many dismal small back gardens that are featureless and neglected because people cannot see their potential, or simply don’t know what to do with them. Even the tiniest space can be a garden and a cleverly designed small garden can look amazing. The key is to make use of the vertical space. Here are my tips for making use of every inch of space:-

1. Walls: if you’re lucky enough to have a walled garden you’ve got an immediate advantage. Attach some wall mounted troughs – use lightweight fibreglass versions, there are some really good quality ones available these days. Plant the troughs with a mixture of plants to give you year round colour. Installing a micro irrigation system is easier than it sounds and will ensure your planters remain healthy even when you’re away.

2. Trellis: use trellis clothed in a mixture of ivies, clematis, climbing roses and jasmine for a display of colour and scent throughout the seasons. If you have no borders, use floor mounted troughs and back with trellis.

3. Fences: hang baskets and troughs from fence posts, you can even mount troughs along the tops of fence panels, but make sure they’re well secured. Plant climbers and support with wires or trellis.

4. Wall shrubs: some shrubs do best when secured to a wall or fence, such as Garrya elliptica, Fatshedera lizeii and Itea illicifolia.

5. Uprights: dig a hole 600mm deep and 300mm square, place a 100mm square 3m long post in the hole and mortar in place with some Postcrete. You now have a 2.4m high hanger for pots and baskets. Place more than one in a line and you have the makings of a vertical garden even if you have no fences or walls. You can use this method to create a really interesting divider, single rail pergola, or the back of a built in seat.

6. Dual purpose features: a built in bench seat can have storage underneath and a planter along the top of its seat back – so, actually that’s triple purpose. If you think carefully you can make all garden elements work harder.

7. Plants: be highly selective with plants. Make sure that plants are either evergreen or long flowering (preferably scented) and if possible both. Plants that don’t perform must be ruthlessly culled – all plants count, there’s no room for nursing stragglers.

Need more ideas for designing a small garden? Have a look at this previous post that gives tips on how to make a small garden seem bigger.

If you need help designing your garden get in touch all contact details are on my Web site.

Contemporary Garden Silchester Berkshire

Although it’s not quite finished yet, here are some photos of my most recent project, a contemporary garden in Silchester, Berkshire.



The garden is fairly small at around 18 metres square and is overlooked on all sides. The brief was to create a contemporary garden with clean lines and not too much planting. The clients wanted to introduce some structure and interest to the garden, creating distinct areas for eating, relaxing and catching the last of the evening sun. There was an existing water feature to be retained and a statue to be incorporated into the scheme.



I created three different areas within the garden, each with its own function. There is a built in seating area in the corner that gets the last of the day’s sun. The dining terrace outside the kitchen has been extended and enclosed with a raised border. The terrace outside the lounge is enclosed with trellis screening and an archway to the rear of the garden – it will be finished with black rattan sofas and a coffee table. A pergola covers the built-in seating area and runs along the bottom of the garden which gives this area a distinct character – cool and shady in the heat of the day. The built in seating area is given extra privacy by fixing 50mm batons horizontally to the wooden pergola posts set into the walls, giving it an intimate, enclosed atmosphere.



Raised borders have been constructed using blockwork walls with a rendered finish. The walls are painted white and all wood is stained black – the old fence panels which were painted a bright orange before are still resisting the black paint and need a few more coats.



Paths are self-binding gravel which crunches beautifully underfoot without giving that horrible sinking feeling of walking on ordinary gravel. I love using this material it is a nice contrast to other hard materials and can be swept with a soft broom. All paths are edged with 100mm square black granite setts where they join the lawn.



The planting features low, square box hedges that anchor the corners of the walls and the pergola posts, providing structure and emphasizing the garden’s architecture. The rest of the planting is a mixture of silver and dark purple foliage and grasses. There are some palms (Butia and Chamerops) at the client’s request, and I think they work well with the other, mostly foliage plants. There are some gorgeous double white paeonies (Duchesse de Nemours), some of my favourite low-maintenance perennials (Veronicastrum, Echinops, Japanese Anemones, Hemerocallis) to give splashes of seasonal colour. We were too late for bulbs, but later on this year I’ll add some Alliums, Crocus, Anemone Blanda, Snowdrops and Tulips for spring interest. Climbers (which still need tying in) have been chosen for scent, and seasonal colour – Trachelospermum jasminoides, Actinidia Kolomikta, Clematis, Lonicera, Vitis Coignetaie, Vitis Vinifera.

The statue is used as a focal point at the end of the pergola. A mirror supported in a custom built frame serves the dual function of reflecting the statue and hiding a particularly ugly, but necessary piece of construction. The mirror also creates a false perspective, giving the impression that the garden continues beyond the boundary. I wrote at length about this kind of trick of the eye in a previous blog post.



Finishing touches will include some tall pots with box balls, cushions for the built-in seats, new furniture and lighting.



If you'd like to transform your garden get in touch. All contact details are on my Web site.

7 Tips For Choosing A Garden Designer

Whenever I'm making a decision, doing a bit of DIY, or even just going to the supermarket, I make a list. This articulation of my requirements and the act of writing them down helps to clarify my ideas, point up potential problems and highlight omissions. The same applies to designing a garden - even installing a simple patio will work out better if you have a plan.

So, give your project some thought and you’ll always get a better outcome. This means you’ll need to find a garden designer. Someone else’s take on your garden project is always valuable. A fresh pair of eyes will produce ideas that don’t suggest themselves automatically to the person who spends every day looking out on the garden. If that someone has built many gardens before, even better.

How do you go about choosing a garden designer? It’s tough – there are a lot of us out there. So, here are my 7 tips for choosing a garden designer:-

1. Personal recommendation: ask around at work, social gatherings, family, trusted contractors (plumbers, builders, etc) and see if you can find a designer that someone has used before. This doesn’t necessarily mean they are the right person for you, but it is a start and you know they have done a good job for someone else.

2. Search on Google: put in some specific search terms, for example, do you have a steeply sloping garden? If so, type in sloping garden design and see who’s got projects on their site that they’ve completed that match these criteria.

3. Breadth of work: look for someone who has a good breadth of projects – all sizes and shapes. It shows that this landscape designer knows how to take everything from a small, poky, dark courtyard to a large, empty field and turn it into a garden.

4. Qualifications: qualifications are a tricky one, of course they are important, but college courses vary in quality and content. It is just as important that a garden designer can take what they’ve learned in college and translate this into solving real-world garden design problems. There are some excellent landscape designers out there who have no qualifications at all. See my next point.

5. Portfolio and completed projects: meet your chosen garden designer/designers and look through their portfolio of completed projects. Don’t get too carried away by the presentation of the plans. The ability to articulate the design on paper and make it look pretty is important, but this doesn’t mean the design will work when it’s built. Make sure you look at photographs of the completed jobs, go and see some of the gardens and talk to the clients.

6. Relationship: you must like the garden designer, trust the quality of their work and believe you can have a great working relationship with them. Having your garden designed is a very personal experience. You will need to work closely with your designer and spend time in their company, if you don’t think you can get on with them find someone else.

7. Professionalism: this is so important. You are entrusting your garden designer with creating an enduring part of your property and almost certainly spending a large chunk of your money. They must fill you with confidence that they can behave and run their business in a professional manner. The designer will need to communicate clearly with you and all the contractors involved in the build, understand the technicalities of the construction, be able to solve problems as they arise, and provide good documentation for each stage of the project. If you don’t believe they will be able to do this, keep on looking.

If you need help with designing your garden check out some of my work on my Web site and give me a call to discuss your requirements.

7 ways to design a small garden and make it seem larger

When designing a very small garden it’s often hard to see what can be done to create interest and make the space seem larger. Here are some tips on how to trick the eye so that a very small garden appears bigger and more interesting:-

1. Create a false doorway: fixing a gate to a boundary wall or fence, even if it leads nowhere will give the impression there is a something beyond the confines of the garden boundaries. Try using an old wrought iron gate with mirror behind it and a fringe of climbers to blur the edges.

2. Use contrasting colours: another way to suggest that the garden extends beyond its actual boundaries is to use contrasting colours. A pale wall with a door-sized rectangle painted in a darker colour framed by some climbers and planted pots will look like a passageway. You can also use contrasting flower and foliage colours to add the illusion of extra depth to a garden.

3. Create a false perspective: this can be achieved in several ways such as using diminishing sized pots, plants or statuary, or narrowing a path as it approaches the boundary.

4. Combine hard and soft elements: if you terminate a pergola or pathway at the garden boundary and then plant the boundary with evergreen climbers and the base of the path or pergola with evergreen shrubs it will blur the edges of the garden and give the impression of greater space.

5. Trompe L’Oeil: literally translated trompe l’oeil means trick of the eye. They are usually notional views into a landscape beyond the garden and can give a quirky extra dimension to the garden. If done well they can make a real statement. If in doubt keep it simple by painting a fake doorway and surrounding it with evergreen planting and climbers.

6. Level changes: use level changes to create interest and add extra depth to a small garden. If you include some steps, raised beds, or even a raised pool in a small square garden it will give the garden an extra dimension and make it appear more interesting. The eye will stop on the level changes and not be drawn so immediately to the garden boundaries.

7. Structures: wooden structures are a great addition to a garden they enable vertical planting, give height and can help create the impression of a more spacious garden. A heavily planted pergola placed against a boundary wall prevents the eye stopping on the garden boundary and blurs the edges of the garden suggesting extra space beyond. An archway part way down a path suggests another area of garden.

If you'd like help designing your garden please get in touch - all contact details are on my Web site.

Planting a Hedge

Now you’ve chosen the right plants for your new hedge (click here to see my suggestions), you need to prepare the ground and plant them. A hedge is simply a row of trees or shrubs planted close together, so you prepare the soil and look after them the same as you would any other tree or shrub.

Dig over the area to a depth of at least one spade’s depth. Break up the soil, remove any large stones, weeds, and old roots. Dig in a generous helping of compost. Well rotted stable manure, leaf mould, the contents of your home compost bin, green waste compost, or spent mushroom compost are all good soil conditioners. When digging in the compost throw on a handful of fish blood and bone per square metre.

Hedging plants are commonly sold as bare rooted ‘whips’. This means the plants are not in pots and have no soil around their roots. They can survive perfectly well like this whilst being transported, but don’t leave it too long before you plant them. If you receive the plants and can’t plant them immediately, dig a hole anywhere in the garden, put the plants in and roughly tread in the soil around their roots. This will keep them alive and healthy until you’re ready to plant them.

The recommended planting distance for bare root whips is at 45cm centres, which means that the centres of the plants are 45cm apart. You need to be fairly precise, so get a tape measure and space the plants out accurately. If you’re planting along a boundary with a pathway, plant the whips far enough from the boundary so they have room to grow without encroaching on the right of way. Decide how wide you want the hedge to be when it’s mature then place the plants half this distance in from the boundary.

Do not plant the whips too deeply, cover the roots but do not bury the stem. Make sure the plants are upright, then firm in the soil well around their roots to make sure there is no air left in the planting hole. I usually tread around the plants to make sure they are nice and secure in their new homes.

Water the hedge well and apply a thick mulch over the planting area at least 50mm deep. There are loads of things that can be used as a mulch such as chipped bark, green waste compost, cocoa shells and some newer synthetic materials. Mulching will help seal in moisture, keep down weeds. I like to use something compostable for mulching so that it breaks down and provides nutrients for the growing hedge.

For the next couple of years while it is establishing you’ll need to keep the hedge well watered. I always keep the mulch blanket topped and the planting area weed free. All plants benefit from the occasional application of a long acting fertilizer and hedges are no different. I like to feed my hedges a couple of times a year with some fish blood and bone which I simply sprinkle on the surface around the base of the plants.

If you are plagued by rabbits or deer you can buy stem guards that are cheap, simple to fit and protect against casual nibbling. My experience with deer is that you’ll have to be a bit more robust to keep them away. You might need to put up a temporary fence and although this looks ugly it can eventually be removed and may be the only way of allowing the plants to mature. There are plenty of on-line sources for stem guards, just type spiral stem guards into Google. Here's the Web link to a supplier I found.

Hedges should be cut at a slight angle from top to bottom; this angle is called a batter. The top of the hedge should be slightly narrower than the base to ensure the top growth doesn’t prevent water and light reaching the roots of the plants. I have Beech hedges and tend to cut them when they look untidy, usually twice a year in the early and late Summer. Formal hedges will need cutting more often than looser shrub hedges. The RHS has some great advice on when and how often to prune hedges.

So go out this weekend and make space for a hedge. If you need help get in touch. You can email me at Linsey@linseysgardens.com, or visit my Web site for all other contact details.

Plants I Keep Meaning to Plant

There are plants I really love and keep meaning to make room for in my garden. I’ve just been reading an article about Trilliums and reminded myself how much I love them. Ever since I first saw their unusual lily-like flowers shining out of the dappled shade I have wanted some in my garden. They would particularly like conditions in one part of my garden which gets quite a bit of shade from a Beech tree. I just need to juggle a couple of ferns into a different space and I’ll have the perfect place.

The trouble is that they are best transplanted as they start to die back in late June or early July, just when us garden designers are super busy. At this time of year I’ve always got several projects in various stages of design or build and I forget about my careful plans for my own garden, or run out of time to put them into action.

Trilliums are woodland plants and as my garden backs onto a small wood they would work really well. They don’t like to be too wet or too dry which is a tricky balance, but you can help out with mulching and good soil preparation. I’ve got a plentiful supply of leaf mould which makes the perfect mulch and compost for Trilliums. I also know where to get some pine needles, which when composted with some other organic matter suits Trilliums well as a mulch or compost and provides really good drainage.

Trilliums come in a variety of colours, although most commonly in white and all shades of red from dark purple through to pale pink, there is also a yellow variety. You can get double flowered varieties which are gorgeous. Some Trilliums also have wonderful ornamental leaves with dark spots on them. They look exotic, but are not difficult to grow and make a fantastic understory in a woodland planting scheme.

Apparently the Trillium is the wildflower symbol of Ontario – well, you learn something new every day.....

Here’s a link to a site that supplies Trilliums on-line.

If you need any help with any area of your garden, from planting advice please to full garden design, please get in touch by emailing me at linsey@linseysgardens.com, or visit my Web site for other contact details.

Choosing the right plants for a hedge

A well kept hedge not only looks good, but is one of the most positive things you can plant to help out wildlife. A hedge provides a home for a diverse array of small mammals, birds, insects, plants, and fungi. Maintaining a hedge is relatively easy compared with tending a large lawn, or a mixed herbaceous border.

But what plants make the best hedges? This depends largely on where the hedge is and its purpose. If you’re trying to create a smart front boundary a more formal, clipped hedge works best. If you have a formal garden which you’re trying to screen or compartmentalize then, once again, blocks of clipped hedging usually work best. If you have a less formal garden or want to create a boundary adjoining open countryside a wildlife hedge is perfect and a wonderful habitat for all kinds of wild critters.

You can make a hedge out of almost any shrub. A hedge of Lavender looks and smells wonderful and is brilliant for attracting insects to the garden. I also like to see shrub roses like Rosa ‘Hansa’ planted in blocks to make a fragrant, informal hedge. You can use evergreens like Choisya, Aucuba, and Ilex (Holly) to make a looser, shrub hedge. If you are using shrubs to create a hedge you will need to prune them with secateurs. Don’t let shrub hedges get overgrown, you’ll eventually have to cut them hard back and they’ll look sad and bald.

I’m not a big fan of Laurel. I know it makes a robust, fast-growing evergreen hedge and is cheap to buy, but if it’s not cut back ruthlessly it looks ugly. Laurel also doesn’t respond well to being cut with a hedge trimmer because its large leaves get sliced in half and go all crispy at the edges. Not a good look. Instead, I often use Bay. It is a type laurel (Laurus nobilis), but makes a much better hedge than ordinary Laurel (Prunus Laurocerasus). Bay has smallish, matt, dark green leaves which not only look gorgeous, but smell lovely and can be used in cooking. Bay grows rapidly without becoming as woody as bog standard Laurel and its smaller thinner leaves lend themselves much better to a haircut.

Yew makes the most stunning hedge and wins on so many levels. It has very small, evergreen leaves, which allows it to be cut into crisp shapes. You get a great architectural effect from blocks of Yew hedging in a garden. Yew makes fantastic walls for a garden room, you can easily cut doorways and arches through it, and it makes a dense habitat for animals, birds and insects. Yew is relatively slow growing and this puts people off using it for hedges, but you will get around 30cm growth in a year.

I also love Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) and Beech (Fagus) which are very similar looking plants. Hornbeam is more drought tolerant than Beech so may be a better bet in these uncertain climatic times. Copper Beech makes a very interesting alternative to the straight green Beech or Hornbeam and gives a striking backdrop to shrubs and herbaceous plants. Although Hornbeam and Beech are deciduous they retain their dead leaves throughout the winter, so they are not totally bald and make an evocative rustling sound on windy days. Beech and Hornbeam make great nesting places for birds and hedgehogs are often to be found snuffling about in the dead leaves at their base.

A true wildlife hedge contains a mixture of native hedging species that provide a habitat designed to be aesthetically pleasing and also good for all different kinds of wildlife. It is a mixture of native species traditionally found in country hedges. Common plants in a native hedge include Hawthorne, Field Maple, Dog Roses, Blackthorn, Quickthorn, Spindle, Hazel and Dogwood. These plants often have wonderful blossom in spring, then fruits in the autumn. Others, like the Field Maple (Acer Campestre) have fantastic autumn foliage colour.

Buckingham Nurseries supplies individual hedging plants and also native hedging mixes. If you want to create a wildlife hedge, just visit their site, input the length of hedge and choose your plants. They’ve got loads of information on hedges and how to plant them. They supply many different types of hedging plants at really good prices. If you want to plant a ready made hedge there are several companies out there that will do this for you, but it will not be cheap.

If you need help planning a hedge, or sourcing the plants at reasonable prices, why not get in touch and let me help? Email me Linsey@linseysgardens.com, or visit my Web site for other contact details.

Big Thanks to Thames Valley Animal Welfare

This is an unapologetic plug for the Thames Valley Animal Welfare(TVAW) – it’s my blog and I reserve the right to write occasionally about things that affect my life other than garden design.

I’m a cat person – I think you either are or aren’t, you either get cats or you don’t. My mother is also a cat person. When my Dad died four years ago Mum had her gorgeous cat Sammy to keep her company and help her through her loss.


Sammy

Sadly, at the relatively young age of 11 Sammy succumbed to renal failure and had to be put to sleep. My Mum was heartbroken and feeling a bit lonely in the house on her own for the first time. There was nothing else for it but to find her another cat to fill the large Sammy-shaped shoes.


Sammy

So, I’m writing this blog to say thanks so much to everyone at the TVAW for introducing us to the fantastic Fred. I phoned them to ask about another cat that I’d seen in their column in my local newspaper. When I described our requirements for a large, animated teddy bear of a cat, Anne immediately suggested Fred. She told me he was a great big, soppy, cuddly cat and she wasn’t lying.


Fred

I also want to thank Catherine who’d been looking after Fred for making the introduction of cat and parent so easy. She brought Fred over to Buckinghamshire, removing the need for my Mum to drive round the dreaded Bracknell ring road, which she absolutely hates. As soon as we saw him we were smitten. Within a few minutes he was in the car and is now firmly ensconsed in my Mum’s Naphill home, being spoiled rotten and making the place his own.


Fred

Thanks again to everyone at the Thames Valley Animal Welfare for letting us have Fred. If you’ve got a space in your house for a cat please get in touch with the TVAW (01494 484527/01189 721871) as they’ve got loads of lovely cats looking for good homes. I also want to mention the Cat's Protection League who gave us our cat the esteemed Carmen-Electra (Ellie to her friends).


Ellie

Welcome to our family Fred, you’ve really landed on your feet.


Fred

7 Tips to Revive Your Garden

Our gardens can soon start to look tired and neglected, especially when you've got children or dogs running around outside. Here are some tips for how to quickly and cheaply revive your garden.

1. Sort out the lawn: nothing looks more depressing than a neglected lawn. As soon as the lawn’s dry enough mow it, rake out all the dead matter and aerate it with a fork or hollow tine aerator. Apply some weed and feed, tidy up the edges, and sprinkle on some grass seed if you’ve got bare patches. Your garden will look better and if your lawn is small it’ll only take you an afternoon.

2. Paint the fences: a fresh coat of paint will immediately cheer up your garden. I always paint fences black. Don’t be afraid of dark colours they don’t work the same in the garden as they do inside the house and plants look great against black.

3. Put in some edgings: I like to have a hard edge around borders and lawns, it helps maintains their intended shape and gives you something to mow up to. If you’ve got dogs or kids running around it stops the lines of the garden becoming blurred and untidy. Mortar in some brick on edge or granite setts to keep the outline of the garden sharp. Use plants to soften the hard edges.

4. Prune overgrown shrubs: most people are afraid to hard prune shrubs, which then get very leggy, outgrow their allotted spaces and generally make the garden look unkempt. With only a few exceptions you can cut back shrubs hard, they might look a bit sad for a few weeks, but they will regenerate quickly and look much better.

5. Cut hedges: boundary hedges should frame the garden and look much better when they’re kept neat and tidy. As with shrubs, if you don’t cut your hedge back at least once a year it will get very untidy. Keeping a hedge trimmed is a simple way of making the garden look cared for. If you haven’t got time, or don’t want to risk getting up a ladder, there are plenty of people in the phone book who will come round and do it for you.

6. Hide compost bins, storage areas and oil tanks: a simple piece of trellis with some evergreen climbers will give you a storage space for anything that has to be in the garden, but you don’t want to look at. Even better, invest in a new shed, paint it black, hang some baskets on it and store clutter out of sight. A new shed also gives you an opportunity to install an extra water butt.

7. Re-lay pathways: if your gravel pathways are full of garden detritus and looking tired give them a facelift. Just removing the old gravel and investing in a few bags of new gravel will make a difference. However, a small investment in some new paving will transform the garden. You can do a half way solution by putting in a brick edge and using some paving slabs with gravel margins. If you’ve got a resident handy-person you can do this yourself - Paving Expert is an excellent source of information for all paving tasks. If not, call in a local landscaper and get them to do it for you.

If you need help cheering up your garden for the summer visit my Web site for telephone contact details or email me linsey@linseysgardens.com.

Changing the Color of Hydrangeas

The long-lasting blooms of hydrangeas look fabulous in a mixed border. Even when the heads have faded they still look good and are great for flower arranging. Hydrangeas make an excellent flowering hedge. I admit they are a bit uninspiring in winter, but I’m prepared to put up with that because their flamboyant flowers look so gorgeous. I especially love Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ with its huge creamy white heads. I’m a big fan of Hydrangea paniculata – some of the newer forms like ‘Pinky Winky’ and ‘Limelight’ are very interesting.

I’m not keen on pink flowered hydrangeas, if they must be a colour other than white or white with a hint of something else, I prefer them to be blue. How many times have you planted a supposedly blue hydrangea only to have it come out pink? Exactly how annoying is this? The good news is that you can do something about it because the colour of hydrangea flowers is dictated by the type of soil you plant them in. If you have acid soil you will get blue blooms, if your soil is alkaline your hydrangeas will be pink.

Not all hydrangea varieties can change color, those that are naturally white will remain white no matter what type of soil they’re grown in. Only those that are naturally blue or pink can be made to change colour. So, if you want your pink hydrangea to have blue blooms you must increase the acidity of the soil and vice versa.

It is the aluminium in acid soils that makes the hydrangeas blue. Garden centres supply several different products that make hydrangea blooms blue and they all contain aluminium sulphate. Water the plant well, dilute the product as per packet instructions, and then apply the product around the plant. You’ll need to do this regularly throughout the growing season. Mulching the plants with grass clippings or used coffee grounds will also help to reduce the pH level. Don’t use fertilizers containing bonemeal or phosphates. Also be aware that concrete leaches out lime into the soil which raises the pH level, so don’t plant your hydrangeas near concrete paths or foundations.

Lime in the soil stops the plants from absorbing the aluminium. So, adding powdered limestone and wood ash will help make the soil more alkaline and you’ll get pink blooms. Ask at your local garden centre for a fertilizer high in phosphorus as this will also prevent the plant from taking up aluminum.

Having said all this, changing the pH of the soil is not easy and you must continue applying the product around the plants. If you don’t keep on treating the soil the plants will revert to their chosen colour.

First UK Garden Design Expert on The Mulch

Check out my profile and plant suggestions on US gardening site The Mulch

My journey from IT to garden design

Check out my profile on The Life Uncommon. It's a Web site for people who have escaped the rat race and are doing something they love.

Front Garden Design

A front garden is the public face of a house; it creates the first impression of you and your property to visitors or passers by. Here are some tips on how to design a front garden and give your property that all important kerb appeal.

The main purpose of the front garden is to provide easy access to the house without getting drenched or scratched by prickly plants. However, these days the front garden is often needed for other more practical purposes as well such as wheely bin storage, bike access, car parking, and wheelchair access. To accommodate all these often conflicting requirements and create a great looking garden the key is to keep the design simple. A simple layout with robust planting will look great and not need constant maintenance. Keep the layout simple, avoid using too many different hard landscaping materials – you can create interest with the planting.

Use a straight, wide path that get’s you to the front door without having to navigate shaggy, overgrown plants. The entrance to the house should be obvious, and welcoming. Frame the doorway with some elegant Box topiary – it always looks smart and is easy to keep looking tidy. If you’re going to have a climber over the front door keep it tied back and well pruned to stop it becoming a damp, smelly, prickly obstruction. Don’t include a lawn in a North facing front garden it will not thrive, and if you have a lawn keep it mown – a scruffy lawn ruins an otherwise good garden.


When designing the layout use simple geometric shapes and avoid fussy details – freehand curves work well in large, country garden schemes, but do not translate well into a much smaller front garden. A formal scheme with strong, crisp lines always looks good and is easy to keep tidy. If the scheme looks a bit bland and flat, create interest by including some raised borders. You can also use the planting to create interest, texture, colour and soften the hard edges.

If the front garden is your only outside space and you want to use it for sitting in, consider creating a sunken area which will give you some privacy. A water feature can also add interest in a front garden, but you need to make sure it is in scale and in keeping with the style of the garden. I don’t like the kind of pre-fabricated water features you find in garden centres, and feel that a simple drilled sandstone sphere or a raised brick pool with a steel spout works in most situations.

Having provided a straight path from the gateway to the front door, you may still have a problem with if there is another shorter route into the garden, for example, over a low front wall. Human nature dictates that we will always try and take the shortest route and regular callers like postmen and delivery drivers will soon create an ugly, informal route through your lovely new scheme. Some strategically placed spiky plants, like some ornamental Hollies will help stop this.

Avoid making would-be burglars’ lives easier. High hedges offer ideal cover for anyone wanting to break into your house unobserved. Use movement sensors for lights so that they are activated when someone approaches the house. Secure pots or sculptures by either cementing them in place, attaching them to the house or a ground spike with chains.

When designing front garden lighting, don’t get too carried away and be tempted to over illuminate. Wall-washers either side of the front door create a nice warm welcome, and are much better than security lighting which is unnecessarily bright, can shine directly into people’s eyes and is rather harsh. Add some pathway lighting to for safe nocturnal navigation. You can include some decorative spotlights, but be careful, there’s a fine line between highlighting the garden and creating that airport landing strip effect!

In which I come across a bit poetic.............

I don’t like the cold weather; I’m a lizard and only really come to life with the sun on my back. However in late January/early February you do get some of the most spectacular, breathtaking nature-related stuff.

I was driving home from my Mum’s house in Buckinghamshire today, back to Evans Towers in Bracknell, Berkshire and I found myself holding my breath as the day drew to a spectacular close. The black, skeletal outlines of trees were backlit by the most amazing apricot sky, shot through with gold, with blue/black clouds like bruises on its face.

I was listening to a fantastic Stu Cox remix of euphoric, uplifting trance which if you were dancing would make you raise your hands in the air, or at least above waist level for the less exhibitionist amongst you. This made the experience even better. For those of you who don’t love spending time rammed in a noisy club with a bunch of friendly, but sweaty strangers you probably won’t get this at all. Don’t worry whatever your favourite soundtrack would work just as well, each to their own.

Ooooh! It’s made me positively poetic.

Planning my 2010 Allotment

I'm starting to think about the coming growing season and what I want to plant. There are some things that really worked last year veggie-wise, the Rainbow Chard was not only gorgeous to look at it was delicious and easy to grow. I think I'll grow some the the ordinary white stemmed variety this year as it seems to grow taller and last longer into the Winter.

I really miss my Spinach, but in the last couple of years it hasn't done well, in fact this year, I planted loads of seeds and hardly got any leaves to eat. Some of it was pecked off by the pigeons, so I covered the plants with Agralan Enviromesh which sorted that out. But, despite experimenting with different varieties, plants either bolted, or did not germinate, or were weedy and hardly produced any leaves. I read this intersting article and am wondering whether I'm planting it at the wrong time - I'm going to try planting it earlier and later to see if it does any better. It's very galling, some of my fellow allotmenteers have tons of lovely spinach.

I'm delighted to report that every one of my Garlic plants has sprouted. Last year I had a success with one row, but the other did not thrive. The problem with the second row was entirely mine. I was over zealous with my Winter mulch and they did sprout, but subsequently rotted under a thick coat of stable manure. The first row were gorgeous. It's the first time I've planted garlic in the autumn to over-winter and as a result I got proper bulbs with individual cloves. There were so delicious and fragrant - you just can't buy garlic like this, but they were soon used up in curries, and chillies, and mushroom bolognese, and spinach dhal, and walnut rocket pesto, and you get the picture. So, this year, I left no room for failure and planted four different types in two long rows, and if all goes well I'll have a year's supply of different strengths and flavours of garlic for use in cooking next year. Can't wait.

My French beans were not so prolific this year, but I'm sure this is because during the extremely hot weather I wasn't able to get down and water every day. My tomatoes, on the other hand, were fab. The outdoor ones only succumbed to blight at the very last, and I managed to freeze enough to last almost until I grow the next lot. I froze them in different ways. I made batches of tomato sauce (onion, tomatoes, blender) with and without garlic. I normally add some red wine to my tomato sauces, but the flavour of the tomatoes was so intense that I didn't want to interfere with it - I may add a splash of wine when I use the sauce. I simply chopped others into quarters, open froze them on trays and then put them into bags. I use these to just drop into anything that needs a bit of tomatoeiness. Others I sieved for passata, the rest I skinned and chopped.

The Broad Beans last year were not as good as in previous years and I had a dissappointing crop, so I decided to try over-wintering them, it seemed like they were a massive success until it snowed. I was so mad. This is the first time I've got round to over-wintering my Broad Beans and then it goes and snows on them! They look a bit flat and sad, but I've still got hopes for them. I'll also grow some in my greenhouse in pots as soon as the weather warms up a bit. I've gone back to growing trusty old Aquadulce and Red Epicure.

I shall grow Cucumber Burpless as usual - they are tasty and easy to grow. I train them up a trellis and two plants produces more than enough for two people. I will not be growing Gherkins this year - they were a pain and I had hardly any fruit from them at all.

The Vivaldi potatoes were brilliant and I'll definitely grow them again. I always grow Rocket as my first earlies and Juliette as a salad variety. I'll grow Courgette Defender again, but I might try a different yellow variety this year as Parador did not do so well. I'll also be growing the same carrots - Flyaway and Purple Haze as they are both delicious and do well for me. I companion plant them with marigolds which I grow in the greenhouse and this seems to keep off the carrot fly as well as looking really pretty.

I've resolved not to grow either onions or shallots this year as I've had miserable crops in the past, but I'm sure I won't be able to resist the lure of the packets of sets in the garden centre. Any suggestions for improving the size of my crops gratefully received.

Of course, I'll be planting loads of Radishes, Spring Onions, Coriander, Basil, Parsley and salad leaves. The raspberry canes and fruit bushes will get a good dose of fertiliser and some extra mulch. I'm going to totally ignore my Gooseberries this year as a friend has told me they crop better if you don't mulch or feed them Last year and the year before I pruned them correctly, fed them, mulched them and got very dissappointing results. So, I'm going to treat 'em mean, I'll let you know what happens.

I'm sure I've missed something. I need to make a list and finalise my choices. I'll definitely try at least one new thing, but haven't decided what yet. I also need to look at my crop rotation plan - yes, I do have one, it's the only way to remember where things are in order to make sure you don't plant the same crops in the same place each year.

In which I am dragged kicking & screaming into the 21st Century

I have resisted the inevitable for too long, now I have no choice but to succumb and I’m a total convert. What are you wittering on about now Linsey, I hear you ask? Well, ever since I became a garden designer and stopped being a propeller head clients have been asking me whether I prepare my drawings on CAD. ‘No’, I say proudly, ‘they’re all hand drawn’. People are impressed – there’s a lot of detail, pretty colour, little daintily outlined plants, each paving slab drawn in by hand, lovely! This is all well and good until you get so busy and your design projects get larger and more complex and you find yourself working every day and most evenings in a bid to keep up.

So, finally, after much procrastination, I have invested in super duper, state of the art CAD landscape design package. I have chosen Vectorworks Landmark as it is widely used by garden and landscape designers and there’s loads of support and training available.

I didn't like the look of the graphics when I first looked at Vectorworks. The Master Plan is how I convey the overall concept of the garden to clients. It’s a sales document and communication tool. It helps get the client to buy into my ideas, and making it look attractive is important for helping to convey how the finished garden will look. CAD drawings don’t have that same hand finished look to them which clients seem to like and I wasn’t sure how I would introduce some personality. However, like any piece of software there are degrees of sophistication that can be utilized and having purchased my software and attended my first day’s training I’m absolutely hooked and can’t wait to get cracking.

There are ways of personalizing the drawing and introducing your own style, but I am less concerned now with this aspect of the design process. Its more important that the design of the garden is good and works for the client and their circumstances. But, its easy to get carried away with aesthetics of the plan and invest too much time in prettifying it. The Vectorworks software gives you the ability to create multiple perspective views and walkthroughs which are so invaluable for communicating your vision to the client and giving them a better idea of how the garden will feel and how they will use it when it’s finished. I think this more than compensates for a slight dumbing down of the graphics.

For larger projects it’s hard to believe I ever managed without it. Most landscape design projects will require changes and amendments and even the smallest adjustment can take hours by hand, but is particularly true on a larger scheme. Using the software this can take a matter of minutes. The many construction plans, planting plans, lighting plans, drainage plans and other technical details can be much more quickly prepared with no loss of accuracy. It's also going to be really useful to be able to send plans to architects and engineers by email and being able to import their drawings straight into my software.

As you can tell, I am really excited about my new toy and can’t wait until I produce my first design – as soon as I do I’ll post it. So, thanks to the fabulous Tamsin Slatter and her team including husband Adrian for bearing with me whilst I made up my mind.

Garden Design Bhopal, India

I'm currently working on a really exciting project in Bhopal, India. I'm doing the whole project over the telephone, email and from architects drawings. It's not how I usually work, but it seems to be going well at the moment. I've started a project diary on a great property development Web site - Developadream. Please click on the link and have a look to see how it's going.