Tuesday 27 September 2016

Planting Design - Spring Bulbs




Autumn is well underway and it’s a great time to start thinking about planting bulbs.  There’s nothing more cheering than a cluster of creamy narcissus on a dull spring morning.
I choose bulbs to create a succession of colour and interest from the first Snowdrops in January right through to the Alliums in June.  Order online through J Parker or GeeTee for great choice and prices.
Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrops) flower in January, plant in large drifts.


Next up are Crocus which will provide much needed colour throughout February and March.  I get a mixture of the large flowered and species and plant where you can see them.  They grow well in pots of naturalised in lawns and boders.  




Anemone blanda will poke up their heads in borders, under trees and in pots from March through ‘til April.  Their delicate nodding heads among fern-like leaves have earned them the common name Windflower.


Plant narcissus and daffodils in pots or naturalise in grass.  I keep mine in pots as I don’t like having the leave the scruffy looking foliage in my borders.  I simply hide the pots when they’ve flowered and bring them out again the next year.

I love this Narcissus Thalia – it’s scented and a lovely cream colour.



 Tulips will flower throughout April and May.  I prefer the pastel colours to the gaudy reds, but it’s a matter of personal preference.  There are so many different varieties to choose from including the blowsy paeony flowered and parrot types.  I usually select a mix of early and late flowering varieties and plant them in pots.  They don’t like to get too wet and do not last very long in the ground, so need to be re-planted every couple of years.



Alliums are perfect for bringing colour to your borders before herbaceous plants start to kick in.  Different varieties will flower from June onwards into July.  I like ‘Purple Sensation’ and ‘Christophii’.




If you would like help designing your garden, please drop me an email, or visit my Web site for telephone contact details.  You can also see examples of my work on my Facebook page and Houzz profile.








Sunday 25 September 2016

Garden Design Surrey

I design gardens all around London and the Home Counties, here are some projects completed in Surrey:-

1.  Long, Narrow Garden Woking Surrey





A long, narrow garden in Woking, Surrey with outdoor rooms connected by a series of curved level changes and turf steps.  Lots of blowsy perennial planting for the client who is a keen gardener. A sunny evening terrace area enclosed with a curved, clipped Hornbeam hedge.  This garden has structure, but is also soft and natural, blending well with it's surroundings.




2.  Large Sloping Garden Design, Kenley, Surrey

A fabulous family garden with multiple terraces and garden rooms in Kenley, Surrey.  Walls are clad with Purbeck stone.  Paving is Black Limestone.  The garden has several large entertaining terraces, a large lawn, tennis court, vegetable garden and black basalt paved driveway.

3.  Large Steeply Sloping Garden Design, Guildford, Surrey



This is yet to be built but is another of my schemes on a very steep slope.  The design includes many different rooms, rendered blockwork retaining walls, entertaining terraces with outdoor fireplaces, a garden room with an outdoor kitchen, a canal water feature, steps and ramps connecting the different garden levels and loads of planting to blend the heavily landscaped scheme into its rural surroundings.