As the weather begins to turn and we venture inside, gardens can easily become dormant spaces, forgotten until spring. When the greenery has died back, however, and you get to see the bare bones of your garden, winter presents a fantastic opportunity for adjusting or changing your perimeter fences – the backdrop to your spring, summer and autumn display. With … Read More
Preparing the November Garden for the Next Gardening Year
Plant tulips this month as the temperature is cool enough to discourage fungal diseases. Check for blue mould on your bulbs and do not plant them if you discover it. They do require good drainage, so you can mix your soil with gravel if your soil is heavy clay. The end that tapers is the top of the bulb and … Read More
Sheena’s Star Plant for November: Lonicera fragrantissima
Just coming into flower now, the winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) covers itself in creamy-white, highly fragrant flowers. Like most winter-flowering species, its scent is so strong that it carries for some distance to guide in those pollinators that are still on the wing. In winter, flowers need to be perfumed with the sort of scent that travels and lingers in … Read More
Maintenance Jobs for the November garden
November can be a damp, raw month and although flowers can be scarce in the garden, there are still berries, evergreen foliage and bark to add interest on even the dullest of days. You can warm yourself up by tidying the garden and preparing for the winter ahead. It’s also a good time to check your tools, catch up on … Read More
Maintenance Jobs for your October Garden
Plan ahead for planting bare-root trees and shrubs next month. If you want long-lasting plants it’s worth preparing the ground well. If you are planning a border of shrubs or a new hedge or trees, dig over the entire area. It may seem a lot of work but will be worth it in the long term. Remove all the roots … Read More
Sheena’s Star Plant for October: Nerine bowdenii
I love Nerine bowdenii for its spring-like flowers in autumn and it makes a beautifully colourful, vibrant display that will brighten even the dullest autumn days. It needs some protection from winter frosts, so plant it near a wall for protection and make sure it’s in sharply drained soil. If you garden on heavy clay, as many of us do … Read More
Outdoor Kitchen Design
An Outdoor Kitchen – Case Study Outdoor kitchen design is a growing areas, despite our unpredictable weather in the UK, we’ve noticed a trend towards embracing a more Mediterranean style of living, with the use of the garden as an outdoor room, in particular an extension of the kitchen. But gone are the days when you would dig out your … Read More
Designing an outdoor kitchen
Case Study – Designing an Outdoor Kitchen Designing an outdoor kitchen can be a fantastic addition to your home, providing a space for cooking, entertaining, and enjoying the outdoors, above all they are meant to be a fun addition to a home. Based on a garden we designed and built in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, here are some steps and … Read More
Autumn Colours in the October Garden
October brings a wonderful richness of colour to the garden and the clear sunny days and night frosts that we often get at this time of year lead to the intensity of colour in leaves and shrubs. For me, the ideal autumn garden is not only one that’s ablaze with clusters of fiery red and orange berries hanging on branches … Read More
More September Gardening Jobs
There is a proliferation of gardening gadgets available for the time-poor technology lover. One of the most exciting has to be the robotic mower, which will not only cut the lawn but dispose of clippings by cutting little and often, leaving the cut grass on the lawn to act as a mulch. If you groan at the thought of cutting … Read More