The garden is now winding down towards its winter dormancy, but this does not mean there is nothing to do in the garden this month. Your November gardening todo list: Lawns Early in the month the lawn will still be growing. Keep mowing until growth ceases and continue keeping it clear of leaves. If you … Continue reading November Garden To Do List
I remember climate change and the greenhouse effect being talked about when I was at school in the 1980's and here we are still talking about it nearly 40 years later. Whether you accept that global warming is caused by human activity or not, last year's Australian and Californian bush fires and various flooding events … Continue reading Plant a tree to tackle climate change
The swallows have gone and summer temperatures of 30 (or even 40!) degrees seem like a distant memory. However, this does not mean a gardening hiatus until May. With a little ongoing maintenance over the autumn and winter months you can have a garden to enjoy come spring, rather than spend your spring catching up. … Continue reading October Gardening To Do List
After nearly two years of waiting, this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show has again flashed by. This year's show may possibly stand as its most unique ever given its non-traditional, pandemic-induced September slot. Every spring designers choose from broadly the same planting pallette, so this September show has been something of an opportunity to shake … Continue reading Chelsea trends
The perfect English sward is a source of amusement amongst some of the local Frenchies here, but no-one can doubt that a neat lawn does beautifully set off neighbouring planted beds. Lawns are one of the higher maintenance and less environmentally friendly areas of the garden, but they can still have a place in the … Continue reading Your annual lawn care plan
Previously living in Bristol not far from the edge of the Cotswolds and working mostly in Bath and the surrounds, I was often in contact with limestone. My journeys through the countryside from garden to garden were often guided by a labyrinth of limestone walls that define the aesthetic of the area. The light and … Continue reading Building a Dry Stone Wall
With my wish list compiled, having measured up, undertaken a stock check of the garden and evaluated the plot, I can now dive right into the fun stuff of organising the space and building upon my initial ideas. Aside from planting, this early stage of playing with shapes and evaluating ideas is my favourite part … Continue reading Planning my new garden: forming a basic layout concept
In my last post I talked about forming a basic wish list of requirements I want my new garden to fulfill before I take any steps to conceive the new garden design. Before getting stuck in, I have also taken a close look at the garden I already have. Measure up I always start by … Continue reading Planning my new garden: assessing the site
Years ago when I began practising law, I was told "Fail to prepare, prepare to fail" and this mantra also certainly rings true of garden design. Having moved to a new house in France, with around 1200m2 of accompanying land, I am almost spoiled for choice in comparison with my previous 70m2 garden in Bristol. … Continue reading Planning my new garden: first steps
