Fabulous plants for September
Here's a small selection of wonderful plants I'd recommend for the garden in September. When I drew up the shortlist I hadn't realised that most of them hold the RHS…
Formal topiary at Great Fosters
Get creative with topiary
I have to admit I do like a bit of topiary. There’s nothing quite like a clipped hedge or box ball to add structure to a garden. And the beauty…
How to choose the right trees for your garden
Autumn is the best time to plant new trees. From November until March you can buy a wide variety of ‘bare-root’ and rootball trees (which are dug out of the ground…
Top plants for autumn colour
At this time of year there’s really no excuse for gardens to be boring! Surprisingly though, it seems to be a common problem when I go to visit new clients. …
Philadelphus
5 easy flowering shrubs to plant this autumn
Did your garden lack a certain je ne sais quoi this summer? If you’re like many of my clients (who want a lovely garden, but have little time to do…
Bumble bee on Allium Christophii
Make room for pollinators
Many people think that creating a wildlife-friendly garden is the preserve of eco-friendly sandal-wearing, tofu-munching people. And in some cases that may be true! But designing gardens with wildlife in mind…
Potentilla fruticosa 'Goldfinger'
Sunny delights – flowering shrubs for hot dry gardens
For anyone blessed with a sunny garden with free-draining soil in the UK, it can be difficult to grow a wide range of garden shrubs as many of the plants…
Box hedging and topiary at West Green House
Last call for hedging!
It’s so nice to have the opportunity to plant hedges along garden boundaries rather than building a fence. But hedges can also be used within gardens to divide areas or create backdrops…