Be a Plant Passporter…or not?
So despite this program being several years in, there still seems to be some confusion about whether one has to be a plant passporter or not. We are. We talked
Plant Collecting or Clutter?
I have a bit of a collecting habit, for plants that is. I love plants almost to the exclusion of all else and consequently find myself seeking out those rarities
Design in this time of COVID-19
In the face of a global shut down and a great deal of fear and uncertainty one is faced with how one will respond and sometimes confronted with one’s worst
RHS Tatton – 3 Weeks to go
I maybe confusing some folk, when I say 3 weeks to go, this is 3 weeks until I GO to RHS Tatton, the show is open to the public from
Becoming SGD Registered
There is always something new to learn and in 2009 I started out on a whole new career in horticulture and garden design. Although it wasn’t an entirely fresh start,
Nursery Visit
Visiting nurseries and gardens are one of the big pleasures of being a garden designer. Somehow there is never enough time to see all of the nurseries or all of
Roses
I’m not a Rose aficionado in the same way I am an Iris aficionado despite my name(s) and my Mother’s passion for roses that saw the full length of one
Iris
It’s usually May that’s my busy month with Iris but this year it’s all been a bit delayed with a sudden cold snap and then the winds and then the
RHS Chelsea 2015
A great spectacle as ever from the RHS and the BBC. Chelsea flower show seems to be being taken over by the media and their coverage, gardens are no longer
TODOS – May
Yet another frantic month, but soon we can sit back with a glass of something cool and admire the results of the last couple of back breaking months. May however
Spread the word about Transformation…
Having our work transform peoples lives is a happy part of the work of a garden designer, or course we hope it’s for the better as people find outside spaces
Planning & the noxious weed
Getting involved with garden projects where there is an aspect of planning involved can be a time consuming but usually an interesting aspect of being a Garden Designer. I spend
What do YOU do when you’re not designing?
It’s a common question from friends and family and the answer is, “well quite a lot actually!”. Every small business has to balance marketing, self promotion and business management, some
Cottesbrooke Plant Fair
Eeeek I have been a bit lax, some might say busy, I would say a bit caught up in the moment with exhausted patches in between. Ok Doing too much
Homeowner Contract (domestic JCLI)
The SGD launched two new template contracts for domestic garden works at the recent autumn conference. The first a consultancy agreement for homeowners to appoint their garden designer and the
SGD autumn conference
Society of Garden Designers Autumn Conference – What are gardens for? For those that could not attend you missed a goodie! Annoying as that is to hear sometimes it’s just
A Cotswold Day with Dan Pearson & Mary Keen
It was all a bit last minute to be honest and the inner cynic faffed about whether I should afford this day in the Gloucestershire countryside, wandering round the country
Sketching. Is it over rated in Garden Design
I came across this site – http://www.urbansketchers.org/ which champions and displays some incredible sketch works from 100 keen contributors in 30 countries of the world. It says “.. Some are architects and
Continue readingSketching. Is it over rated in Garden Design
Uncovering Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire.
The gardens at Wimpole Hall are of great note and yet it’s pedigree seemingly not well noticed. I have been visiting the estate and gardens for several years now and
Rabbit Fencing and other materials
This has been a slightly less hectic week than last week. Only slightly though. Monday saw me out in the inclement weather most of the day, fielding inappropriate footware, a