Floribundant - bespoke garden design

22/06/2024

25/03/2022

It is lovely to be asked to design family gardens... accommodating a multitude of needs - play, relaxation, sufficient outdoor seating and dining, all the practicalities of fruit and veg growing, plus space for mountains of laundry to dry - whilst at the same time making the space flow and look beautiful from key viewpoints. Here's a recent example of a garden that covers all those bases...

16/01/2022

Sometimes I'm given the delight of offering design input for plots of significant proportions. Here the owner was keen for more flowing lines in a large rectangular area, creating a journey through the space and including some focal points, whilst also celebrating the views of Hampshire countryside beyond.

28/11/2021

Super article here about the wonder of waste piles for wildlife. I've read too that brash piles are being used now to help preserve and restore our decimated rabbit population. Such a good use for garden "waste" that we can't compost.

Three different case studies showing the benefits of recycling waste products for wildlife.

14/10/2021

Front gardens can present intriguing challenges... to look good from the front gate, the front door and the drive, whilst providing screening from the road. This design shows the main structural plants providing all year interest.

21/07/2021

Some inspiring waterside gardens along the River Weaver - what a glorious way to clip a mixed shrubbery...

31/05/2021

It's so important to identify the best places to sit in the garden for different conditions and needs. Our rustic "plum shack" is proving to be a superb relaxation spot... shady for the height of the mid day heat, and facing west for the setting sun.

26/05/2021

Eeeh... the satisfaction of composting! Last spring, after using all the previous year's supply on the veg patch, these large bays were full to the top of layers of new plant material - prunings, straw from the chicken run, veg peelings and coffee grounds mainly. I did one big turning session - great work out - in the late summer, and now they have rotted down to half the volume. I've turned them into 2 of the bays, ready to start anew on the 3rd one. All makes for a happy gardener 😀.

20/05/2021

For all of us who have now stopped using w**dkiller in our gardens, so to promote wildlife recovery, here's a useful article on eco-friendly w**d control articlehttps://www.thegardenglove.com/how-to-make-safe-homemade-w**d-killer/

Using natural w**d killers when we can just makes good sense. After all, it's not just you, your pets and your kids being exposed to chemicals you spray. Ok, so you want to know how to make safe homemade w**d killer? Good, you should. So do we. So lets check out these tutorials and homemade w**d kil...

16/05/2021

Sometimes I am asked to offer design ideas for huge plots 🏞 where key elements and some strong ornamental/architectural features are already in place yet need pulling together to create a sense of flow around the garden, plus some moments of discovery 🔎. This is far harder than starting with an empty space... however with detailed collaboration and plenty of mulling over possibilities with the owners, we can forge a new way forward that everyone feels excited to start working on 🌻 .

11/05/2021

Today's planting scheme is for a sunny border in the Lake District - very different conditions to my usual Meon Valley and Alresford gardens. I took inspiration from Beatrix Potter's Hill Top planting 🙂.

06/05/2021

Grape hyacinths make such a fabulous display at this time of year...