Avril Webb Garden Designs

Avril Webb Garden Designs I'm a newly qualified garden designer following a career change from being an air traffic controller.

I've designed multiple gardens both in Salisbury however I'm always looking for new and challenging projects to expand my portfolio.

I'm currently in Gibraltar, and given the warmer and dryer climate here, it's really interesting to see what plants thri...
07/10/2022

I'm currently in Gibraltar, and given the warmer and dryer climate here, it's really interesting to see what plants thrive. I spent some time in the botanical gardens (Alameda Gardens) so here are just a few of the plants I saw many of which can be relatively easily grown in southern England and with winter protection if further north...

With the ever so sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II yesterday, I wished this to be a small tribute to her. I could think ...
09/09/2022

With the ever so sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II yesterday, I wished this to be a small tribute to her. I could think of no way better than sharing with you her favourite flower: Lily of the Valley.

This diminutive plant is famed for its white bell-shaped flowers and sweet smell. It symbolises motherhood, purity and good luck, and in the language of flowers represents sweetness, tears of the Virgin Mary and humility.
But for the Queen, Lily of the Valley was also hugely sentimental as she carried the flowers in her wedding bouquet when she married the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947, and it also featured in the Queen's coronation bouquet.
This lovely flower is naturally found blooming in the spring in woodlands and, when happy, colonises quickly and speaks to create a carpet of sweetly scented flowers. Whilst the most common form is white, blushing pink varieties can also be found.
We will forever remember her majesty the Queen.

Plant of the week: VerbenaGiven the lack of rain until the past couple of days, some plants have done better than others...
19/08/2022

Plant of the week: Verbena

Given the lack of rain until the past couple of days, some plants have done better than others. Verbena however has done really well in my garden and, producing an abundance of nectar, is also a real hit with the flying insects including bees, butterflies and the amazing hummingbird hawk moth.
It comes in many varieties, with the most common being Verbena bonariensis which is beautifully tall with little purple pom pom like clusters of flowers. I prefer however a variety called 'lollipop' which is half it's height (up to about 1m) and has even more clusters of flowers.
I also have a slightly strange, wiry looking one called 'Bampton'. With its deep purple stems and lilac flowers it looks beautiful in its own right but it is also really good for offering a natural support structure for some of those prairie style plants that would otherwise flop over.
The last types of Verbena are the 'rigida' varieties. These are a tender form so need winter protection. I picked up one called 'lilac haze' at the RHS Hampton Court show earlier in the year. It have a very similar, but even shorter form like "lollipop' at just 40cm but it has the palest lilac flower head.
So why not think about introducing some of these wonderful plants into your planting scheme 😊🌸🌿

Plants that can beat the heat🌡🌞:Chosia:Otherwise known a 'Mexican orange blossom' because of its sweet smell. Whilst it'...
12/08/2022

Plants that can beat the heat🌡🌞:
Chosia:
Otherwise known a 'Mexican orange blossom' because of its sweet smell. Whilst it's not in flow now it does have beautiful white blossoms late spring/early summer. The most common one is chosia ternata but the one pictured here is 'white dazzler'. Once established they're drought tolerant and also evergreen. They require no maintenance at all unless you want to give them an occasional trim if you want them a specific size (do this after flowering). Easy for even the inexperienced gardener 😊
Lavender:
A staple of a British garden and whilst French lavender looks beautiful with it's wistful petals at the top they are often difficult to overwinter and are better off in pots that can be protected in a greenhouse. But don't think English lavenders are all the same - I have everything from deep purple to pale lilac 💜, white 🤍, pink💕 and even one with variagated leaves! From tiny 'imperial gem' to the over the top and leggy 'grosso'. The best one for hedging is 'hidcote' and best of all, they're also evergreen (something most people forget).
When they've finished flowering, give them a good trim back to keep them compact (but not into the old wood) and they'll delight you for years.
🌸🌿🌻

Plant of the week: BegoniasI was lucky enough to meet David Dominey today at the Garden Centre - he may well look famili...
05/08/2022

Plant of the week: Begonias

I was lucky enough to meet David Dominey today at the Garden Centre - he may well look familiar as he's been on your TV alongside Alan Titchmarsh on Love Your Garden as his trusty landscaper.
I've only recently become a convert to begonias I must admit, as I had seen them as a bit of an 'old fashioned' plant however I've found them to be rather useful in slightly shady areas where many other flowers struggle. They come in a whole variety of colours and they range from doubles (the white ones shown here in my living wall) to this beautifully vibrant single pink one. David Dominey also taught me today that the petals are edible and have a lovely vibrant taste of cucumber/lemon taste to them that would be brilliant in salads. Who knew! 🌿🌸

Plant of the week: HydrangeasI spoke with a gentleman just the other day who said he always admired the white hydrangeas...
29/07/2022

Plant of the week: Hydrangeas
I spoke with a gentleman just the other day who said he always admired the white hydrangeas I have in my garden (as pictured). These particular ones are just 2 years old and are a variety called Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'. Its a beautiful variety with large flower heads, which can be increased in size further if pruned back to just a single head on each stem. Personally I prefer the quantity approach 🥰
As you can see from the photos though they come in such a range of colours, sizes, leaf and flower head shapes and yes, for the most part the blue and pink colouring will depend on the soil pH.
There is also a little bit of a myth that they need to be kept in wet ground because of the 'hydra'part of their name (meaning 'water' in greek). The do require a reasonable amount of water because they are large plants but the key is to make sure they don't dry out, which is why they often do poorly and die in pots as the moisture in the soil is more likely to flux.
What is key is to make sure that when the leaves fall off over winter DON'T PRUNE THEM! The skeletal flower hears actually offer the plant frost protection over the winter as does a good mulch. When you first see the lead buds appear in spring, cut down to between 3 and 5 buds above the ground and again give the plant a good mulch (composted organic manure is brilliant).
So why not think about adding a hydrangea to your garden? 🌿🌸😊

Plant of the week: DahliasThese beautiful colourful flowers come in a variety of both flower colours, shapes and sizes a...
22/07/2022

Plant of the week: Dahlias
These beautiful colourful flowers come in a variety of both flower colours, shapes and sizes as well as foliage ranging from deepest chocolate to vibrant green. The ones I am growing this year are the spectacular 'Cafe au lait' dinnerplate dahlias (the name says it all and thanks to Old Sarum Plants for supplying) as well a 'Totally Tangerine' and 'Miami Sunset' which I bought at previous RHS Hampton Court shows from the Dahlia Society.

These plants orginate from south america need their tubers protected over the winter, more from the wet than the cold and the first frosts will blacken all the foliage. Many people choose to grow them in the ground and lift them to store over winter, though here in the south of England I grow them in pots which are filled with a very gritty compost and just shelter them against a house wall.

To keep dahlias flowering the whole summer you need to keep deadheading spent flower buds but this can be confusing with dahlias as new buds and spent ones look very similar. New buds will look more rounded and feel firm whereas spent flowerbeds will be more pointed in shape and feel 'squidgy'.

You have a beautiful home so why not make an equally beautiful garden? Get in contact with me as a fellow Longhedge resi...
18/07/2022

You have a beautiful home so why not make an equally beautiful garden? Get in contact with me as a fellow Longhedge resident, for a free initial consultation and i can arrange viewings of several gardens in Longhedge to show you my work.
Engaging a garden designer doesn't cost as much as you might expect and can actually save you money by avoiding costly mistakes both with hard landscaping and planting. I also have an excellent local landscaper I work with to build the vision we create together.
Avril Webb Garden Designs
07817716052
[email protected]

It'll come as no suprise that I went to the RHS Hampton Court flower festival on it's opening day yesterday and certainl...
05/07/2022

It'll come as no suprise that I went to the RHS Hampton Court flower festival on it's opening day yesterday and certainly not that I brought some new plants home with me.
But it's not just for garden designers - if your struggling for ideas, need plant advice or wanting to update your garden with the next new thing, then RHS shows can be the perfect place to go and there's also plant of food, other shopping and plenty of fresh air to make a great day out. Here are some of the highlights from my day yesterday but if you can't go in person you can also watch Gardener's World BBC 2 at 9pm which was being filmed when I was there 😊🌿🌸

It's amazing what nature can do in just 5 weeks! 😲😊 Now I've started a new one in full shade against my garage wall. If ...
17/06/2022

It's amazing what nature can do in just 5 weeks! 😲😊 Now I've started a new one in full shade against my garage wall. If you're interested in learning more about living walls just message me as I've got a demonstration kit coming soon! 🌿🌸

On the hottest day so far I thought it would be apt to talk about watering our plants in pots 💧🌷We're used to seeing, an...
17/06/2022

On the hottest day so far I thought it would be apt to talk about watering our plants in pots 💧🌷
We're used to seeing, and putting holes in, the bottom of our pots for drainage but when it's hot and in this day and age of water conservation you may want to think again. Now the plants still need a reliable supply of water but we can reduce the amount of water we use by creating a reservoir of water they can access when they need to:
🌼 If your pot doesn't come with drainage holes and you need to drill them, instead of in the bottom, place them about 2 inches up from the base, on the side of the pot. This way you have a lake of water in the bottom which also helps keep the roots growing down and away from the hotter, dryer surface. This is how I'm able to care for small trees in large 60cm wide pots.
🌼 If your pot already has holes, before you pot up a new plant, put an old ice cream container or other similar plastic pot in the bottom of the pot. Fill with soil and plant on top. This again creates a reservoir within the pot whilst still allowing drainage.

Hope you, and your plants enjoy the weekend 😊🌿🌸

Now that 'no mow May' has finished i thought I'd focus on grass this week. Grass is the easy option right? Unfortunately...
10/06/2022

Now that 'no mow May' has finished i thought I'd focus on grass this week. Grass is the easy option right? Unfortunately grass can take a lot of upkeep to keep it looking good: weekly cutting over summer, aerating, top dressing, scarifying, overseeding and fertilising it. It can sometimes be difficult to grow in some areas that are too dry or too wet (though if you mix your own seed mix it can to some degree cope with this). There are also pests (anyone where I live knows about the dreaded leatherjackets!) and diseases that can weaken the grass.
My front garden lawn has its own problems so this year as part of my front garden redesign I'm tackling them: the 2 main issues are that it's uneven (and that's an understatement) and the grass withing a foot of the curb suffers from drought. Now I could top dress and seed with a drought tolerant seed but I've taken drastic action and removed the grass, instead replacing it with lavender. The dry stoney ground with concrete about 2 inches from the surface is perfect for the mediterranean conditions that English lavender 'hidcote' loves. RHS tests show that if grown in pots the ideal ratio of compost to horticultural grist is 25% to 75% 😲. Even though lavender is drought tolerant, this is only once it's established so at the moment I'm giving it a good drenching twice a week. Looking good so far, all 71 of them 😄 💜.
As for the uneven ground, I've got nearly a tonne of lawn soil to dress on top of it and seed over so I guess that's a few days of work for me sorted 😆. Hopefully by mid summer I'll have a beautiful lawn once again 🌱🌿🌸

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