Sheffield Garden Angel

21/05/2025

Birds and bees.
The most incredible hum, wonderful scent and gorgeous sight.
A treat for the senses.
Play with sound on. 🐦‍⬛🐝

16/01/2025

Another build by ready to plant up.

Love the Cotten steel they’ve used here, and can’t wait to see it with shade loving ferns and evergreens softening the edges.

16/10/2024

From initial visit to first completed concept drawing.

Hand drawn from a scale overhead plan along with mood boards showing planting and material ideas. Next stage is to create a scale guide to material dimensions and placement, ahead of bringing a landscaper in to advise on ground work costs.

This is a smaller project with the initial overhaul focused only on one small area. There will be scope to extend the themes of ‘jetty’s’ to divide up the sloping area and naturalistic planting to the adjoining parts of the garden.

The client is a huge fan of Sheffield city centre ‘Grey to Green’ scheme and we want to use themes seen there, such as straight lines cutting through curved spaces, in this project.

02/10/2024

Hello rain, my not very long ago daily companion. Have we had summer?

Some days I give in to do inside jobs, but other days you've just got to get on with it. As in life!
(Trying also to impress this on my children. Those bills don't pay them selves.)

Jobs for autumn so far has been splitting and dividing perennials, clearing leaves off paths (save some for making leaf mould) cutting back dying perennial stems, weeding (always) cut back flower heads of Alchamila mollie to prevent them seeding every where, thinning out Lilly of the valley, planning border overhauls, emptying plant pots ready for a new supply of spring bulbs and cleaning mud off boots, coats, over trousers, gloves van, tools and self.

10/07/2024

Been a busy few months catching up with planting jobs after seemingly months of rain!

Most recently I’ve been to plant up a steep bank in Oughtibridge and a small corner front garden in Bradway.

Both needed to be relatively easy to maintain, add some colour and interest and be happy in a sun soaked spot.

There have also been two longer term jobs one which I designed and one that I’ve returned to several times to plant up each phase of work. Both are really bedding in now and have been a joy to do.

This week tho I’m having an enforced week of rest having just tested positive for Covid, yuck. I’m desperate to get going again but body says ‘no’!
Recent rain after a bit of summer sunshine will have sent everything growing wildly!

22/05/2024

No one but no one, would work in horticulture, landscaping or farming if they couldn’t cope with the challenges thrown at them by the weather….

Here are some of the dry days I’ve managed to enjoy since the end of the wettest April on record.

Five gardens planted up, two to finish off.
Lawns mowed, (tho not regularly enough!), beautifull Wisteria putting on amazing displays, Aliums, Hostas, Erysimum, Geum, Primula and Viburnums bringing colour and form.

We need the rain, but the weeds are enjoying it a little too much and I’m struggling to keep up with them!

19/04/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/6DzAtUmQqhqutwpW/?mibextid=WC7FNe

“It's mentally draining not knowing how many hours you will get today/ this week of work. I'm always prepared to work in the rain, but you have to plan what work to do. The forecasts have been woefully inaccurate this winter; dumbing down how heavy the rain will be and giving low percentage chance of rain as you're standing there getting soaked.”
- Michael, Self-Employed Gardener

To all those working outside; gardeners, tree surgeons, grounds staff etc... we know the weather can take its toll on your mental wellbeing, physical health and income. Especially for the self-employed who are unable to work when the ground is just too waterlogged, or the rain/wind is too hard.

Whilst we can’t change the weather, we can offer advice, information and support for your wellbeing so take a look at our website today: https://perennial.org.uk/home/ways-we-can-help/

09/04/2024

I love my job. I love my job….

But also, please stop raining for a bit.
Thankyou.

31/03/2024

Looking forward to April showers arriving as a follow up to the March ones….! Or not.

It’s been hard going for gardeners and landscapers this winter, so very wet and muddy, but there are signs of life, even if mowing lawns is somewhat delayed.

Many landscapers have been struggling to continue to keep to schedule due to drainage issues affecting some sites, and turfing has been a challenge, but at least it’s all getting well watered in!

It’s been a great time to plant hardy perennials, and split existing ones. Mulching beds with a thick layer of organic soil improver sets them up the nutrients needed to boost healthy growth whilst also protecting them from frosts and suppressing weeds.

This April I will be raising my hourly rate for maintenance garden. I’ve tried to keep it lower for local jobs but it’s no longer sustainable and will be increasing to £25 ph from the 1st.

I have the RHS level 2 diploma in Horticulture, and pretty much all the tools any garden job could need.
(The only work I don’t undertake is larger cutting jobs that would involve ladders and any chemical spraying.)

A few shots from this work so far this year.

24/02/2024

Researchers hope the findings will inform policymakers planning cities for a warming world

31/12/2023

A New Year is nearly here.

A new home for me, a new studio and office room for Sheffield Garden Angel, a new little garden to tend and a new tool store to re build!

Apologies to my amazing customers for delays in ongoing work whilst I moved life into storage and then finally into our new home. Your patience and understanding has meant a lot.

Whilst I’m not fully up and running just yet (it’s almost a relief it has been so rainy!) I can’t wait to get stuck back in in the next week or so.

People often ask ‘but what do you do in the winter?’
Loads, is my reply.
There is still plenty to do in the world of gardens from December to February. For customers this January I have a new lawn to prep and plant, a large scaffold board lawn retainer to dig out and replace, shrubs to cut back and tidy, posts to put in a soft fruits bed, paving slabs to lift and re lay, design work to crack on with and planting plans to prepare. I’m also happy to undertake shed clear puts, green house cleaning and fence painting. (When weather permits.) Anything to enhance the look of your outdoor space.

Grey wet winters lead us to Helebores, snowdrops and daffodils blooming. Then bright Tulips, tiny Iris reticulata and leaves budding on trees. Another sequence of seasons to both enjoy and sometimes whinge about, but aren’t we just so fortunate to see them at all.

Happy New Year.
x

08/09/2023

We call it ‘The Van’

Second most important thing in my business. (after me)
It works hard my lovely van, but it gets to play too.
Treating it to new tyres next week (gulp) but he’s worth it.
My work base and weekend escapes.
Family outings and camping holidays.
Mud and green waste, bricks, rocks and tools, then rugs, camp bed and fairy lights.

I don’t have an office.
I have a van.