Laura's Gardens TLC

28/04/2026

This beautiful caenothus had to be radically pruned last year to make space for a new greenhouse, and a year on it is better than ever. Initially the customer thought it should be removed, but I was confident we could keep it - I love the contrast between it and the magnificent magnolia, which sit over the gorgeous new steps from the main lawn. It’s great to get to work in gardens where there are some established focal points to anchor the new design, and in this garden these beauties take centre stage.

12/03/2026

I love working for a very special gentleman, who has an RHS gold medal he won many years ago, so to be trusted to look after his garden is quite an honour. Every year I admire this magnificent camellia, which when I asked him for the variety, expecting him to tell me it was a rare cultivar, told me it was the Co-op £1.99 variety. I hope my sense of humour is that quick when I’m 93!

09/02/2026

I had a lovely day out with my fabulous gardener friends today, taking some time to get inspired and excited about the new season ahead. Many of my customers will have had the chance to meet Antonella and Helen over the years as we all work together whenever we get the chance, while also having our own busy gardening businesses - the perfect virtual team! Our next road trip is going to be to visit Freya, who worked with us all until she left Swindon three years ago - she is now going to be working in Kew Gardens, so we’ll be able to see her in action in the glasshouses. 😊

26/01/2026

Please sign this important petition to protect our wildlife and nature from the impact of housing development. It offers simple but effective interventions that can support wildlife that we can all also build into our own gardens.

Make sustainable development practices mandatory in the UK

04/01/2026

I’m enjoying my winter break from gardening and using this time to reflect on the last year and look forward to what the new year brings my way. In the nine years since I set up my gardening business, I’ve designed over 80 local gardens and worked in another 125 gardens, everything from tiny courtyards to several acres surrounding heritage manor houses - no two are ever the same! My very first apprentice is about to start working at Kew Gardens, I couldn’t be prouder of her - 2026 is going to be a year of blossoming and growth in lots of ways! Happy new year to you all 😊

14/07/2025

Thames Water have just announced a hosepipe ban, personally I’m amazed it has taken them so long having seen the dry riverbeds and low levels within the local lakes. I know it’s a hot political topic and lots of people are very angry with the water companies and governments for failing to put things in place when we can see our climate changing with every passing year; anyone who wants to know my views is welcome to discuss them over a cuppa, but that is not the point of my post today!

Right now we need to acknowledge we have had the driest spring and summer I have ever experienced, and as a gardener I can see how the plants are struggling to keep going.
Some tips for helping our gardens keep going are to avoid cutting back anything that looks brown or dried up, those leaves will be proving some shade to the roots which may still be holding on to life. When watering, it is better to give a larger amount every three days than a smaller amount daily, so water mindfully, always directly at the base of the plant - it’s the roots that need it, and as I always say to my customers, you wouldn’t take a shower if you were thirsty! And remember, some plants will be loving this dry heat - think where salvias, lavenders and olive trees grow naturally, on the stoney Mediterranean hillsides.

If you see a plant really wilting, give it a good soaking in the evening or early morning, (with a watering can or bucket, preferably from a waterbutt or grey water from your shower), then cover the damp ground with compost, bark chippings or even damp cardboard, to help keep the soil moist and avoid exposure. If you have pots, cluster them together in shadier spots so they are providing some shelter to each other.
Lastly, run to b&q and get waterbutts so you can capture any rain that we do have - I have them set up on every shed and it’s amazing what you can collect from the smallest roof. Nature ponds need rainwater as frogs and newts don’t like treated water, so try to keep some so you can top those and your bee water stations up.
Hope this helps. If you would like advice on how to create a drought tolerant garden, I have lots of experience- many of my gardens never get watered as they are designed to cope with dry spells (though I think we can all agree this summer’s heatwaves have been something else again).
*photo from last summer when toddlers were allowed to play with sprinklers

01/03/2025

I’m so pleased with this design project so far, the before and after photos show how a small, new build garden with just lawn and patio has been transformed into a beautiful Japanese inspired space. It’s very early days, so the five acers and two cherry trees are still rather small, but as they grow in, it’s going to be lovely. By reducing the height of the boundary fence, we “borrowed” the view of the surrounding woodlands, and I’ve planted a hedge that will be topiaried to compliment the organic curves throughout. I’ll be back in late spring to plant more grasses and perennials, but for now I’m just enjoying the sunshine in this tranquil little haven.

22/10/2024

I love designing front gardens, I always think how you feel as you open your front gate is important. This garden had been used as a parking space by the previous owners, so the first job was to reinstate a wall and gate posts. Thanks to the brilliant work of Jake Punchard, the new stretch of wall looks like it’s been there for the last century! By reshaping and cleaning up the paving stones, we were able to repurpose them to create a lovely curved path. Adding in a feature tree and doing the first phase of winter planting along the edges of the path means it will be a garden that is a joy to come home to, with spring and summer planting to follow.

06/09/2024

I’m taking a few days off from gardening to do some travelling around Switzerland and Italy - I know, it’s a tough life!! Whenever we visit a big city, we try to track down a botanical garden, and Milan did not disappoint. The Orto Botanico di Brero is lovely, a little oasis in the heart of the city. Milan was fab, we had a great time wandering around looking at beautiful buildings and people, and it was especially nice to just reconnect with nature for an hour before our next train. Happy days!

29/07/2024

A simple design to transform a muddy patch into a space that can be used all year round, primarily by the delightful dog, Boris (chief muck spreader). A reclaimed brick path links the house to the sheltered seating area with it’s stylish chimnea for cooler days, and as the planting develops, this will be edged with year round colour. The owners have already made it their own with their great collection of vintage and contemporary pieces from their travels around the world.

If you are in need of inspiration for your own garden, I offer one off consultations or full design packages, for every size space from courtyard to countryside gardens . 😊