Mark Kneebone Garden Design

25/11/2025

Acacia dealbata.
This has to be one of the best smallish evergreen trees for a mild east Suffolk garden. Quick growing, easily pruned, grows back qu**ky if damaged by cold winds, and covered in wonderful bright yellow spicy-scented flowers. This one had a blue bloom on the stems, and a bluey tint to the leaves, for extra impact. Likes a well-drained sunny site, with the blue sky behind for the best contrast.

24/06/2025

A revisit to some planting from spring 2024. South facing, hot and dry. The idea was to create a low-maintenance area with plenty of interest all year. Using perennials gives a dynamic change over the year, especially the clumps of grasses which grow so tall. I especially love the bright pink of Geranium 'Ivan', a G. psilostemon hybrid but much more spreading. Unfortunately, the yellow Kniphofia have failed to thrive, so needs to be replaced. A couple of patches of yellow would really help to bring some more energy to the colour scheme. Overall, it looks very good, and will do so all year.

22/06/2025

My first successful attempt at reverse building a mosaic tile. There's a rather stressful moment when it's turned over as it may have gone wrong, or just look rubbish. Happy client, happy me and can't wait to lay it in place.

23/05/2025

Home grey water recycling.
This saves kitchen water to be used for our vegetable growing efforts. Cleanish waste water is poured into the small metal tank. From there, it travels to the large tank where it is cleaned by the plants. Rainwater, from the roof, enters from the waterbutt, from where the murky, but smell-free, product is collected. Proof that it fairly clean is the Frog, Large Red Damselflies, and hundreds of Freshwater Shrimps (Gammarus sp.) that happily live in there. All made with bits that I already had or found.
water

26/04/2025

Wisteria floribunda f. multijuga
Magnificent flowers up to a metre long. Sounds a bit too much, but the effect of a blue curtain is stunning. A beautiful plant. This one was planted in 2017, when they are happy they are fast growers!

24/04/2025

Ferula tingitana.
A reliable perennial, for well-drained soil, which produces its tall flower stems every 2 to 3 years. Lovely glossy leaves emerge in late winter, and then goes dormant in summer. This one is growing in the partial shade of a Hawthorn hedge, but it does better in sunshine. The very feathery leaves are its cousin, Ferula communis, which doesn't flower much as it is way too shady for it.

22/04/2025

Mud Bee house. No idea if this will attract any insects but there isn't any clay for burrowing into in our garden. A few offcuts of timber and some clay that a client gave me. It's on a south-facing wall but might need to be moved more under in the winter. Will have to wait and see what moves in!!

01/04/2025

10/03/2025

Ferula communis.
A proper dose of spring green.
Generally supposed to be a short-lived virtually monocarpic plant, these are about 20 years old now. They definitely sulk a little the year after flowering, but then come back strongly, and start to spread. Firing a 5-6ft flowering stem over a handful of weeks is an impressive feat. Happy in really rubbish sandy soil, it grows in late winter, so can get battered by hard frosts.

05/03/2025

Mahonia japonica really isn't the most beautiful of plants, but today this one is pouring scent into the sunshine. Early Hoverflies and Bumblebees were having a feast, although, naturally, they all buzzed off when my camera appeared.
Seems happy in any place as long as a little sheltered from scorching sun if the soil does dry out.

26/08/2024

It's
So here's my Astelia, a spore-raised Polystichum, Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen' and a glimpse of Laurus nobilis 'Aurea'. All growing in appallingly dry sand but doing well, and with no watering.
This is because it's fairly shady, so despite being dry, it does not get too hot. There is no need to water ornamental plants, unless recently planted, if they are suitable for the soil and position.
Oh, and Bruno looking angelic for the camera.
garden

23/08/2024

Canna 'Stuttgart' is enjoying the heat this summer. Beautiful leaves make this a great plant for the jungly courtyard look. It's a tall plant that will easily reach 2m given water and a fertile position. It does benefit from partial shade as strong sunshine will burn the pale patches. I hide mine in its pot, in a sheltered corner to overwinter. Slow to get going going in the spring but well worth the wait.