I recently re-visited the garden at Cothay Manor in Somerset, as I am leading a tour of West Country gardens in a few weeks time for Martin Randall Travel and wanted to see if there were changes I should be prepared for! The tour is focusing on 20th century gardens, ‘from Jekyll to Pearson’, and will […]
GARDEN DESIGN BLOG. IDEAS, INSPIRATION AND NEWS
Please do browse my garden design blog; in it you’ll find garden ideas, inspiration and product reviews, reports from Shows including the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, pretty pictures from places I’ve been, a bit of arty stuff (paintings and drawings) and anything else I find interesting that I think you might enjoy too.
Chelsea Flower Show 2010
Anyone who might think that gardens develop too slowly, or last too long, to be affected by the vagaries of fashion need only visit the Chelsea Flower Show for a few consecutive years to realise just how much these gardens both set and reflect the trends of our times. A few years ago, the gardens were […]
Chelsea flower show 2010 build up and press day
I’m incredibly fortunate in being able to spend a couple of days at the Chelsea Flower Show each year. I love the atmosphere during build-up with its mix of nerves, exhaustion, adrenaline and steely determination to create perfection against tough odds. This year, not surprisingly, it’s been the weather that has been the main topic […]
Read More… from Chelsea flower show 2010 build up and press day
“I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers” Claude Monet
Call me an old romantic but I’m a bit of a sucker for tulips. I love the way they are transformed from tight bud to over-the-top bloom, with an intensity and depth of colour almost unparalleled in the plant world. It’s no wonder so many painters love them, though it’s not easy to capture the luminescence and silkiness of […]
Read More… from “I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers” Claude Monet
Dorset inspiration
I thought you might like to see some pics I took on Monday evening at Seatown, a coastal hamlet near Chideock, which is roughly halfway between Lyme Regis and Bridport. There’s always something new and exciting to see or feel at the coast which is why it’s often the sea that draws me if I need re-charging, but Monday was […]
Design for Somerset garden
I’ve just completed the outline design for this garden near Langport in Somerset. It’s an interesting one because the garden wraps all around the house and there are fabulous views; the first being a problem to overcome, the second being something you want to make the most of. This is the view from the main […]
Planting combination for annual flowers
During my monthly broadcast on BBC Somerset this morning I mentioned a planting combination for annuals, grown easily from seed. The beauty of growing annuals is that you can try out different colour and texture combinations, without great expense, and you can try something new each year. The planting mix that I have recommended will […]
Design Consultations
I went to a potentially very pretty garden this week (which the owner is quite prepared to admit is a bit of a mess at the moment – but then that’s why she asked me to visit!). While in an ideal world it would be great to have the budget to create an amazing garden […]
Garden Quote
I was in Sherborne today and saw a postcard with this Chinese proverb which I thought was rather splendid; “If you want to be happy for a short time, get drunk. If you want to be happy for a long time, fall in love. If you want to be happy forever, make a garden!” (this […]
Hand drawn vs CAD
There’s a bit of snobbery going on in the garden design world, between those who draw their plans by hand and those who use CAD (computer aided design), and both think they’re right. The hand-drawing devotees – using tracing paper and a pencil – swear that it’s the only way to make sure that designs […]
