My Journal
Your post-holiday garden care guide
We're all going on a summer holiday! Well, if we're lucky that is. After the year or so we've had, most of us are more in need of a holiday than ever before. Many of us have recently had plenty of time at home to carefully tend the garden, so the thought of leaving it...
A guide to summer pruning
When you're busy enjoying the summertime in your garden, it can be easy to overlook tasks like summer pruning. Pruning is for when plants are dormant in winter, right? Well... not quite. Summer pruning is essential to keep your plants strong, healthy, in good shape...
The best crops to grow in small spaces
You just can't beat the taste and satisfaction levels of home-grown produce. If you have a smaller garden, a paved yard or even a balcony, you may feel that you don't have enough space to grow your own fruit and veg. However, there are lots of great fruit and...
Plants for shady gardens
It's easy to sing the praises of a gloriously sunny, south-facing garden. Just like the plants we grow, many of us love to soak up the sun! It's tempting to think that beautiful plants only grow in sunny gardens - but there are lots of wonderful plants for shady...
My top low-maintenance gardening hacks
There's no denying that maintaining a garden is a commitment if you want it to look great. However, there are lots of ways to manage your garden that will keep things simple and no-fuss, leaving you all the more time to sit back and enjoy your surroundings. In this...
Eco-friendly pest control for your garden
There's nothing more frustrating to the committed gardener than seeing a prized shrub munched by bugs, or tender new seedlings being leeched by aphids. Keeping on top of pests is key to a successful garden, but I prefer to take a green, eco-friendly approach to pest...
My favourite tropical garden plants
One of my most commonly-asked questions is about great tropical garden plants to bring drama and colour to clients' gardens. Though there's a lot to be said for a classic English country garden planting scheme, I'm a big fan of using bold tropical plants in the garden...
Pet safe plants for your garden
As a passionate gardener as well as an avid dog lover, I'm always keen to make sure I use pet-safe plants in my own garden and my clients' too. I'm well aware of the mischief our pets can get up to when unsupervised - most of the time it's (hopefully) relatively...
My favourite flowers for summer colour
As we near the summer months each year, I start to plan what my summer garden will look like and get excited about choosing new and colourful plants for my scheme. However, year after year there are some wonderful 'old faithful' flowers that return again and again to...
Design tips for small gardens
During my time as a professional gardener, I've had the privilege of visiting a huge range of gardens to offer design insight. Whether it's a sprawling country garden or a modest yard space, my favourite gardens to work on are the ones that truly reflect their owners....