Creative planting design
Planting plans, garden design and garden advice. Courtyards to country estates.
Please see below for services to professionals.
I look at the conditions of a garden, take in its atmosphere and tease out appropriate planting for shade, woodlands, dark boggy corners, parched patios and vibrant or romantic borders. It is an approach that is wildlife friendly by default.
Gardens should be about plants. About being surrounded by greenery, immersed in planting and using our senses. We should be able to see the seasons change, to take joy in new plants emerging as other fade away. There should be time to read under an apple tree, to rub ones' fingers through a scented herb garden for an instant restoration of sanity after a hard day, to play with colours and get down on our knees on a cold winter's day to welcome the first spring bulbs and know that spring is coming.
Planting can create:
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Lovely surprises as you move through the garden and as the year progresses
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Pollinator havens
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Atmospheric seating areas with night scented plants
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Garden rooms with a different feel to each area
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Add Va-va voom to an existing border
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A lush area of foliage out of a neglected dark corner or a tropical feel in a boggy area
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Billowing planting that plays in the wind
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Colour and life
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Formal entrance areas
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And much more
I work with you, the garden and its conditions. There is no ‘one size fits it all’ approach and we can develop the garden slowly or as one big project. I can help with follow up visits, create maintenance plans for you to use or train your gardener. With good links to nurseries, I can offer good prices and healthy plants that have been given the best start.
Services for professionals:
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Advice to get started including a discussion of your project's condition and a list of plants to get you started.
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Review of your planting scheme
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Being a sounding board to your ideas
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Plant research
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Complete planting plans
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And am open to suggestions- just get in touch
Case study:
Along the side of a tall building, a client had a narrow, shady strip of land with dark overgrown shrubs. It was a source of irritation and frustration. When she took the rubbish out, she brushed against wet foliage and her daughter found the area spooky. After discussions to combine the client’s wishes with the practical considerations, we cleared the shrubs and created an area of lush, low planting with different pink flowers (her favourite) appearing through the season and mellow warm colours in the winter. This brought out a beautiful stone wall and turned it into a feature. From being a wasted area, the client now likes to sit here in the evening and finds it calming to look at the different textures of verdant leaves. A newly installed water feature adds to the atmosphere and her daughters enjoy spreading rose petals in the water.