if your garden is bigger than a courtyard, but smaller than an acre
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Autumn trees are the stars in my November garden. If I didn't have trees, there would be very little to look at. And trees improve air quality and support wildlife. Their height gives a smaller…
Many people are now talking openly about their physical and mental challenges and how their garden or gardening has helped them. I want to talk about my story of trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder and the…
'So how many people in this room have done a soil test?' This question was asked by garden designer Adam Frost at a recent talk at the Painters Forstal Gardening Club. There were over 80…
This year's autumn garden has taught me a lot about choosing plants for late-season colour. [caption id="attachment_9946" align="alignnone" width="400"] The leaves of the Robinia frisia (False acacia) and the Cotinus coggyria 'Grace' are a splendid…
I asked garden designer Adam Frost about garden redesign. Especially if you have a middlesized garden and have recently moved in. ('Recently' in garden terms can be years, as we often do the work on…
I sense that the September garden isn't anyone's favourite. Vita Sackville-West abandoned Sissinghurst for the Mediterranean in September. Alan Titchmarsh refers to 'the depths of September and October'. There's a distinct drop in the number…
August in the Middlesized Garden is a bit of a mixed bag. August has been called 'the Sunday of summer', and there's a lazy, idle feeling about the garden at the moment, which I will…
Garden seating is so much more than just a place to sit. A bench can be a focal point, work like a piece of sculpture, can punctuate a hedge or lawn or be a place…
I've just visited a dramatically gorgeous garden for entertaining - and it's also a plant-lover's heaven. [caption id="attachment_9449" align="alignnone" width="400"] Dan Cooper's lush and jungly garden for entertaining. It has shelter from the seaside breezes,…
A small garden needs a big idea. You can let a larger garden evolve - and by 'larger' I mean any garden more than about 100ft long or quarter of an acre. [caption id="attachment_9437" align="alignnone"…
Do you fancy a mini meadow garden? I've seen several beautiful strips of wildflower meadow in show gardens this year. And also in friends' gardens. Ever since the 2012 London Olympics, meadow gardens have been…
Do you like your town gardens beautifully designed? Or do you prefer the upcycled look? Where do you put your veg patch? It's always fascinating to see how different town gardens respond to the same…