First review for our new book
Many thanks to Jackie Herald for her review of our new book in the Garden Design Journal. It very exciting to hear people reactions and comments.
Launch of my new book – GARDEN DESIGN ESSENTIALS
My new book, Garden Design Essentials, co written with Jill Anderson is due to be launched on the 21 October this year. This colaboration is a follow on from our planting design workshops which we taught for the Society of Garden Designers and garden design colleges here in the UK. We were asked to write the book in the Autumn of 2009 and now it’s finally here. Working with Jill on this project has been hugely rewarding but also challenging as we have had to learn new skills and develop old ones as we shared our passion and knowledge for garden design and horticulture.
Here is an excerpt from Chapter Four Working With Colour:
Working with natural materials
Because the range of colours found in the plant world is infinite and unpredictable they can also be exciting and frustrating to work with but by choosing a colour scheme, you have begun to limit the huge list of plants available. Whilst this will make it much easier to make the final decision about what to use, nature has a way of imposing its own random influences on our carefully thought out ideas. Sometimes this can be delightful and other times plain annoying so again keep the scheme simple to begin with.
Accidents often happen, whether it’s a wrongly labelled plant, the unpredictable effect of growing conditions or a self seeded impostor and a decision is made to either go with the accident or not. When this happens you are making a design decision, does the impostor fit in with the colour scheme, does it add to it or detract, and would it be better moved to another part of the garden? When people say their wonderful planting scheme just happened by accident with no planning, they are being modest about their ability to work with and modify accidents. The artistic skill is in knowing when to interfere and when to leave alone. Water colour painting is often described as a series of controlled accidents and planting design is very similar.
Available from Amazon and The Crowood Press 2011
ISBN: 978 1 84797 270 5
£14.99
Inspiration
Inspiration for garden design comes from all sorts of places and experiences, not just other gardens. I take photos everywhere I go because you never know when an image will trigger an idea no matter how obscure they may seem. I have just returned from holiday in the Lot Valley and here are some of the images which inspired me. I even managed a few sketches and paintings, though I am more shy about displaying those.
A field of maize below Najac.
Classic roof tops
Zinnias. I’ve just been introduced to these amazing flowers, thanks to Celia.
Views from our window where we stayed. We spent hours just watching the river and it’s wild life including kingfishers, otters, bats, herons and lots of fish.
Not a good photo, but the best I got of a Hummingbird Hawk Moth in Najac.
There’s nothing quite so photogenic as a simple ploughed field
My visit to Bluebell Cottage Garden
I visited Bluebell Cottage Gardens in Cheshire last month with my sister and was stunned at how lovely the planting looked. This is my second visit, last time was late winter and we just looked around the nursery. I came away with masses of photographs which is a sure sign that it looked good but I also had that glowing feeling I get when I’ve enjoyed something very beautiful and cleverly crafted. I haven’t seen the bluebells out in the woods yet, so need to make sure I go when they’re out next year. Congratulations to the owner Sue Beesley who won a gold at RHS Tatton last month, see her blog on lodgelanenursery.co.uk
The wild flower meadow between the garden and the bluebell wood.
What’s happening in my garden today?
This is so exciting, my first squash plant with baby ‘Harlequin’ Squash on it and I grew it from seed! It’s in a large pot rather than in the ground so may not get to be the monster it should.
Hydrangea aspera Villosa group or sargentiana, I never know which? This is one of my favourite shrubs in the garden. It has big velvety leaves, but the flowers are breathtaking. It’s still in bud but just starting to open and when it does the colour is an unusual violet, not associated with Hydrangeas. I cut it back a bit each year after the flowers have gone over to keep it in check but otherwise it’s very easy to grow.
Nasturtium ‘Milkmaid’. This is only supposed to grown to 12 inches but is sending out great long tendrils so obviusly wants to climb. Not what it said on the packet of seeds but could be fun! The flowers are very pretty.
This is supposed to be Viola ‘Tiger’s Eye’? Well it’s very pretty but not a Tiger’s Eye’. Again I grew it from seed so hopefully the other plants will have some eyes.
Garden Open 2011
Despite the three month drought breaking an hour before we opened, the day was a great success with over 80 visitors, most of them in the first two hours. At one point the garden had disappeared under a canopy of umbrellas, people had certainly come prepared. We will have made over £600 for the NGS charities from admissions, teas, cakes and plants which is a great result for the hard work everyone put in. Many thanks to Georgie, Julie, Liz and Andy for their help on the day and everyone who contributed plants, especially my sister Kath in Cheshire and the Wandsworth Gardening Group. However the day certainly wouldn’t have happened without my husband Gethyn who patiently allowed himself to be bossed about for months before hand. Thank you.
The garden is continuing to grow according to it’s own unique timing, the sweet peas are still not out but have lots of buds and the Harlequin Squash have yellow and green fruit with big yellow flowers.
The garden one week after opening and lots of rain
Hydrangea aspera Villosa Group in bud
Sisyrinchium ‘Aunt May’ and Alchemilla mollis
Self seeded foxglove
New website launched today
Welcome to my brand new website, launched today! I’m very excited, especially about having my own Blog, but please bear with us while the new site finds its feet.
Alan – you’re a real hero, thanks for all your patience and expertise.
Visit My Garden On Sunday, June 5th
My garden is open for the National Gardens Scheme charity on Sunday 5 June but what will still be flowering? The warm dry spring has brought every thing on early with roses flowering the same time as the Rhododendron. My beautifull Abutilon vitifolium which is the star of the show has pretty much finished and I’m now worrying that the Perrys White poppy will be finished. Last year, it had it’s first flower out on the open day which was also early June.
This is the usual pre opening panic, and of course there will still be plenty to enjoy. At least the cakes will be as delicious as ever and there are some fantastic plants waiting for the plant sale all grown by friends and family.
Rose Wildeve
Gardeners World Magazine May 2011
Article by Rachel de Thame ‘Seeking Sanctuary’
Photograpy by Nicola Stocken Tomkins
‘Rachel’s expert view – Why this garden works
The angular design elements, including steps and pond, are kept close to the house, reflecting the sleek design of the extension. They seamlessly blend the junction between interior and exterior. Incorparating a series of circular features to soften the space and distract from the gardens narrowness is a materstroke. The round lawns and curving path make the most of the width of the plot and take the eye from side to side, rather than straight down the lenght of the garden.’
Evening Standard Homes and Property
Article by Anthea Masey
At their home in Herne Hill, the owners transormed the back of their house by opening it up and linking it to the garden’
‘It has transformed the way we live as a family’
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