Design Tips

Over the past 2 weeks I have seen 3 new clients who have all asked for a low maintenance garden.  Time is a real luxury to them and despite the fact that they love to be out in the garden, even enjoy gardening, they just don’t have oodles of time to keep it looking lovely.

So, what is a low maintenance garden?  I don’t think there is an easy answer to this question because it really does depend on the individual looking after it.  What one person may find tricky to fit in, another may not, so I thought the best way to tackle the answer was to give a few tips to help the time-starved garden lover:

Lawn areas – We English love a lawn and if there are children in the family, most people want them to be able to play out in the garden.  But the truth is that a lawn is high maintenance, it needs to be mown at least once a week in the summer and if you want it to look good it also requires care throughout the year.  To make mowing easier think about access – straight edges are quicker and easier to mow and if your lawn meets a vertical surface, a retaining wall for example, put in a mowing edge so that you don’t need to use a strimmer to get in the corners.

Lawn area at Cherkley Court

Flowers – As beautiful as they are, herbaceous perennials require attention if they are to remain looking gorgeous throughout the summer.  Dead-heading encourages new flowers and many should be lifted and divided to prevent them from getting congested.  If you don’t have the time to do this, think about other ways to get colour in the garden.  Flowering shrubs are great because other than the occasional prune, they can be very much left to their own devices.  Hydrangeas, for example, are a great option because they do their thing in summer and the spent flower heads keep their shape and form in the winter too.

Ground cover – If you don’t want to spend your garden time weeding then think about ground cover plants.  If you ensure that all the soil is covered then it will make it more difficult for weeds to take hold.  Evergreen ground cover is great because it will stay in winter too.  Bergenia is one option (although can look a bit scruffy at certain points in the year) or choose something like vinca minor which will grow in challenging conditions (dry shade for example) but  plant with care because it will happily take over if the conditions are right.

Pots – Pots can be high maintenance, especially in the summer when they need to be watered a lot.  Try planting a shrub or perennial in your pots instead of annuals so that you don’t need to re-pot each season.  You might wish to try water-saving granules so that you don’t need to water every day or an irrigation tank which means that you need only water once a week in the summer.

Mulch – mulching the beds might require an investment of time in the spring, but you will reap the rewards.  Using a mulched bark is great because it will not only suppress the weeds and prevent soil evaporation, it will also condition the soil.  Ensure you mulch when the ground is cool and damp – if you mulch when the ground is dry it’ll have the opposite effect!

Mulched raised bed 3 months after planting

I am working on a planting design at the moment for a client in Wiltshire and the humble rose will feature in a big way as she loves them with a passion, especially the highly scented varieties.  The area I was working on yesterday was the “summer garden” and it’s been really lovely to immerse myself into a bit of summery magic at a time when the days are still a bit grey and cold.  Roses are not everyone’s cup of tea of course, but for those of us who love the romantic feel they give to the garden, I thought I would share a few of the tried and tested varieties to whet your appetite. Read more

As some of you might be aware, my parents have a nursery in Somerset.  This time last year they brought some 600 apple trees at auction and this involved enlisting me to help dig them all up – I certainly didn’t need to get my running shoes on that week!  The next job was to pot them all up (and I did help with that a bit too) but the fact of the matter is that the effort put in by all was really worth it as they are now selling like hot cakes. Read more

1. The People – Who lives in the house, what do you use the front garden for, are your children old enough to learn to drive which might mean that you will have more vehicles to accommodate?  Do you have young children to get in and out of the car?  Do you have more than 1 or 2 cars in the family so you have to shuffle them around when one of you goes out?  Do you have other people bringing cars in on a daily basis, a carer for example? Read more

I know I keep harping on about it, but the scent of some winter flowering plants is really something quite special and at the moment, the Sweet Box (Sarcococca confusa) is absolutely heavenly…. Read more

Over the course of the last week, I have been working on the final drawings and construction detailing for my project in Ockley.  This part of the design process includes construction drawings, setting out drawings and a Scope of Works which will allow the contractor to fully understand the extent of the design and properly quote to carry out the work. Read more

Winter personalities have a powerful stillness and strength and can command authority without saying a word. They are cool and objective and have confidence in their own abilities.  They know what they want, are highly motivated and very ambitious.  They are natural leaders and have a flair for business but, because they genuinely enjoy their own company, they can be perceived as being cold and arrogant. Read more

The autumn personalities are passionate, strong, warm, friendly and earthy.  They are very interested in others and learning about the world and environment.  They can appear a bit bossy or rebellious, but their natural enthusiasm and organised and practical nature makes them great leaders and campaigners. Read more

The summer personality is all about timeless elegance and cool sophistication and people reflecting the patterns of summer have a dreamy, romantic quality. They love good quality and classic design and work calmly with great attention to detail, persevering to get the job done.  They are quietly supportive and will be very sensitive to the needs of others around them.  Born diplomats, summer personalities enjoy creating order out of chaos and are natural peacemakers and nurturers. Read more

So you now know a bit more about where the colour personalities come from, but what is the character of each of the seasons and which objects and elements would really get them excited about the garden? Read more