Tag Archives: garden design

Shrubs in late spring

Posted on May 21, 2018 by Michael

It is in late spring, just after the tulips have ended, that I become delighted by the many flowering shrubs and distinctive foliage colours that seem to dominate the garden. Of course there are various perennials flowering including Euphorbia, Geum, … Continue reading →

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Would you want this in your garden?

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Michael

Not everyone would want their garden looking like mine does at this moment. However, what I see is a clean slate; the garden’s perennials have all been broken into small pieces and dropped on the ground where they will rot … Continue reading →

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A Green Summer Perennial Border

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Michael

The border on the other side of this arch was designed to be green and restful in summer when the rest of the garden is doing its best to call for our attention. Last summer there were heleniums and rudbeckias … Continue reading →

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Tulips in my garden

Posted on April 22, 2017 by Michael

Now is the time to make a list of the spring flowering bulbs and especially the tulips you need to order for planting in the autumn. With the bulbs in flower in front of you – there is no better moment to … Continue reading →

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The Same Border July and November

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Michael

By early summer this border had lost the fresh colours of spring bulbs and matured into a gentle green cavern. Now in November, the fountains of ornamental grasses have brought movement to a space that sparkles in the season’s low-angled sunlight. … Continue reading →

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Summer, Perennials and Thoughts on Maintenance

Posted on July 15, 2016 by Michael

Designing mixed perennial meadow plantings is all about choosing plants that work together well over an extended period of time by uniting into a living community where each has a part to play. Books will tell you that such plantings are … Continue reading →

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Time to tidy up the Mixed Perennial Garden

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Michael

This was my garden ten days ago wearing its late winter clothes of dead grass “stems” and perennials with their seed heads. Normally I try and tidy the garden in late winter (February) as it catches precotious cool-season grasses and … Continue reading →

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Looking at Garden Planting Design Mistakes

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Michael

As a keen gardener I am always making mistakes and learning from them, but invariably gardening books only tell us the correct way to do things and only show perfectly composed photographs of gardens to which we must aspire. Looking at … Continue reading →

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Gardening with Shrubs

Posted on December 20, 2014 by Michael

Books For Christmas 2014 There are not many books around that will actually teach you to use shrubs effectively in your garden. Too many shrub books are written by experts and focus on the plants at the expense of design; … Continue reading →

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Autumnal Textures over Perennial Colour

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Michael

My trial gardens in Amsterdam have teetered on the edge of chaos this year as a result of moving house. Weeds are under control and wayward growth ruthlessly chopped down, but I long for a clean sweep and the fresh growing … Continue reading →

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