Journal

Planting ideas and inspiration following a day out at Great Dixter, attending a good planting course run by Fergus Garrett.

In terms of interest and colour in the garden it doesn’t end with the passing of summer, like spring you can create an oasis of intense colour, scent and texture in autumn.

The term ‘Autumn Colour’ conjures up images of intense firework displays of colour from a host of deciduous trees and shrubs, but there are also other plants that provide colour and interest in the garden during autumn months with their colourful flowers, fruit and bark. Read on for my top 10 plants providing interest during this season.

I spent three days training with one of the country’s most talented garden designers at his home, Allt y Bela, a stunning location near Usk.

Two inspirational gardens to visit, The Barn in Hertfordshire and Broughton Grange in Oxfordshire, both designed by Tom Stuart-Smith. Here are some highlights of my visit.

A long flowering perennial providing interest all through the summer, what’s not to like about Astrantias!

Thinking of introducing a garden room, here are a list of things to consider along with some examples of garden rooms.

Highlights from the Chelsea Flower Show 2014. Some great ideas from three worthy gold medal winning gardens.

A garden can change dramatically in winter, as the perennial layers die down and leaves have fallen from trees and shrubs. It is less about colour and more about shadows, shapes and silhouettes. A time to appreciate the naked beauty of skeletal silhouettes of Phlomis, Eryngium, architectural seedheads of Allium, poppy, and sculptural grasses for example.

Pictures of the garden build process for the ‘Return to the Med’ garden, for the Malvern Spring Show 2013.

Our first show garden, the ‘Return to the Med’, is awarded a Silver Gilt from the RHS at the Malvern Spring Show 2013. The public reaction has been amazing…

Pictures of the ‘Return to the Med’ show garden, from the Malvern Spring Show May 2013.

‘Return to the Med’ show garden at the Malvern Spring Show, a summary of this month’s activities…

'Return to the Med’ show garden at the Malvern Spring Show, a summary of this month’s activities…

‘Return to the Med’ show garden for the Malvern spring show, the journey continues…

It’s been a very busy month. Most of the time has been spent sourcing the hard landscaping materials, in particular the polished pebbles for the cobbled path.

As a nation we are proud of our homes, and spend a fair amount of time and money on DIY. But of all the rooms in the house it is the biggest, most interesting and versatile one which is often thought about last and in some cases not at all. We are talking about the garden or the “Outdoor room”.

We received confirmation that we will be doing a show garden at next year’s Malvern Spring show, May 9th – 12th. Our design, ‘Return to the Med’ will feature as one of the show gardens.

It has to be a tree! Trees have been in the news recently but sadly for the wrong reasons. Ash dieback could potentially have a devastating impact on our tree population, however we have a wide variety of beautiful trees so let’s celebrate this by highlighting one in particular, which has spectacular colour during the autumn months…

If you want to carry over brilliant colour in your garden during the autumn months this is the plant for you. Genus of bulbs, grown for their spherical heads of exotic looking wavy-petalled, pink to red, occasionally white, faintly scented flowers.