I specialise in garden design in the Manchester, Liverpool, Southport and Cheshire areas of the North West of England. Specifically small, awkward or unconventional gardens. I love problem gardens and love to use my creative design and problem-solving to make incredible spaces for customers. I have a passion for good design with plants and I’m one […]
So you may be wondering what exactly is prairie planting and why is it now so fashionable? Well, the world-famous Piet Oudolf was one of the forerunners in bringing prairie borders to the masses. His creative designs featuring informal shapes block planted with the same species or colour have become his trademark. If you’re still […]
If you’re like me and have a nightmare garden border that’s both shady and awkward then this guide is for you! I’ve recently been planting up my driveway to mixed success. It’s shaded, dry, windy and has competition from both a hedge and mature trees. It’s enough to make you give it up and simply […]
I’m going to be brutally honest in this blog post, in that I’ve wanted a greenhouse for so many years but never had space for one. I’ve wanted one so much that when I bought one a year ago it languished behind the garage, unpacked for over 12 months. The irony of getting what you’ve […]
A modern garden design style can turn a garden into a room you just can’t wait to be in. Summer evenings are spent sipping fizz out in your garden terrace, with careful mood lighting, dramatic planting and the feeling of privacy. Plants organised into blocks of colour. Everything in its place with neat lines and […]
Now I would usually argue against planting in the middle of a 30-year record heatwave. However, when you’ve got a hundred or so plants sat waiting to go in, you can’t really hold off as they frazzle in the 32-degree heat. So I’m caveating this article that where possible avoid planting in the middle of […]
It’s easy to become disheartened when you’re halfway through a project. The beginning seems a long time ago and the end seems too far off. You’re right in the thick of it, the messy bit where everything is up in the air. It’s the classic symptom of any project, the middle bit is often where motivation […]
When designing a garden to become an extension of a house or ‘outside room’ there are some key areas you need to factor in. I thought it may be helpful to provide a guide as to how to achieve this, leading by example of course! So why not turn your garden into an entertaining space? […]
The Hori Hori comes from the term ‘to dig’ in Japanese and that is something they do very effectively. They are used for a variety of gardening purposes from weeding to excavating with precision. Usually, they are made of carbon steel which can be cleaned, sharpened and maintained for years. Now I know what you’re […]
Caroline Mann is a Buyer with garden supply specialist Wyevale Garden Centres. She explains to Garden Ninja viewers how you can keep your garden furniture in optimal condition for longer, by showing you how to care for your wooden, metal and rattan sets. Our garden furniture can be our pride and joy, with many of […]
After the success of the stand at Chelsea, I was keen to update the design and planting palette. That way people who had seen the original would have something new to uncover, whilst first-timers could still see the plant explorer theme. So I’ve managed to pack in even more plant explorer stories, different plant specimens and […]
