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 […]

It can feel daunting and uninspiring to try and garden in the winter, especially if you are a beginner gardener or have just bought your first garden. Knowing how and where to start gardening can be enough to put you off from even trying. If you’re thinking of just waiting to see what pops up […]

Updated 2022: Now I know what you’re thinking, but you don’t need to be a Samurai to use one or train with a Sensei gardener for years on a remote Japanese island. Once you’ve got the hang of using a hori hori, I guarantee you’ll never look back! Whilst the Hori Hori gardening knife may […]

No matter what size garden you have at some point plants will finish for the year and need removing. Whilst shrubs and trees provide structure and height, the herbaceous perennial plant group (plants that die back each year to the ground) will need cutting back once they’ve set seed. Usually, this task is done in […]

Informal Gardens are probably the most common garden style. An informal garden is less restrictive than say formal gardens in their design symmetry. Informal gardening can set you free of restrictions such as having any detailed horticultural or design knowledge. Thus allowing you to ‘have a go’ at gardening when you first start out, which […]

When you’re new to gardening you tend to find yourself buying plants that simply look nice in the garden centre without considering what plant type they are. This can lead to disjointed gardens or though that look nice for a few weeks and then return to their bland previous state. By understanding the 5 different […]

I don’t know of any gardener than likes cleaning up leaves but come the Autumn months it is something that most gardeners need to tolerate. Leaf mould compost is an excellent way to rid yourself of wet slimy leaves and enrich your garden with nutrient-rich leaf mould compost. It costs virtually nothing and, if you don’t […]

Updated 2021: This raised bed guide will explain exactly when and how to use raised beds for successful gardening. Raised beds can be used in nearly all gardens regardless of the condition, or even absence, of soil. It allows you to build up and choose the soil you need for the types of plants or […]

Updated 2021: Artificial turf is now serious competition for real lawns in our gardens. One installer has seen a 200% year on year increase in the demand for artificial turf compared to living grass. A visit to a ‘Garden & Landscaping’ exhibition in 2019 gave me first-hand experience of the sheer amount of artificial grass […]