Blog

Everyone has their preference when it comes to colour. I’m a sucker for the reds, orange and yellows of the colour wheel. I absolutely love planting up red hot colours for garden design clients bringing that feeling of summer to a border. When I started to design the #explodingatomgarden the red hot central core was […]

Plastic-free gardening is a hot topic at the moment. I’ve been detailing this journey on my gardening blog and my Youtube channel. So if you want to see where it started then have a look at this playlist to get up to speed. The idea of being plastic-free in the garden can sometimes be easier […]

The grow your own movement has really taken off over the past decade here in the UK along with No dig gardening. You only have to look online to see Instagrammers and social media full of grow your own tips. People are turning to grow your own for a variety of reasons. You can grow […]

It’s easy to think that increasing your hedge height, fences or trellis will bring peace and increase privacy in your garden. However, with the maximum fence height set at 2m in England. You’re only able to achieve so much with this method. I’m going to show you with a recent example of how you can […]

Creating a show garden is no mean feat. It takes months of planning, preparation and is a real consideration for any garden designer. Usually, your concept starts as a broader ‘idea’ before it is funnelled, refined and condensed into a show garden. However, memorial gardens are different, very different. They require the opposite considerations. You’re […]

If you’re a Garden Ninja follower you know I’m passionate about supporting local businesses, especially in horticulture. These local enthusiasts hold an invaluable source of knowledge and skills when it comes to growing beautiful plants. The brilliant thing about horticulture is the willingness for us all to share our knowledge and experience with other gardeners. […]

So you’ve got your ticket in hand for the Chelsea flower show and giddy with excitement you can’t wait to see what’s on offer. However, some key advice will help you avoid pitfalls, mental/physical fatigue and put your mind at rest so you can enjoy the world’s most celebrated flower show. The main advice is […]

Henchman is a British company more widely known for its incredible wobble proof ladders, especially for people who don’t always feel stable standing 12 rungs up a ladder cutting trees and such. If you want to read more on their tripod ladders here’s my guide – they are brilliant. However, it’s not just ladders they […]

Now that your seeds have germinated you may suddenly struggle to work out what to do next. Well, the next stage in growing your own plants is what’s known in the biz as ‘Pricking out’. This is a term used to describe separating your seedlings and potting them on into their own individual containers. It’s […]

It’s been a pretty erratic few months weather-wise here in the UK. Going from a heatwave in April to then Storm Hannah battering gardens. Not exactly ideal for tender plants and pricking out seedlings. However, by growing in a greenhouse and gardening without plastic I have at least managed to avoid any casualties so far! […]

Lawn edging and strimming is one of my least favourite tasks. If you’ve followed the Exploding Atom Garden you will know just how much of last year was spent installing lawn edging. However, a tatty edged lawn can look pretty ugly especially if you’re going to the trouble of mowing it. There’s no point having […]

Gardeners are a patient group. After sowing seeds you need to wait and let mother nature take over. Constantly tapping your toes, staring longingly at those seed trays for any signs of life waiting for seed germination. For some annuals its relatively fast maybe a week, yet for other herbaceous beauties, they make you wait […]

The Exploding Atom Garden is based on a concept of the layers of an atom firing out from a red hot core. To symbolise these layers I’ve decided to use Gabions to represent the shards of this Garden Explosion. Given this garden is using very soft landscaping techniques for the borders and grass pathways; I […]

Sowing seed is probably one of the most exciting parts of gardening. Ask any gardener or allotmenteer and seed selection then sowing is high on the list of favourite gardening activities. I’ve recently written a handy guide on how to sow seeds, so if you’re new to the seed sowing party maybe read that first […]

It’s amazing to think that most of the plants in your garden can be grown from tiny unassuming seeds. These little pods of life allow plants to propagate themselves and spread joy with us gardeners wanting to grow our own. The beauty of sowing seeds is the sheer variety of plants that you will have […]