Blog

The first impression people have when you tell people you’re visiting France is to probably associate your trip with fine wine, cheese, tours around vineyards or even freshly baked croissants; but there’s a whole other dimension to see if you add ‘jardins remarquable’ to the list. Garden Ninja has spent the past week touring around some […]

You’re ready to get stuck in, to create your dream new build garden oasis. You have this brand new green space that could become something amazing. It may look very similar to the new build example below. Then it hits you. You have no idea where to start and every idea you have doesn’t quite […]

However, there is another thought with front garden design. Why not turn this around and actually make it a space that greets you warmly as you come home, offers refuge, excitement, calm or invitation to your visitors? This guide will show you that you can have a functional, beautiful and environmentally sound space and it […]

I chose Manchester’s canal and industrial heritage as my design inspiration to create a calming, restful space where you could ‘Take a pew’ with a brew after a hard days work. Using ordinary reclaimed materials such as sleepers and granite sets to make an extraordinary front garden that can turn your front garden into something […]

New Build Garden Makeover Often new build gardens are random shapes that don’t quite work with many designs or ideas. They nearly always feature hundreds of utility grids right smack bang in the centre of the lawn area. It’s a shame that the garden space is most often tiny and they give you the smallest […]

I entered a National garden design competition with the RHS and BBC. The RHS Feel Good Garden competition. The brief was to design a ‘Feel good’ front garden taking inspiration from your local area. I had some fantastic news recently from the RHS that I had won and been chosen as one of the 4 […]

Front Garden ‘Grey to Green’ Makeover It’s a shame that so many of us just block pave or tarmac over it as we as a nation don’t really know what to do with front gardens. I’ve written an article on things to consider with a front garden makeover which gives hints and tips. This front garden […]

Regardless of the weather; its variety of both terrain, wildlife and botany is something that always draws me back to Scotland whenever I can.  Scotland, especially the highlands, can be a place of extremes which can give a garden designer such as myself some brilliant inspiration.  Brutal winds whip up dried leaves, waves crash on […]

Why do we need to repot plants? Root bound plants stagnate – After a few seasons or years, any container plant will eventually become root bound or root balled. This is where the roots of the plants reach the edges of the pots and carry on searching for water and nutrients by then growing back around […]

The prices & costs of my garden design services are detailed below. Garden Ninja likes to be upfront so the prices are listed first. Garden Design from £1000+ (Typical small-sized garden) Online Garden Consultation £100 per 60 minutes Plant supply and planting:  Price on request Garden Ninja Day Rate: £300 per day planting and garden […]

When were the Winter Gardens created? Prior to the Dunham Massey Winter gardens, the area where they sit was used by the main house as a pony field for the family horses. Over years, the ground became more and more overgrown and the usage became less and less. Covered in weeds, brambles and thicket it […]

Water Feature Design Brief The client wanted to make over an awkward corner of their garden. The corner in question was quite damp and had an incline and the client wanted me to design a water feature for them to turn this awkward corner into an area of beauty. They were stuck staring at a […]

If you already have a garden structure that you’re happy with but need some assistance in what to plant where then a Garden Planting Plan could be the ideal solution for you. My garden design services always include planting plan. Please note I have stopped offering a stand-alone planting plan under my services. How does a […]

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 plants or vegetables you want to […]

Planting bare root shrubs and trees is a preparation method often used to package and transport deciduous and sometimes evergreen plants. Trees and shrubs are lifted when dormant and the soil is then removed from the roots and they are wrapped ready to be replanted. So why do nurseries lift and sell bare root trees? […]