Planning a garden

Understanding which compass point your garden faces: A gardens aspect, ie which way your garden faces North, South East or West, is one of the first things I do when I’m working on new garden designs. If you ignore the position of the sun in the garden you will struggle to find the correct plants. […]

Updated 2021: 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 […]

Mediterranean gardens are the true sun worshippers of the garden design styles. Using plants that love full sun and earthy tones these spaces can become an oasis of calm in your back garden. Even if you aren’t blessed with the south-facing garden you can still steal some of the principles of the hot Mediterranean garden […]

There are many guides out there on how to plant a hedge some confusing and others too brief. In true Garden Ninja style, I’m going to take you through the process step by step. Allowing anyone to follow this bulletproof guide to planting a garden hedge. I’ll be guiding you through the various methods from […]

It’s a real surprise that the mighty Medlar tree isn’t more popular for small gardens. Not only is it a well behaved small fruit tree but it is self-fertile so produces fruits without the need of a pollinator tree. It’s also one of the only winter fruiting trees, so why aren’t they more popular? This […]

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 […]

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 […]

Planting in pots is a fantastic way for newbies to make their first steps into the gardening world. Time and time again though, I see new gardeners filling pots with a mix of annuals (plants that live for one season before dying) and hanging plants (ivy and Fuschia are classics). The classic combinations being Fuschia, […]

With careful consideration, you can create a garden that’s fit for the entire family. Whether its young children who want to play, teenagers that want to be left along with their phones or adults who want somewhere to relax. It just takes careful planning. This guide will give you my top tips on planning a […]

There are usually two types of dog-friendly garden design customer. The one who has just welcomed a dog into your family and realised their garden is getting ruined with puppy excitement. Then there is the super forward-thinking soon to be dog owner who wants to dog-proof their garden to have the best of both worlds! […]

This small west facing garden in Bolton, Greater Manchester, had frustrated its owner due to its lack of privacy and clay soil. She had tried her best but ended up with a bit of a tangle of odd shapes, dying plants and patchy borders. She called Garden Ninja in to help sort it out and add […]

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 […]

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 […]

Garden therapy is something I am resolute about promoting. The one message is that gardening, in any form can directly increase your happiness. I believe gardening is the therapy that everyone can benefit from whether you’re overworked, feeling lonely or wondering what you’re doing with your life. We have all been there and I don’t […]