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Looking after your garden in April

April 2, 2014 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

  Isn’t this a great time of year? I’d like everything to slow down a bit so I can relish the new, fresh green of the garden and all the lovely blossom in the hedgerows around here. It’s a good time to get out into the garden and do a few things, not a lot, just potter […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: flowers, growing vegetables from seed, hardy annuals, jobs to do in the garden in April, poppies

A simple garden task that’ll make a huge difference to your garden.

December 16, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

It’s easy to stay inside tucked up by the fire at this time of year, but since it’s so mild at the moment I’d like to encourage you to venture out into the garden to do some gardening. It’s just the right time to give your garden a treat by spreading a layer of mulch over the soil. This […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: Achillea, flowers, garden tasks, geranium, hosta, improve soil, mulch, plants, sustainable gardening

Colour in the garden part 3

December 9, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Colour in the garden isn’t just about using plants and flowers, some great effects can be had by using coloured objects. Painting a wall introduces colour quickly and easily, and can be changed if you get tired of the colour. It’s good to think about what’s planted in front of the wall too, these white flowers […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: coloured tree bark, flowers, garden colour, garden furniture, silver birch trees, tree bark

Colour in the garden part 2

December 4, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

It’s very useful to know how to use colour to create mood and atmosphere in the garden as discussed in the last post, but most people want too know how to combine colours together. Using the colour wheel is a good starting point if you’re unsure what to do. Colours opposite each other on the […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: complimentary colours, contrasting colours, flower colour, flowers, the colour wheel

A perfect plant for autumn flowers and some elegant Japanese style

November 11, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

  Not only are chrysanthemums a stalwart of the autumn garden, they’re perfect for Japanese style gardens too, having been introduced to Britain from Japan in the early 19th century, where they have been associated with the nobility since the 13th century. They come in a range of beautiful colours from pure white, pink, yellow […]

Filed Under: Blog, Inspiration, Plants Tagged With: chrysanthemum, chrysanthemum plants, flowers, Japanese gardens, Japanese style, Keika Hasegawa, Wisley Gardens

How to plant spring and early summer flowering bulbs.

October 28, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

One of the great advantages of planting gardens for clients at this time of year is that I can include bulbs in the planting plan. It’s the perfect time to plant spring and early summer bulbs, here are my tips for a lovely display next year. Ideally, it’s best to plant them before November: daffodils, the small tete a […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: allium purple sensation, bulb planting., daffodils, flowers, garden, Nectaroscordum siculum, spring flowering bulbs., tulips

Gorgeous plants and ideas from Marks Hall Garden.

October 14, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

  This beautifully designed walled garden has been made in the former 18th century kitchen garden at Marks Hall in Essex. Like many other grand houses, Marks Hall was demolished in the 1950s, having fallen into decline during World War 2. The garden and arboretum are now managed by The Marks Hall Trust. The entrance to […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration, Plants Tagged With: Aster Violet Queen, Calamagrostis Karl Foerster, Essex, flowers, garden hedge, Marks Hall garden, ornamental grasses, walled garden

Friday Inspiration, autumn flowers.

October 11, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Have you noticed lovely these little crocus-like flowers popping up recently? They’re called Colchicum, but you can see why they’re called autumn crocus. They’re also sometimes referred to rather coyly as ‘naked ladies’ because the flowers appear before the leaves. They like to be planted in moist, but well drained soil in a sunny position. They look lovely […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants Tagged With: autumn crocus, colchicum, corms, flowers

A Tudor house and a beautiful garden

September 30, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Tucked away behind this beautiful Tudor house in Coggeshall, Essex, is a simple but charming garden. The garden is divided into three distinct areas. The first section near the house has a handsome, herringbone brick path leading through to a lawned area. This style of path works so well with the Tudor building. There are plenty of […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: flowers, garden visit, plants, sustainability, Tudor garden

Save seeds from your garden for free plants next year – Part 2

September 10, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

The last post was about collecting seeds from plants in your own garden, have a look here if you want a reminder of how to collect seeds and why it’s s good idea. The easiest and most successful method is to collect the seeds of hardy annuals. These are plants that grow, flower and die in […]

Filed Under: Blog, Plants, Recycling & Sustainability Tagged With: Ammi majus, Calendula officinalis, English marigold, flowers, growing plants from seed, hardy annuals, Honesty, love-in-a-mist, Lunaria annua, Nigella damscene, Papaver commutatum, poppies, saving seeds

Design ideas from a beautiful garden in the heart of the City of London.

September 3, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

How to begin a new garden or improve an existing one, can be a stumbling block for many people, including professional designers. I recently came across a beautiful little garden in the heart of the City of London, the attraction is the lovely plants, a great lay-out and that the whole garden fits in so well with its surroundings. It’s on the […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design Tagged With: Agapanthus, Christchurch Greyfriars garden, clematis, concept design, flowers, garden design, penstemon

A gem of a garden to visit in West Sussex.

August 26, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

Having lived less than an hours drive from this garden for years I visited this summer for the first time. I’m now rather obsessed with the garden and made a second visit a few weeks later. Woolbeding House and garden is managed by The National Trust and I’m not sure why it isn’t better known because it’s […]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: flowers, garden, garden visit, Isabel & Julian Bannerman, Lanning Roper, National Trust, roses, West Sussex, Woolbeding House

Friday inspiration – have a seat in the garden & relax

July 26, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

 A well-sited garden bench is a great thing to have in any garden. Preferably it’ll be weatherproof and in a permanant position, that way it’ll be easy and convenient to have a seat and enjoy your surroundings. This stone bench is perfect for the job, it’ll just need a quick wipe-down after rain, and it’s partially enclosed by plants […]

Filed Under: Blog, Inspiration, Plants Tagged With: clematis, flowers, garden bench, plants

All about using a coloured back-drop in your garden

March 24, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

  A well chosen background colour in a garden can make the difference between plants that look quite good and plants that look outstanding. The choice of colour also influences the atmosphere, red brings energy into a garden, whilst softer colours are more calming and restful. Wall colours can be soft and rather muted, like the one here that […]

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Plants Tagged With: a coloured back-drop to plants, colour in the garden, Cottesbrooke, flowers, plants, RHS Hampton Court Flower Show

Friday inspiration ~ bit of a catwalk plant, beautiful but demanding.

March 22, 2013 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

  These gorgeous little plants look to good to be real don’t they.   Apparently Auriculas were brought over to England by French Huguenots who settled in Spitalfields over three hundred years ago. Flemish weavers also brought them when they came over and worked in the mills in the north of England.   These little […]

Filed Under: Blog, Inspiration, Plants Tagged With: auricula plant, auricula theatre, flowers

Olympic Park inspirational planting?

January 31, 2012 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

It’s difficult to spot exactly when trends in the gardening world change, there’s always talk of the latest trends at The Chelsea Flower each year, but recently there’s also been much talk of the 2012 Olympics bringing the naturalistic prairie-planting style to the attention of the public.

Filed Under: Blog, Garden Design, Inspiration Tagged With: 2012 Olympic Park, biodiversity, callirohe involucrata, flowers, meadow planting, plants, trends

Late flowering treasures for your garden

November 3, 2011 By Jill Anderson Leave a Comment

  I’m not one for placing too much emphasis on having flowers all year round in gardens, there are so many elements that make a good garden and flowers are just one of them, however  

Filed Under: Blog, Inspiration, Plants Tagged With: flowers, late flowering perennials, sage, salvia

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Hello, I’m Jill Anderson.
This is where you’ll find good, solid information about gardening, growing fruit & vegetables and how to keep it all looking good.
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The healing, calming power of nature in one photo. The healing, calming power of nature in one photo.
These wonderful autumn colours won’t be around for much longer. But that’s ok, because now is what matters, & their fleeting beauty makes them even more precious.
It’s easy to see how being among trees & nature is so beneficial for our health & wellbeing. 
Have a great Sunday.
Savouring all the autumn colour, & doesn’t it lo Savouring all the autumn colour, & doesn’t it look spectacular with this bold front door.
Today has been hard work, after a lovely time last week in Norfolk. The north coast there is spectacular. Realising these last few months, that there are so many beautiful places here. 
Have a nice evening.
Charming glasshouse at Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Vis Charming glasshouse at Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Visiting to see the Anish Kapoor sculptures, which are amazing, but unprepared for the beauty of the grounds & garden. 
Such a treat, worth coming to Norfolk for this alone!
Hope you’re keeping well, & managing to smile some of the time. x
P.S. more of Houghton Hall & Anish Kapoor on my stories
We stopped off on the way home to pick blackberrie We stopped off on the way home to pick blackberries, after coffee & cake, sitting in the churchyard - the cafe was full, & the churchyard is a quiet, peaceful spot..... as you’d expect.
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One little advantage of lockdown is walking so much more, rather than using the car. Though it shouldn’t have taken something as momentous as this, for me to change bad habits 🙁
Hope you’re weekend is going well.
My hazel arch, a bit lopsided 🙄 using wood from My hazel arch, a bit lopsided 🙄 using wood from a random clump of hazel on the garden. Now looking much better covered in winter squash plants, so you can’t see just how ramshackle it is. I like to think it has a certain home-spun charm .

Great for small space gardening, imagine how much room you need to grow these without vertical supports.

I’ve got 2 Uchiki kuri, lovely nutty flavour.
1 Turks turban, for its flamboyant shape & colours, though it also tastes good.
One unknown, grown by my grandsons in their homeschooled science lesson.
Close-ups of the squash over on my stories.
Stay cool my friends x
I wanted to show you this lovely lily ( Lilium reg I wanted to show you this lovely lily ( Lilium regale) which is flowering right outside our bedroom window. 
It gets sun for about 4 hours only, you can order the bulbs now for planting in September. It’ll reappear every year & waft delicious scent around your garden, or through your windows.
Have a very happy Monday x
It’s British Flower Week, there’s a lot to be It’s British Flower Week, there’s a lot to be said for fabulous seasonal flowers that haven’t travelled thousands of miles ...... & are wonderful for biodiversity
A bit of rain, nice long days (it’s almost mid-s A bit of rain, nice long days (it’s almost mid-summer!) & it’s, mostly, all growing nicely.

Spinach, courgettes & garlic in shot here. 
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday x
Hope is a decision I’ve thought long & hard abou Hope is a decision
I’ve thought long & hard about how to view the tumult in the world we’re living in now. 
The only thing that works for me, is to choose hope.

It’s a tall order, but avoiding mainstream news & speculation helps avoid the anxiety, that’s often waiting in the wings.

One day soon there’ll be grandchildren clambering over this again.
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