I’m getting excited about stocking up the garden with plants in a few weeks time. To start off, I’m putting together a list of plants that like shade, or semi-shade and although shade is seen as a problem, when you start looking there’s really quite a lot to choose from. Sarcococca hookeriana Digyna [Sweet box]: […]
Woodland planting – plants for cool, shady gardens
Most of us have some shade, whether it’s an area of woodland or a shady corner, it’s just a question of scale. It’s often seen as a problem, but it doesn’t have to be, just choose the right plants, ones that naturally prefer shade and you’re on the way to success. Some plants prefer dry shade or […]
Top three plants for dry, shady gardens
It’s a pretty dull day here today, but very mild and there’s that feeling in the air that things are starting to stir in the garden. Undoubtedly there’ll be a cold snap and we’ll be plunged back into proper winter and the garden will be still again. Meanwhile until we’re sure that spring is really […]
Case study ~ design of a town garden
You may remember that I wrote recently about designing a long, narrow town garden, well their neighbours liked it and asked me to design theirs too. Although it was roughly the same shape and size, the clients had more traditional tastes so it needed quite a different approach. They had lived in the house for a […]
Friday inspiration – a favourite from the Chelsea Flower Show
I saw this lovely plant at the Chelsea Flower Show this week on the RBC Blue Water Garden, designed by Nigel Dunnett. Lilium martagon (turks cap lily) is a rather refined, elegant plant, very different to it’s showier, large flowering cousins such as the Madonna Lily. This particular variety is called Lilium martagon ‘Orange Marmalade’. […]
10 beautiful plants for shade
Growing plants in shady parts of the garden can be a challenge, but there are simply two things you need to do for success: Improve the soil Whatever your soil is like, it will be improved by incorporating organic matter in some form or other . Use plenty of home-made compost, soil improver or well-rotted farmyard […]