GrowingNicely.co.uk — Garden Design & Flower Ideas
Growing Nicely
Practical garden design for small UK spaces, plus beautiful flower ideas that deliver colour and structure all year. Start with layout basics for long narrow gardens, explore classic blooms like hollyhocks, borrow planting ideas from Chelsea show gardens, and plan seasonal impact with spring-flowering bulbs.
Start with garden design
Garden Design & Flower Classics
How to Design a Long Narrow Town Garden
Smart ways to split space into useful, beautiful zones.
How to Grow Hollyhocks
Classic cottage garden towers of colour – easy when you know how.
Chelsea Flower Show 2016: Gardens
Planting ideas and structure from a standout year at Chelsea.
Spring-Flowering Bulbs to Look Forward To
Cheerful bulbs for early spring.
New & Updated Garden Guides
Fresh how-tos for summer care, clever ways to use plants (privacy, structure, wildlife), seed-to-bloom guides, and a seasonal cordial you can make at home.
How to Grow Hardy Annual Flowers from Seed
Sow, thin, and care for calendula, cornflowers, nigella & more for months of colour.
Hardening Off Plants: Ready for the Big Outdoors
A simple 7–10 day routine to toughen up seedlings and avoid transplant shock.
Gorgeous Plants & Ideas from Markshall Garden
Design cues and plant picks you can borrow from this standout Essex garden.
Easy Elderflower Cordial
When to pick, a quick small-batch recipe, and how to bottle or freeze for later.
Keeping My Garden Looking Good Through the Summer
Weekly habits, resilient plant picks, and water-wise tips for June–September.
Top Ten Uses for Plants in Your Garden
Privacy screens, room dividers, microclimates, low-maintenance colour & more.
Gardening for Mindfulness & Stress Relief
Techniques, planting ideas, and small rituals that turn garden time into calm.
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About Growing Nicely
Growing Nicely is a UK-based blog focused on garden design and flower planting for small gardens. We break down design principles into plain English and share practical plant choices that give you structure, colour, and seasonal interest without fuss.
If your outdoor space is long, narrow, or a typical town plot, you’ll find guides on layout, paths, and focal points — starting with our cornerstone article, How to Design a Long Narrow Town Garden. From there we add flower ideas that thrive in UK conditions: spring-lifting bulbs, hardy annuals for quick colour, and practical how-tos like hardening off young plants (plus the odd garden-grown recipe).
Popular starting points include:
- Spring-flowering bulbs for early colour and reliable impact.
- Hollyhocks for classic cottage height along fences and walls.
- How to grow hardy annual flowers from seed for fast, bee-friendly displays.
- Hardening off plants to move seedlings outside without shock.
- Gorgeous plants & ideas from Markshall Garden to borrow show-stopping border tricks.
- Easy elderflower cordial — forage or grow elder and bottle summer.
Our goal: share doable garden design ideas and flower combinations that make small UK gardens feel bigger, balanced, and beautiful - with maintenance you can actually keep up with. Jump to Popular Articles or browse the New Guides.