The autumn winds have been rustling through the garden and feeding the embers. Glimpses of red, orange and yellow are sparking into life across the landscape and also in some of my potted shrubs that haven’t been watered quite as regularly as they would have liked and have decided to call it a day early (sorry Oak-leaved Hydrangea).
Read MoreThere are many good reasons for growing edible plants in containers. Perhaps you want to grow a variety that is not suited to the soil type in your garden, or you are short of space or perhaps you want to grow a less than hardy variety that will benefit from some winter protection in the greenhouse. Another reason though is simply for the flexibility of being able to move containers where you want them when you want them, and as their fruits develop and become more attractive.
Read MoreI have developed a soft spot for Mrs. Popple. She has been attractive all summer, barely any effort and has moved cheerfully around the garden. I am talking, of course, about Fuchsia ‘Mrs. Popple’. She arrived in early spring, a refugee from a client’s garden, and left to languish amongst the other exiles at the back of the house looking for somewhere to put down roots. I am ashamed to say that mortality in the camp is high and it was her tenacious grip on life that brought her to my attention. A terracotta pot, fresh compost and a good water were the reward. And I have been repaid in full.
Read MoreOne of the difficulties of designing a garden is knowing where to start. Many students complain to their tutors that the process seems somewhat vague and mysterious and why can’t they just be given a step by step guide. John Brookes, the father of modern garden design, tried to address this problem in the 1960s by introducing a method called pattern analysis. This, put simply, involves imposing a grid on the garden and then creating a pattern of overlapping shapes. Well that’s solved it then.
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