What to do in your garden in January

It’s January and the start of a new gardening year. Despite the wintery weather here are some jobs you can be doing in your own garden this month:- Complete winter pruning of fruit trees; Prune wisteria shortening summer pruned shoots back to two or three buds from old wood; Remember to water planted containers in […]
January’s plant of the month

January’s plant of the month is Mahonia japonica – an evergreen shrub which flowers in winter (one of the few that does!). It has leathery, spiny leaves so is good to use as a barrier plant. Fragrant yellow flowers, sometimes followed by black or purple berries. It will grow to a height of 1.5m in […]
December’s plant of the month

December’s plant of the month is Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’. This is a great plant for achieving structure and colour in winter. Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ is a deciduous, upright-growing shrub with dark green leaves. It bears clusters of small white flowers in spring and early summer, followed by small white berries. It is most commonly grown […]
What to do in your garden in December

It’s December! Where has the year gone? There are still some jobs you can be doing in the garden in the depths of winter (snow allowing!):- Check your winter protection structures are secure; Check that greenhouse heaters are working ok; Prevent ponds and stand pipes from freezing; Prune open-grown apples and pears (but not those […]
Drought tolerant perennial plants

Our top 5 drought tolerant perennials Drought tolerant plants are usually native to dry regions such as the Mediterranean. However they can still be grown in our cooler gardens. They have evolved to thrive in dry soils with little rainfall by developing characteristics such as thick fleshy leaves to store water or silver or grey-green […]
Garden makeover costs

How to find a ballpark figure for your garden makeover When I visit clients for the first time, the inevitable question comes up ‘How much does a garden makeover cost?’ This is a difficult question to answer as each of our garden design projects are bespoke to the client’s requirements. BUT you should have a […]
Best of Houzz 2022 Customer Services Award

We are pleased to announce we have won a Best Of Houzz 2022 award for Customer Service – the second year in a row! This award is allocated by Houzz to service-oriented professionals as a sign of their commitment to excellence. Houzz®, the leading platform for home renovation and design has a worldwide community of […]
Why artificial lawn is a problem

Why we don’t use artificial lawn or plastics in our garden design projects In March 2023 the Society of Garden Designers (SGD) took a stand against the widespread use of artificial lawn in our gardens by launching a campaign. This is in conjunction with the Landscape Institute and Royal Horticultural Society You may be asking […]
Plants for winter structure

Evergreen plants for winter structure A question which I am often asked at my consultations is ‘what can I grow in my garden in North East Scotland which will look good all year round?’ Many people would like to emulate the show gardens at Chelsea Flower Show (wouldn’t we all?!). But many plants featured there […]
Shortlisted for Pro Landscaper Business Awards 2021

We are thrilled to announce that we have been shortlisted in the Garden Design Company category for the 2021 Pro Landscaper Business Awards. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our clients, contractors, nurseries and suppliers. Without them it wouldn’t have been possible to achieve this level of recognition from our […]