An unexpectedly good July combination of Clematis Betty Corning, golden jasmine, Geranium Wargrave Pink and a bit of dark purple woundwort
Geranium, Dicentra & Brunnera
A communal garden in Maida Vale in April: a woodland planting under trees; Geranium macrorrhizum, white Dicentra and Brunnera Jack Frost. Planted last year, it struggled with the dry summer but seems to have come good.
Amelanchier & Clematis alpina on Wiltshire chalk
A garden in Wiltshire, in late April, planted about 10 years ago. A chance and very pretty combination of Amelanchier (lamarckii?) and Clematis alpina Constance. The Amelanchier was a 'special request' and I didn't expect it to thrive on thick chalk - but it has
A vertical summer garden
On this grey November day, I comfort myself with this photo of the banked planting in the courtyard outside my office shot in late June. Achillea (A. Moonshine and Red Velvet), Eryngium Sapphire Blue, Lilium regale, Euphorbia characias, Linaria, alchemilla planted as...
vines in Kensington
This is a contemporary pergola, an awning almost, in a south-facing garden in Kensington, London. It is made from stainless steel and heavy duty bamboo canes. Designed by Mark Lutyens; made by Mark Bazeley. It was installed about 5 years ago and is now - August -...
Millstone fountain
This is a small fountain we made 5 years ago - a millstone mounted in a stainless steel tank (made by Mark Bazeley, the Nottingham master fabricator) - which is the centre piece of a small geometric box (Buxus) parterre with blue iris in-fill planting. When first...
Isle of Wight Garden
High summer and a heatwave on the Isle of Wight has brought this new garden to life. The gravel garden plantings - Gaura, valerian, Verbena bonariensis, Eryngium, thymes, Stipa tenuissima etc - have exploded. See the earlier blog for a view of this garden 6 months ago
A Spring lawn with bulbs
A wildflower lawn with Spring bulbs in late May. Tulip Queen of the Night, Tulip Shirley, blue Camassia, daffodil Thalia; crabapple trees Malus Golden Hornet in background, and behind them pleached lime trees
Chelsea Fringe
Here at Great Western Studios we have rearranged and planted our little courtyard garden as part of Chelsea Fringe. Using basic materials - cattle troughs, 8ft canes, water and lead work - we have created a vertical garden - or Jenga garden because it reminds...
Spring planting in Maida Vale
At long last, it's Spring! After a cold wet Winter in West London, from the mud and frozen ground come dafffodils, tulips and grape hyacinths to complement the hellebores
Garden in St John’s Wood
Last year, there was a tired old garden here, and a tree. Now there's a huge hole - but the tree remains. Next year - although hard to believe - once the builders have gone and the hole has been filled in, there will be a brand new garden with trees, hedges, tumbling...