Colour theory, as an idea, is thought to be over 300 years old, stemming from Isacc Newton’s work with prisms in the 1660s. He discovered that white light, instead of being one single colour, was in fact made of a whole spectrum of colours all layered on top of each other, and from this the first colour wheel was made. The colour wheel is made up of primary, secondary and tertiary colours. The primary colours are blue, red, and yellow because they cannot be made by mixing any two or more other colours. The secondary colours are orange, green and [...]

Stopham success story   Simon Woodhead had a thought whilst living in Spain. That he would come back to the UK and import Spanish wine. Luckily for us this didn’t work out as he decided to get his hands in the soil and create his own vineyard. After three years at Plumpton College studying Viticulture, he began planting his own vines. Initially with investment from friends and family, 18 years later he is now the proud owner of 20 thousand grape vines in the heart of Sussex.   I visited Simon in what initially looked like a jumble of Fittleworth [...]

The history of the UK garden is a reflection of the changing cultural attitudes towards nature, beauty and leisure, which is in turn shaped by various influences and societal shifts.   The first recorded garden in England dates back to 1st century AD when Roman conquerors introduced it to our British landscape. These gardens were almost exclusively found in villas and palaces, for example the recreated Fishbourne Roman Palace in Sussex remains a good example of Roman gardens.   These gardens were obviously heavily influenced by Italian design. They were often enclosed by courtyards, and often featured statues, fountains, pools, [...]

Longer, drier summers are becoming a familiar challenge here in the south of England, and it’s only expected to get worse. The Met Office predicts that by 2070, our summers could be up to 60% drier. The Environment Agency has also warned that the UK might struggle to meet its water demands in just 25 years. But there's news for garden enthusiasts that will give them some hope: improving water usage in our garden will lower our water bills and usage, and lessen the need for more dams. Specific planting arrangements and choices will reduce the garden maintenance needs, and [...]

Introduction Creating a tropical or exotic garden is a great way to make your small space more interesting, unique and appear much larger.  In urban gardens wind and frosts are normally less of an issue, so within their small microclimate tropical plants can thrive in south England, a well as European plants that have an exotic look about them.   What is a tropical garden? Tropical gardens are bright and bold spaces which try to recreate the feel of tropical environments in a planned garden setting. The key to successfully replicating this feeling in your garden is to draw upon [...]

Using climbers in your garden design is a great way to utilize your space, particularly in a small garden, as well as bringing in design elements such as texture and colour to create a more three dimensional space. Also, by growing climbers up fences you can make your garden feel much bigger as the leaves of the climber will absorb light, rather than the light bouncing off fence panels which tend to make a garden feel smaller. Climbers are plants which grow vertically whether that be through trees or shrubs or up vertical surfaces like cliffs or walls. These plants [...]

In our fast-paced world, low-maintenance gardens are certainly required by many of my clients, with a garden that demands minimal upkeep ideal for many people. This article outlines certain measures on designing a low-maintenance garden to ensure you retain the beauty of nature without the many demands of traditional gardening.   A note though from my experience as a Garden Designer. I have had many clients who have really wanted a low maintenance garden, but once I have explained how to maintain certain plants they gain confidence and realise that their wish for a low maintenance garden was more to [...]

Hedges are such a versatile feature that can be used to amplify your gardens design. They’re great at not only add structure and definition but also bringing a softer atmosphere that green spaces often have. These living boundaries are perfect for dividing spaces, creating cozy nooks, and enhancing the overall design of your garden. One of the greatest advantages of hedges is their adaptability. They can be tall and dense for privacy screens or low for a decorative border, hedges come in all shapes and sizes to suit a variety of needs. They are an excellent, cost-effective alternative to installing [...]