Structure in a garden is absolutely essential and without it your garden will become a completely blank canvas in the winter.  When people think of what needs to be in their gardens they will think of plants that flower – often perennials and maybe some shrubs.  Perennials look amazing when they are at their peak, but only few o...

Gardens do so much to improve our enjoyment of our homes, from glimpses and views of them from windows, to spending time in them during the warmer months.  There are many studies on the beneficial impact they have on our mental health, whether we are relaxing in them or working in them to keep them under control. If you are happy with you...

In the last blog we explained the importance of structure; this blog explains how focal points are the 'highlights' on the structure within the garden. While structure can lead the eye, a focal point gives the eye something to rest on and enjoy.  They can be subtle, like an arrangement of three different evergreens, or full on - in your f...

In our previous blogs we looked at the importance of structure and focal points within the garden as elements of good garden design. This blog features on another aspect of design that Garden Designers need to consider, repetition. It is a key technique used to bring unity to a garden.  This helps the eye 'feel comfortable' by the re...

Gardens are made up of many different details that we take in when we look at them. Our eyes see colour, texture, shape and form, and height in a garden gives interest and variety. Height attracts the eye and can focus our attention away from ground level which means that we can see beyond the garden. So a distant view, the skyscape etc can all bec...

Gardens really add to our lives and enhance our homes, but when we think about our gardens at this time of year, we remember them bathed in sparkling summer sunlight and feel the warmth.  The gloomy days, and the dark evenings of winter, mean it's a place seldom even thought about other than beyond the occasional look out of the window.&n...

Colour is another important aspect of how a garden can make us feel when we look at it and immerse ourselves within the garden.  A garden without colour is not really a garden, but just an outside space waiting to be improved. That doesn't mean that an all green garden is not a garden because green is colour which can be as...

Water has a harmonious effect on our souls, so in a garden the sense of the garden calming our inner selves is doubled by the presence of water there as well. There is plenty of evidence that people enjoy being near water so it is a popular choice to add to a garden. Water is an easy element to incorporate into a garden because water features are e...

In our second blog on colour we will look in closer detail at the colour theory rules mentioned in our first blog on Colour. Most people are familiar with the colour wheel on the left, and this helps us understand the 'rules' of why some colour combinations work.  All colour wheels work the same way of blending the three primary colo...

Gardens of harmonious colour are not only beautiful to look at, but they also affect our mood  Adding a colour theme to your garden will not only have these benefits, it really helps the gardener and designer.  This is because a theme helps to narrow down the focus of the plant search by a...

Most people would like something lovely to look at in their garden throughout the year – even in winter, albeit through the window.  This means you need to have a selection of plants in your garden that are at their best at different times of the year.  This tends to be easier in spring and summer as there is so much choice, but...

As we are all forced to spend much more time at home, those of us lucky enough to have a garden realise how important it is.  Now is a great opportunity to make the most of your garden to improve that experience.  Being in your garden is really good for you and there are multiple benefits and in our current situation we all need...