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Garden Moods from Planting Design
Floriade 2012 – the mid summer review A garden show such as the Floriade which runs all summer gives its designers the opportunity to try out different planting ideas. During my first visit it was...
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Thoughts on planting combinations at Floriade 2012
Following on from my previous post about Floriade 2012 I thought I would share some of the planting ideas that I encountered there. As I commented earlier, such a season long show allows designers to...
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The Oudolf Garden – Captivating Chaos
September is possibly the most exciting time to view a naturalistic planting scheme and where better than Piet and Anja Oudolf’s private garden in the Netherlands. In the space formerly occupied by the...
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A Garden Month By Month – October
A month by month record of a small Dutch garden – my trial garden in Amsterdam February – Chaos March – Grabbing at straws April – Spring Tulips and more: May is green June – Pink puts in an appearance...
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Thinking about Shrubs – Part Two – Top Criteria for Selecting Shrubs for Gardens
How do you choose the shrubs you grow in your gardens? Most gardeners, like me, read books and become inspired to try out something new. Many more visit the garden centre in spring and choose something...
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Grasses asserting themselves in my late summer garden
To work with grasses you need to know that they tend to fall into two groups: warm season and cold season grasses, plus maybe a few that don’t fit conveniently into these artificial groups. Molinia...
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New English Perennial Borders
During my recent short trip to England where I was specifically studying shrubs – see earlier post – I took a look at two “new” (at least to me) large-scale, public, perennial planting schemes. One...
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Perennials Prevent Weeds
Late Summer Sensations In the Perennial Meadow Garden Although I have had to neglect my trial gardens on the edge of Amsterdam this year following a decision to move house and all that involved, it is...
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Theme Plants
Snowdrops, hellebores, daffodils and tulips: these are the plants that flower in sequence to bring my gardens to life each spring. But now that Tulipa sprengeri is coming into flower the end of spring...
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Is Texture a Garden Theme?
Like any good story the plot is revealed one step at a time; my garden is the same. Different seasons have different themes as steadily the plants grow up and express themselves like actors in a drama....
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Colours in the Autumn Garden
Colours are the spectacle in my autumn garden. They need sun to glow and when the wind blows the tall ornamental grasses start dancing to its tune. Much of my planting plans are to do with building the...
View ArticleOrnamental Grasses
The warm season grasses are finally in full flower her in the Netherlands. This year they are later than normal as a result of the cool late summer weather. But when they do flower all is forgiven as...
View ArticleMind Gardens – A new series of blog posts
For a garden to be more than just a comfortable place to sit in to drink a cup of coffee there needs to be some sort of idea underpinning its design. Ideas together with constraints guide the design...
View ArticleGrasses asserting themselves in my late summer garden
Grasses asserting themselves in my late summer garden Perennial Meadows To work with grasses you need to know that they tend to fall into two groups: warm season and cold season grasses, plus maybe a...
View ArticleNew English Perennial Borders
New English Perennial Borders Perennial Meadows During my recent short trip to England where I was specifically studying shrubs – see earlier post – I took a look at two “new” (at least to me)...
View ArticlePerennials Prevent Weeds
Perennials Prevent Weeds Perennial Meadows Late Summer Sensations In the Perennial Meadow Garden Although I have had to neglect my trial gardens on the edge of Amsterdam this year following a decision...
View ArticleTheme Plants
Theme Plants Perennial Meadows Snowdrops, hellebores, daffodils and lots of tulips: these are the plants that flower in sequence to bring my gardens to life each spring. But now that Tulipa sprengeri...
View ArticleIs Texture a Garden Theme?
Is Texture a Garden Theme? Perennial Meadows Like any good story the plot is revealed one step at a time; my garden is the same. Different seasons have different themes as steadily the plants grow up...
View ArticleColours in the Autumn Garden
Colours in the Autumn Garden Perennial Meadows Colours are the spectacle in my autumn garden. They need sun to glow and when the wind blows the tall ornamental grasses start dancing to its tune. Much...
View ArticleOrnamental Grasses
Ornamental Grasses Perennial Meadows The warm season grasses are finally in full flower her in the Netherlands. This year they are later than normal as a result of the cool late summer weather. But...
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