It's very satisfying to be able to pop into the garden and pick a posie of fresh, home grown cut flowers.  I like to grow some flowers for cutting from seed or tubers each year and then the rest of the posie is made up from blooms growing in my perennial borders. 

Some of my favourite cut flowers for posies in late summer:

Dahlias - such amazing vibrant blooms and easy to grow. There are so many colours and forms to chose from.  I tend to prefer the hot coloured Dahlias in shades of orange and rich purple. 

Rudbeckia - The half-hardy annual version produces some incredible velvety blooms in rustic shades of red, rust, orange and yellow, perfect for a posie reflecting the late summer. Chimchiminee is a favoourite variety to grow in my garden.  See central image below.

Zinnia - these take a while to bloom in my garden and generally hit their peek in late summer. They come in a full range of colours and I generally grow a mixed packet of seed so I have a choice to pick from.​..

When choosing paving materials for your garden project, there will seem to be a bewildering array ​available!  If you visit your local stone or building merchant you will be dazzled by everything from natural stone to man made products. So today we are looking at one of the options available - natural Sandstone. 

Sandstone Paving is a versatile natural product offered in a wide range of colours, sizes and finishes. A sedimentary rock composed of sand-size grains of mineral, rock, or organic material, It also contains a cementing material that binds the sand grains together. Sandstone pavers (paving slabs) are offered in a variety of finishes including a riven, sawn (smooth), tumbled or shot blasted finish. ​

Whether you're an experienced gardener or a keen amateur, calling in a professional Garden Designer can bring new insight to your project.  With experience of working with gardens of all shapes and sizes they will be able to draw upon their creative techniques for making the most of the space and dealing with any awkward areas, often suggesting ideas you haven't thought of.  
Most importantly, a good designer will develop a scheme that works both practically and aesthetically and is tailored to your needs and site providing, a high-quality bespoke service.  
Having worked in the industry for over 21 years in design, horticulture and garden retail, I have a wealth of knowledge which I use on each and every project to create designs which for fill the clients needs and which are buildable by professional landscapers.  

​The variety of plants available to gardeners is almost limitless, and can seem daunting when you are learning their names and how to care for them. Here we look at two of our favourite textural foliage plants - Ferns and Grasses. 

​​Ferns - A favourite of ours, Ferns offer wonderful textural foliage in a range of shapes and sizes. Generally suited to shady spots, several will cope with a sunnier aspect in the soil remains moist. Most ferns are clump forming, and a few which we use will creep gently too. 
Ferns are easy to maintain - just requiring old fronds to be removed, generally in the spring prior to the new fronds emerging.
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Grasses - Another favourite of ours, ornamental grasses offer a wonderful array of textures, colours and forms. They can be diminutive tussocks at the front of a border or giant feathery plumes at the back. They offer long term interest for very little input...

The variety of plants available to gardeners is almost limitless, and can seem daunting when you are learning their names and how to care for them. Here we examine the difference between Shrubs, Sub-Shrubs, Wall Shrubs & Trees.

Shrubs - Often used as anchor plants within a border, they provide the structure which perennials lack. Shrubs grow a woody framework which they retain year on year. This framework is generally pruned to shape rather than being cut back to ground level like perennials. The woody framework bears the foliage and flowers on it’s stems. Roses are a classic example of a shrub (although often you see them classified into their own category)...

The variety of plants available to gardeners is almost limitless, and can seem daunting when you are learning their names and how to care for them. So what are Perennials and how do they differ from Annuals and Biennials? 

​In the 20 years i’ve been involved in the horticultural trade i must have grown several million plants destined for gardens across the East Midlands. Being a professional grower and plantswoman i know what to look for in terms of plant quality and health when selecting plants for a clients garden or my own. If you are visiting a garden centre or nursery, here are my tips for buy the best plants you can...