Category: Garden Inspiration

Growing Delicious Herbs in Your Garden

25/9/2020

Chives

As we’ve all been forced to spend more time at home and less time socialising this year, many of us are reconnecting with our gardens and creating tasty food to feed our loved ones. One way of combining the too is to grow your own produce. Herbs must be the best crop if you’re looking for a low maintenance option, where by you have little input but can regularly harvest fresh and delicious leaves as and when you need them.
I love to cook & popping out and pick something to flavour a casserole, curry or sauce is a real treat. I tend to use the hardy evergreen herbs like Rosemary & Sage in the winter months & the softer perennial & tender herbs like Basil, Mint and Coriander in the spring & summer.

Shady Gardens - Making the most of Shady Places

28/8/2020

If there’s one thing that every garden has it’s a shady places! Whether your patch is overcast by mature trees, screened by a building or simply shaded by taller planting in a few places, coping with shade can seem tricky, but with a bit of know how and some handy tips, you can tackle your shady places and transform them from dull spots in to a green and verdant garden.
Shady areas are typically defined by the lack of direct sunlight to the ground. With less light, sun loving plants struggle to establish and become thin and weedy. The ground can be dry too which can cause problems for any new plants in the area as they try to compete for moisture. Despite these less than ideal conditions, there are plants that will happily thrive given the right initial care and attention.
If you have a shady area to tackle it’s worth considering just how shady it is and what the soil is like before visiting a garden centre or nursery for plants, that way you’ll be able to choose the right plant for the right place...

Creating a Wildlife Friendly Garden

29/7/2020

Over the last few months of lock down we’ve all been spending more time in our gardens, even those who profess to be non-gardens! Whether your hard at work digging and planting or just sitting back with a coffee, it’s impossible to ignore the chirping of birds and buzzing of bees in the warmer spring and summer months. Wildlife is hugely important not only to us gardeners but to the environment as a whole. We rely on them for pollination, pest control, providing a food source for other creatures and as a bonus they add colour, movement and sound to our outdoor spaces too.
With the loss of natural habitats, we gardeners can do some simple things to encourage more wildlife and make up for the losses elsewhere. Incorporating wildlife friendly features and plants into our gardens we will all benefit them and us hugely...

Transforming a Courtyard Garden

8/5/2020

I was contacted by the owners of this garden back in July 2018. They had just bought the property and were having an extension built at the time. I visited shortly afterwards to see how we could transform the rough messy lawn and overgrown shrubs into a low maintenance elegant space for the clients to enjoy. They longed for a greenhouse, planting beds and seating areas for entertaining family. There was limited space to play with and the garden was overlooked by several neighboring properties.

Bel created 2D and 3D design plans and visuals for the garden to show the clients how the space could be transformed. These were accompanied by mood boards showing the features for the space along with dimensional plans for the landscapers to use whilst setting out the various patio, pathway and planting beds. A scope of works was also provided which detailed the work involved in landscaping the garden and which could be used by the landscaper to draw up a quote for the works. Find out more about the Garden Design Process ...

Keep Calm and Carry on Gardening - Free Advice & Inspiration

4/4/2020

What very strange times we are living through at the moment! Whilst vast teams of carers, food distribution works, politicians, amongst others, fight the war on Covid 19 so many of use are heeding the advice to stay at home.
Stuck within the confines of our homes and gardens it's easy to get restless and we all need something to keep us busy. So i urge you to get out into your garden (following the social distancing guidelines obviously!).
The sun is shining and spring has arrived so with more time on our hands now is a perfect opportunity to take a look at what we have and make the most of it.
FREE GARDENING ADVICE >>> There are lots of articles on the ADVICE HUB which i have written to inspire your next project, be it ideas for screening, paving, planting borders and pots, encouraging wildlife, transforming small gardens and so much more.
And what's more it's all free advice and at your disposal!...
If you'd like more detailed advice about your garden project, i am taking bookings for remote consultations. Get in touch to find out more

Bel Grierson

Expert Plantswoman and Garden Designer with 20 years experience in horticulture. Bel loves to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with those with gardens large and small.

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Garden Transformation - Small Town Garden

2/10/2019

When i first viewed this garden, it was a mess of poor DIY paving, dangerous steps and had a rather ugly concrete garage. The owner had a clear vision of what she wanted her garden to be like and how she would use her outdoor living space. The key requirements for the space were to screen the unsightly garage, create a seaside inspired upper terrace, design a calming patio area for yoga practice on the lower terrace and to revamp the existing raised sleeper beds and decking. The property has far reaching views of the countryside beyond which the client was keen to use as borrowed landscape. However, neighboring proprieties interrupted this view so privacy screening needed to be worked into the garden design plan.

With a modest budget, some of the existing elements were combined into the new design allowing the client to make the most effective use of her funds. The lawn was removed and the existing patio relaid with contemporary Indian sandstone paving in grey and inset paved pathways where created within a gravel seaside style area on the upper level...

Planting Design - Inspiration from Hauser and Wirth Somerset

9/8/2019

Every year i take a modern day pilgrimage to a garden designed by renowned landscaping and planting designer Piet Oudolf. This year took me to Hauser and Wirth Somerset - a world class gallery and arts centre based at Durslade Farm in Bruton. The 'Oudolf Field' as it is known is a 1.5 acre garden to the rear of the gallery with traditional layout of curved sinuous borders but filled with swathes of perennials and grasses to give a loose meadow like informality to the space.

Garden Design - Breathtaking Inspiration @ 'The Newt' Somerset

25/7/2019

A walled kitchen garden will without fail quicken my heart rate! It has always been the case, whether still being cultivated for produce or whether is has been reclaimed by nature, with brambles and bindweed tumbling over walls and glass houses. So when i heard that Hadspen House and Gardens in Somerset was undergoing extensive restoration i had to go an see for myself. Newly opened i was not sure what to expect just yet, but not only did my pulse race when i stepped through the threshing barn doors but i was astounded by what the new owners of the rebranded 'The Newt' have achieved.

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Here you'll find lots of useful information, Tips, Ideas and Advice on Garden Design, Planting Design, Garden Maintenance and on how to get the most from your outdoor space.
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Author: Bel Grierson

Expert Plantswoman and Garden Designer with 20 years experience in horticulture. Bel loves to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with those with gardens large and small.

Looking for advice on budgeting for a garden transformation? Check out these articles:
Garden Design Project
Planting Design Project

Want to know what's included in a design package? Take a look at these articles for more info:
Garden Design Package
Planting Design Package

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We are absolutely delighted with our beautiful new garden designed and installed by Bel! We had an unusually shaped garden which we didn't have the knowledge to handle, but at the same time had quite specific ideas of what we liked and disliked. Bel listened to our ideas and the challenge didn't phase her at all! The preparation of the the soil by her team, and the planting of the garden by Bel herself over three days couldn't have gone smoother. We would highly recommend Bel in terms of her expertise, conscientiousness and friendly, easy going personality and we can't stop looking at our amazing new garden!

Mrs Prist, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire

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"Bel is brilliant. Easy to work with. Lots of ideas and plans but great at listening and quickly tapping into what you like, want and need. She has bags of style with a healthy dose of practicality and is 100% reliable. Totally recommend."

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"Bel delivered professional advice in a friendly way after she had established what her clients wished to achieve. All in all - it has been a pleasure to work with her"

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"If you are looking for advice on your garden or a new designs then look no further than Bel Grierson. We have used her on several aspects of our garden to lower the maintenance and update the planting with spectacular results. Bel is easy to work with and is totally in tune with all our requirements."

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"Bel has delivered a delightful garden with a design that has transformed a shallow plot surrounded by fences, into a garden full of interest. Bel listened carefully to our concerns and gave her total attention to each step of the way."

Mr & Mrs Bayley - Loughborough, Leicestershire

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"Our 20 year old garden was looking tired and boring. No colour and a mishmash of plants that were past their sell-by date. We had no idea what to do to rescue the situation as we knew very little about what plants would do well. Then we found Bel. Our garden is transformed; beautiful colour that just keeps coming all through the year, easy maintenance and a joy to sit and look at with an appropriate glass in one hand. Bel interpreted our thoughts perfectly and has produced an extraordinary result. She is patient with non-gardeners, knowledgeable and highly professional. Not afraid to get her hands dirty and endlessly helpful. I simply cannot recommend her too highly."

Mr & Mrs Benussi - Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire

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"Bel redesigned and planted our garden this summer. It has transformed it from dark and dingy to a fresh open space. Bel is a pleasure to work with, friendly and helpful, full of ideas and always ready to listen to what you want and find the best way of delivering it. Recommended!"

Mr Goodman - Loughborough, Leicestershire

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"Bel provided good advice and warm, friendly and professional support at all stages of our garden transformation. Her knowledge about plants and her design ideas gave us confidence from the outset. We are delighted with the result, and now look forward to enjoying our new garden in the months and years to come."

Mr Corner - Rearsby, Leicestershire

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"Bel has recently redesigned a large area in my garden which was previously a 'wilderness'. I was very pleased with the design that she came up with - it was clear that she had paid attention to what I had said I wanted and understood my style. Great communication throughout the process and now that the planting is finished I am looking forward to next spring and watching it develop."

Mrs Phillips - Ratby, Leicestershire

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