Time for a change in the garden

We have been in this garden now for over 6 years it was a complete jungle when we moved in the first year was spent just clearing levelling and digging out unwanted shrubs.

The only bit of clear ground was a small square lawn 3mx3m and a path around the outside which you had to fight your way down until you got to the back of the garden. Where it was not so overgrown it took a lot of work to clear it all the only original plants that survive are a conifer more out of laziness as the one that was next to it nearly killed me trying to dig out the tump so I thought it will be happy where it is. There was also a miss shaped Bay tree this has romped away since it was freed from the shrubs around it that where slowly strangling the poor bay tree.

But like lots of gardens they become due for a change as plants grow out of their allocated space or as the use of the space changes over time. When we moved in our girls loved there slides, swing ball and paddling pools so a large lawn was needed to fit everything on it but now they are teenagers they no longer want their slides and paddling pools. They really venture outside as the Wi-Fi only reaches 6ft into the garden at this point they go into panic mood and retreat back to the safety of the house.

 I neglected the garden last year for various reasons so this year not only do I want to get it back to a nice tidy garden I also want to make a few big changes to the place. It is always fun to be able to make a change to the garden whether big or small every so often it keeps you keen.

Do keep on popping back to see what changes we have made to the garden and how we get on making the changes through the coming year.

The Great Chelsea Challange.

With Chelsea just around the corner the BBC have come up with a new series to wet your appetite before the main event.

The Great Chelsea Challenge 2015 where six amature garden designers go head to head to win the prize of getting to build a garden at Chelsea flower show.

Starting on Monday 11th May at 8pm on BBC 2 this new 4 part series where the amateurs are mentored by Jo Swift as they build there show gardens over the four days. In several styles including cottage gardens, formal gardens and conceptual gardens on a very tight budget.  The finished gardens will be judges by RHS Judge James Alexander Sinclair and a Gold medal winning garden designer Ann-Marie Powell. With the winner winning the ultimate gardening prize a chance to build a garden at Chelsea Flower show The Great Chelsea Challenge was filmed at several locations RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Sudeley Castle, Painswick Gardens and RHS Garden Wisley. The contestants taking part where selected after several hundred keen amateurs applied to take part they are Gillian Potts, Jo Manfredi-Hamer, Paul Harris, Rob Dawson, Sean Murray and Steph Humes.

It will be interesting to see who is crowned the winner and what there garden will be and look like at Chelsea 2015.



Is everyone a garden designer these days.

It seams that today every man or woman and his dog claim to be a garden designer you only have to look at peoples profiles on twitter and you come across thousands of them. Wife, Mother and Garden Designer Horticulturist, Dog lover and Garden Designer is it just a status symbol to class your self as a Garden designer ?. Is it for the extra money you can charge Calling yourself a Designer rather than a gardener or landscaper and is there really a big need for all these Garden Designers. The other problem is that most of these self proclaimed garden designers have actually very little practical experience they have simply done a 5 min internet coarse that has given them a certificate with the word Garden Design on. Now don't get me wrong there are many very good highly skilled designers out there doing very well that is not who i am moaning about. Its these short internet coarse that put false hope into peoples heads that they are all going to be the next Diarmuid Gavin the reality is that 99% wont, It takes many years of hard graft starting at the bottom with a shovel in your hand not a pencil that makes a true good designer. You have to know about how plants grow the conditions they like and there eventual size as well as the hard landscaping material choice, cement mixes and many more items that are all learned on the job over many years. Yes the designs may look pretty on a piece of paper but the reality is that most don't work when they are put in the ground i know many people who have spent a lot of money on getting a designer in to find 3 or 4 years down the line. They have to spend lots more putting right the mistakes made wrong choice of plants that have grown in to a jungle over planting. Wrong choice of hard landscaping materials and even damp in the house due to wrong levels when the site was leveled. The other problem is the large sums of money that individuals are paying for these online courses some company's are charging over £2000.00 for a design course. Horticulture is a practical job even if you are sat in an office you still need to have lots of practical experience otherwise it will all go wrong. Please don't be taken in by these courses if you want to be a designer start at the bottom in the soil with your hands dirty and then you will have the skills to make great designs that work.