The labour-free garden does not exist, but there are ways in which such chores as weeding and tidying can be kept to a minimum. Clearly, what you get out of a garden is in proportion to what you put in, and it will never be possible to expect a plantsman’s paradise to thrive on neglect. Read more...
As harmony is to a tune, so colour is to a garden: it gives a more precise feeling and mood to the under¬lying design. Colour alone cannot make a garden, but it can enrich the design and highlight different parts of the scheme at different times. It can attract atten¬tion by means of bright Read more...
There are a number of ways to improve the quality of the soil; drainage can be made more efficient and the substance and fertility of the soil enhanced. Drainage The most important consideration on any land that is to be productive is drainage. This fact has been recognized almost as long as Read more...
The interiors of Victorian houses were known for their fussiness and crowding detail; so it was with the gardens of the high Victorian period. Labour was cheap and numerous gardeners could be employed, removing worries about whether a garden style might be labour intensive or not. The period was Read more...
Despite the vituperations of those who regarded topiary as “pastry cooks’ gardening”, it has always had a loving following somewhere. Whatever topiary might do for the style of a garden, there is always pleasure to be taken in the sheer craftsmanship of creating and maintaining Read more...
It is ironic to think that every historical garden style was once the latest thing, fresh and exciting. But what makes a garden modern today? Certainly not the plants themselves, for the world contains no more un¬explored continents to offer us startling new introduc¬tions as it did during the Read more...
Texture works with shape and color in a garden to create movement and harmony for the eye. In contrast with themselves and each other, these three elements produce a constantly changing variety of in¬terest, bringing the detail of the garden to life. The greater the range of textures, the Read more...