Howe’s Your Garden?

We have some exciting news. We’re in for a garden design competition at the remarkable Belvoir Gardens up in Grantham. We’re both so excited and can’t wait to see it build and shown to the public! It based on Sussex Prairie style gardens, with Sussex flint walls, cottage/prairie style planting and a wooden swing & archway of Traceholspwrmum jasminoides aka Evergreen Jasmine.

It’s definitely been a super busy and erm wet season so far! Back to lawn maintenance in Hambrook, planting in Chichester and much much more (plus an awful cold inbetween!) what have you been up to recently?

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Same garden. Different views.

Choppy choppy!! Rose wall pruning when the wind picks up isn’t fun! But so glad it’s done. This Rose will look beautiful later on this year!!

Between the hail and rain I managed to get some mulching done!!

Winter in the garden | some think there barely any work to do, sit your feet up and relax, but did you know winter is the most busiest time of a gardeners life? Seed ordering, sow veg for spring, leaf blowing, mulching, rose pruning, ornamental grass cutting, cutting back perennials, lawn repairs, planting when not frozen, wisteria pruning and generally clearing back beds to create framework for the summer! That’s when I relax, but not in my clients hot tubs or swimming pools. welcome to our world!

Bulbs bulbs bulbs - have you noticed they’re started to show their leaves yet? I’ve already seen Crocus & Narcissus flowers already!!

What are you looking forward to in 2024 in your garden? I can’t wait to get stuck into the veg gardening and seeing the plants fill up the beds with the kaleidoscope of colours scents and shapes. So many different styles of gardens from centre of a Roman city walls to open expanses of lawns and borders brimming with life!

Hellebores!! They really do brighten up borders during the dull moments in winter. Especially en-masse.

Good morning from a foggy Slindon this morning. Managed to scrap the van on a wall but the wall won!! I do love this garden all year long but winter has some beautiful colours just from the bark! Betula jacquemontii bark is striking! Clearing the green algae and older bark reveals white and cream along with Cornus alba ‘Flaviramea’ & ‘Aurea’. Instagram really needs to learn its Latin names!!

It’s been a whirlwind of a January so far. Almost at the end of the month. It’s either been freezing cold, blistering winds, rain and I think threats of snow? But we’ve managed to pile through all the gardens, cutting back perennials, pruning Roses and preparing beds for mulch and dividing plants for new life. Let’s see how the year will grow.

Happy New Year - hello 2024! I really need to be more active on this account!! So here’s to a fresh colourful new start. Last year we saw some crazy weather, heatwave in May/June, a very wet summer, an Indian summer in October (which is great cos so much happened in October!) and a blustery, windy wet winter! Here’s to this year being well, a great horticultural journey!

Helleborus x ‘White Spotted’ & ‘Shades of Night’

Cornus alba | honestly, probably one of my top favourite plants to have. Winter has these stunningly bright bark to give colourful pops in the garden, spring they get a haircut but can use the cuttings for new growth. Summer again bright colour showy stems and beautiful lush green leaves. Autumn, well you can see why I love it, those leaves definitely give those so what’s your favourite autumnal plant?

Liquidamber ‘Worplesdon’ setting the frame today. Driving Dow here the most was getting me excited to crack in at this clients property. Plenty to do here, Rose climbers to clip back, edging lawn, trimming Laurel topiary (4 of them!) and preparing beds for winter!

Hello gardening world, wow it’s been extremely busy here in West Sussex! I don’t have many photos as most would be of rain forecasts, more rain and not the most exciting of slow growing vegetables! I am going to try and start some more social media friendly things soon so keep your eyes peeled!

Just realised I haven’t posted on here for a little while! I’m still here, busy In your gardens!

Gorgeous purples, creams, blues & pinks. But don’t forget the textures & types of leaves!

Nothing beats a good replanting session. This client had this bed full of the wrong mediterranean plants so Jon & I are replanting, moving, removing & adding new plants including Hemerocallis, Nepeta Six Hills Giant & Eringium yuccafolium to the mix. This bed will pop with colour & not see any mulch!

Oh look, scarifying 👍🏼🌷🌱🧹

Well today has been glorious!! Even had to slap on some sun lotion!! Adding these Tulips for extra interest!

Mulching season is well ahead! This garden was a slight challenge as I couldn’t get the wheelbarrow up the steps (they’re a lot more steeper than it looks!) plenty of Tulips & Narcissus popping their heads up!

Well the next few days look wet,wet,wet!!

Bulbs en-made really show off a awkward place, this brings so much light to the drive & really just the Narcissus, what else is there to say

Another before and after … Laurel pruned back, compost bin taken out, a tonne of flint rocks now used as edging and is that Chichester Cathedral I see? This area will turn into an entertainment spot for the last evening light.