As a professional gardener, I have often been asked what climbing plants I recommend for covering fences. However, there are many options when you consider deciduous varieties, and I’ve talked about some of them in my Climbers for Fences guide. I’ve also talked about evergreen climbers in general here, so in this guide, I want to focus on the best evergreen climbers for fences. What makes these climbing plants different is that they are perfect…
When it comes to large grasses, not many varieties of grasses make more of a statement in the garden than an established pampas grass with tall swaying plumes. I’ve been a professional gardener for over 20 years and have worked in my family’s small nursery for as many years. I often get asked ‘when and how to prune pampas grass? I first covered this in my Pampas grass growing guide, which covered planting, general care,…
I’ve been a professional gardener for 20 years, working on my family’s nursery. Over the years, I’ve often been asked about the best shrubs for small gardens and shrubs for low-maintenance gardens. However, in this guide, I want to talk about some of my favourite shrubs that thrive in full sun with very little shade. Many shrubs prefer a more partially shaded position with the sun for around 5-6 hours a day; in 10-12 hours…
I’ve previously talked about ground cover plants in general and some of my favourite recommendations, as well as which ground cover plants I plant in shady positions. In this guide, I want to focus on fast growing ground cover plants and have included shrubs, perennials and even a couple of my favorite alpines. Some of my recommended ground cover plants, including Vinca, also known as Periwinkle, thrive in more shady positions, while others, including Ceanothus…
As a professional gardener and working on my family’s nursery for over 20 years, one of the most common questions I get asked is, ‘Why is my conifer turning brown?’. After further investigation, it’s nearly always usually caused by one of two reasons: by trimming to hard into brown wood or at wrong time of year. The second reason for browning is the Cypress aphid, but more on this further down. There are a handful…
As a professional gardener with over 20 years of experience, many of my customer’s gardens still offer unique challenges and opportunities presented by shaded gardens. As someone who’s worked on my family’s small nursery, I’ve seen firsthand the impact some of the most versatile climbers can have. I’ve talked a lot about shrubs for shade as well as some of my favourite climbers for north-facing gardens, so in this guide, I am sharing my best…
As a passionate and professional gardener working in my family’s nursery growing shrubs, one plant that nearly everyone falls in love with is dwarf Buddleias. They are much smaller and compact at around 2-3ft, and their smaller flowers make a stunning display of colour. Dwarf buddleias, or ‘butterfly bushes, also attract butterflies and other beneficial pollinators to your garden and are easy to care for with a little pruning and a little love. What I…
After over 20 years of maintaining lawns as a professional gardener, if there is one job I think has the most significant impact on the quality of a lawn, it would have to be scarifying the lawn to remove moss, thatch, weeds and other debris. This is best done in Autumn or early Spring, depending on when I get a chance to do it. Next, I overseed the lawn with quality grass seed using a…
As a professional gardener and nurseryman with over 20 years of hands-on experience, I’ve noticed yellow flowering shrubs have always been a popular request. This is especially true in Spring when shrubs like Forsythia, Mahonia ‘Winter Sun’, and Kerria japonica can appear to be the only shrub flowers along with stunning spring bulbs. With this in mind, in this guide, I thought I would focus on shrubs that bring warmth and brightness to any landscape:…
As a professional gardener who has maintained lawns and gardens for over 20 years and worked at my family’s nursery, one job that has the most impact when maintaining a lawn is scarifying the lawn. It makes such a huge difference to the quality of the lawn, although it can look rough after scarifying for a few weeks. However, you will be rewarded with an amazing lush lawn in a few weeks time. This can…
