A big change has happened in the Greenbook world – we’ve moved! Both the business and our lives have made the exciting journey down to Exeter, Devon, a place that’s close to our hearts. It’s also where Chris first picked up his gardening tools and discovered his passion for all things gardens. With its rolling […]
What Makes a Garden Design Sustainable?
Garden designers naturally have a real interest in how their actions impact the spaces they work in. But as responsible designers, we also need to understand how these actions impact the wider world.
Gardens on a budget
It really is possible to live the dream, without spending wheelbarrow loads of money or having lots of experience and knowledge.
Top Garden Design Trends of 2020
Whilst forest fires blaze on one side of the globe and pandemic status is issued on another, you may feel guilty about being so concerned with the top garden
Greenbook Instagram Feed
My favourite late summer colour plants in this scheme are: Echinacea ‘Pretty Parasols’ Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Alba’ Scabiosa columbaria Obviously the Salvia too 😂
This is one of my recently planted gardens on the edge of Dartmoor.
The clients wanted colour and that’s what they’ve got! Perennial colour through the seasons with some evergreen shrubs and topiary to keep the scheme strong through winter.
The stonework and hard landscaping provides such good structure to show off the planting. Can’t wait to see it develop next year.
Some people hate yellow flowers for some reason… What do you think? (I love them 👌)
Plants from @foliumandflosplants Photos by @jacobgibbinsphoto
My favourite late summer colour plants in this scheme are: Echinacea ‘Pretty Parasols’ Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Alba’ Scabiosa columbaria Obviously the Salvia too 😂
This is one of my recently planted gardens on the edge of Dartmoor.
The clients wanted colour and that’s what they’ve got! Perennial colour through the seasons with some evergreen shrubs and topiary to keep the scheme strong through winter.
The stonework and hard landscaping provides such good structure to show off the planting. Can’t wait to see it develop next year.
Some people hate yellow flowers for some reason… What do you think? (I love them 👌)
Plants from @foliumandflosplants Photos by @jacobgibbinsphoto
I’m very proud of this garden. I only planted it a few months ago and it is now flourishing! This garden was all about the planting and I think it compliments the surroundings perfectly.
This is just a small section of the garden. Shall I share some more?!
I’m very proud of this garden. I only planted it a few months ago and it is now flourishing! This garden was all about the planting and I think it compliments the surroundings perfectly.
This is just a small section of the garden. Shall I share some more?!
It took a lot of head scratching to get it right but I’m so proud of how this bench turned out. Joe and I spent a couple days making this, using Iroko boards that tapered out to the radius of the seating area.
All fixings are hidden and screwed from the steel behind. Lovely curved steel frame made by @taurusfabrications
The fire pit is the perfect centre piece for it.
@johnstonelandscapes @johnstone_landscapes_jake have now finished even more landscape works around it so I can’t wait to share more clips with you soon.
Would you like one of these in your garden? Or do you prefer something more traditional? Let me know!
It took a lot of head scratching to get it right but I’m so proud of how this bench turned out. Joe and I spent a couple days making this, using Iroko boards that tapered out to the radius of the seating area.
All fixings are hidden and screwed from the steel behind. Lovely curved steel frame made by @taurusfabrications
The fire pit is the perfect centre piece for it.
@johnstonelandscapes @johnstone_landscapes_jake have now finished even more landscape works around it so I can’t wait to share more clips with you soon.
Would you like one of these in your garden? Or do you prefer something more traditional? Let me know!
My Dad lives with paranoid schizophrenia, which can be quite severe at times. In a time when mental health and wellness is mainstream, serious mental illness is still often misunderstood and rife with stigma.
Being a schizophrenic doesn’t define my Dad as a person, but it has impacted his entire life, leaving him unable to work and often getting himself in unfortunate situations, or sectioned for long periods of time. Whilst this is his situation, many people with schizophrenia do manage to work and hold down a more ‘normal’ lifestyle.
Some common symptoms of schizophrenia are: Paranoia, delusions, visual or audio hallucinations, muddled thoughts, lack of motivation, difficulty with social interactions. Just to name a few.
It also isn’t as simple as someone having the same symptoms every day of the year. It’s common to have up and down periods, where the symptoms and behaviours may become more extreme. Sometimes leading to a state of psychosis where someone needs to be sectioned under the mental health act.
Hopefully this has given some personal insight into schizophrenia. If you need any information or support, please go and check out @rethinkmentalillness ❤️
My Dad lives with paranoid schizophrenia, which can be quite severe at times. In a time when mental health and wellness is mainstream, serious mental illness is still often misunderstood and rife with stigma.
Being a schizophrenic doesn’t define my Dad as a person, but it has impacted his entire life, leaving him unable to work and often getting himself in unfortunate situations, or sectioned for long periods of time. Whilst this is his situation, many people with schizophrenia do manage to work and hold down a more ‘normal’ lifestyle.
Some common symptoms of schizophrenia are: Paranoia, delusions, visual or audio hallucinations, muddled thoughts, lack of motivation, difficulty with social interactions. Just to name a few.
It also isn’t as simple as someone having the same symptoms every day of the year. It’s common to have up and down periods, where the symptoms and behaviours may become more extreme. Sometimes leading to a state of psychosis where someone needs to be sectioned under the mental health act.
Hopefully this has given some personal insight into schizophrenia. If you need any information or support, please go and check out @rethinkmentalillness ❤️
The brief for Charlie & I was to make a wild Welsh inspired garden for a young family to enjoy. All with the challenge of a huge existing concrete pad to work around.
Luckily slate chippings cover a multitude of sins and tied in beautifully with the show stopping water feature. Made using slate walling stone by the very talented @landy3614 - it definitely stole the show!
There’s something very satisfying about poking plants into the nooks of a dry stone wall and around the base of the water feature.
The covered pergola gives them somewhere to sit outside even in the typical wet Welsh weather👌
@benjaminrichardpope and the rest of the team did an amazing job on this one! @leighapugh @jimbobs2020 @burdfieldlandscaping 🙌
The brief for Charlie & I was to make a wild Welsh inspired garden for a young family to enjoy. All with the challenge of a huge existing concrete pad to work around.
Luckily slate chippings cover a multitude of sins and tied in beautifully with the show stopping water feature. Made using slate walling stone by the very talented @landy3614 - it definitely stole the show!
There’s something very satisfying about poking plants into the nooks of a dry stone wall and around the base of the water feature.
The covered pergola gives them somewhere to sit outside even in the typical wet Welsh weather👌
@benjaminrichardpope and the rest of the team did an amazing job on this one! @leighapugh @jimbobs2020 @burdfieldlandscaping 🙌
This is my thought process behind setting out this beautiful bed, but the same can be applied to any planting scheme that you’re setting out!
People work in different ways, but generally this is how I approach most of mine.
I forgot to mention the x3 Tree Ferns which will make an amazing feature in the corner of this bed. I can’t wait to see this planting knit together over time.
Big thanks to @johnstonelandscapes & @johnstone_landscapes_jake who are building the garden and have done an amazing job on everything so far. Not far from completion now 🤞
If you have any questions about setting out or plant combos, just drop them in the comments below 🪴
This is my thought process behind setting out this beautiful bed, but the same can be applied to any planting scheme that you’re setting out!
People work in different ways, but generally this is how I approach most of mine.
I forgot to mention the x3 Tree Ferns which will make an amazing feature in the corner of this bed. I can’t wait to see this planting knit together over time.
Big thanks to @johnstonelandscapes & @johnstone_landscapes_jake who are building the garden and have done an amazing job on everything so far. Not far from completion now 🤞
If you have any questions about setting out or plant combos, just drop them in the comments below 🪴
Rearranging some potted plants can make BIG changes to your space…
I’d been growing these Colocasia for a while now and I was finally ready for them to go outside. They can take a while to get going, but when they do they grow SO fast!
I’ve always loved exotic style planting so they fit this section of the deck really well, amongst some of my other favourites. Especially against the water feature.
Colocasia are not hardy at all, so will need to be brought in after Summer! Well worth it though. My bulbs were from @farmergracy (not an ad.) - and they were great quality. 3 bulbs = 3 happy plants.
Rearranging some potted plants can make BIG changes to your space…
I’d been growing these Colocasia for a while now and I was finally ready for them to go outside. They can take a while to get going, but when they do they grow SO fast!
I’ve always loved exotic style planting so they fit this section of the deck really well, amongst some of my other favourites. Especially against the water feature.
Colocasia are not hardy at all, so will need to be brought in after Summer! Well worth it though. My bulbs were from @farmergracy (not an ad.) - and they were great quality. 3 bulbs = 3 happy plants.
Today’s Garden Rescue was a big transformation! Ripping out a lawn can be a bold move, but sometimes it just makes life easier and opens up other design opportunities.
It has made the garden easier to maintain for Anne, whilst also creating more of a journey through the garden.
The raised beds and raised water feature that you can perch on, makes it easy to potter in the garden, or just sit and relax under the pergola!
Not all gardens need crazy over the top design elements. Just a simple pergola, some nice paving details, and the sound of water is all you need for a dream garden. Oh.. and the plants of course!! 🪴
Today’s Garden Rescue was a big transformation! Ripping out a lawn can be a bold move, but sometimes it just makes life easier and opens up other design opportunities.
It has made the garden easier to maintain for Anne, whilst also creating more of a journey through the garden.
The raised beds and raised water feature that you can perch on, makes it easy to potter in the garden, or just sit and relax under the pergola!
Not all gardens need crazy over the top design elements. Just a simple pergola, some nice paving details, and the sound of water is all you need for a dream garden. Oh.. and the plants of course!! 🪴
