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 […]
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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
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Tune in to @itvloveyourweekend tomorrow (Sunday) morning at 9:30am to see myself and Alan discuss Spring lawn care!
Lawns will always have their place in gardens and there are some simple steps you can take to keep them looking tidy. Neither Alan or I use chemical feed / weed etc so the approach here is scarifying, aerating, overseeding where required, and of course your regular mowing schedule!
P.s. if you want to see me doing a cat walk in some spiked lawn aerator shoes - then DEFINITELY tune in 😂.
Tune in to @itvloveyourweekend tomorrow (Sunday) morning at 9:30am to see myself and Alan discuss Spring lawn care!
Lawns will always have their place in gardens and there are some simple steps you can take to keep them looking tidy. Neither Alan or I use chemical feed / weed etc so the approach here is scarifying, aerating, overseeding where required, and of course your regular mowing schedule!
P.s. if you want to see me doing a cat walk in some spiked lawn aerator shoes - then DEFINITELY tune in 😂.
The history of plants always amazes me and Hellebores are no exception! They’re all looking amazing in the garden at the moment. I can’t get enough of them. 🪴
Little tip: it is always worth pruning off the old leaves to show off the flowers in Spring and to prevent diseases.
The history of plants always amazes me and Hellebores are no exception! They’re all looking amazing in the garden at the moment. I can’t get enough of them. 🪴
Little tip: it is always worth pruning off the old leaves to show off the flowers in Spring and to prevent diseases.
You’ll never regret spending 5 minutes in the garden..
Spending just 5 minutes a day in the garden will give you so much hope and boost your mental health.
It gives you something to look forward to as each day passes and something to nurture. You’ll ALWAYS feel better for it. 5 minutes usually turns into 30 quite easily 😂.
Seeing everything growing and bursting into life makes me so excited about what’s to come, so go outside and cherish it in the moment!
You’ll never regret spending 5 minutes in the garden..
Spending just 5 minutes a day in the garden will give you so much hope and boost your mental health.
It gives you something to look forward to as each day passes and something to nurture. You’ll ALWAYS feel better for it. 5 minutes usually turns into 30 quite easily 😂.
Seeing everything growing and bursting into life makes me so excited about what’s to come, so go outside and cherish it in the moment!
I made this for @itvloveyourweekend using reclaimed scaffold boards and an old sash window. All you need on top of this is some supports for the corners and some strong hinges.
You could do this with a hand saw too so anyone can give it a go and you can make it bigger or smaller depending on the size of your window.
I love making things using reclaimed materials! What should I do next 👀?
I made this for @itvloveyourweekend using reclaimed scaffold boards and an old sash window. All you need on top of this is some supports for the corners and some strong hinges.
You could do this with a hand saw too so anyone can give it a go and you can make it bigger or smaller depending on the size of your window.
I love making things using reclaimed materials! What should I do next 👀?
I had the pleasure of working with @alantitchmarshcbe & @thebotanicalbobblehat on this weeks @itvloveyourweekend - showing off a range of cold frames, including a DIY option that I made using reclaimed materials. Basically scaffold boards and an old sash window!
If you want to see how I made it, let me know in the comments!
I had the pleasure of working with @alantitchmarshcbe & @thebotanicalbobblehat on this weeks @itvloveyourweekend - showing off a range of cold frames, including a DIY option that I made using reclaimed materials. Basically scaffold boards and an old sash window!
If you want to see how I made it, let me know in the comments!
Enter the @the_rhs & @bbctheoneshow Pocket Garden Makeover Prize for the chance to have your small pocket garden or balcony transformed by me and my team!
If you or someone you know would benefit from a makeover, we would love to help! Entries are open until the 28th Feb.
Gardens should approximately be no larger than 15 square metres.
I can’t wait to see the applications and remember to be as creative as you like when you describe your ideas!
Search online for RHS pocket garden makeover prize and use the RHS page to find out more details and get your applications in.
The two pictures are from last years pocket garden makeover🪴
Enter the @the_rhs & @bbctheoneshow Pocket Garden Makeover Prize for the chance to have your small pocket garden or balcony transformed by me and my team!
If you or someone you know would benefit from a makeover, we would love to help! Entries are open until the 28th Feb.
Gardens should approximately be no larger than 15 square metres.
I can’t wait to see the applications and remember to be as creative as you like when you describe your ideas!
Search online for RHS pocket garden makeover prize and use the RHS page to find out more details and get your applications in.
The two pictures are from last years pocket garden makeover🪴
Attention to detail is everything in a beautiful garden. Modern or rustic, straight or curvy, urban or country, they all benefit from going the extra mile when it comes to details.
This can be anything from the threshold where one material meets another, the craftsmanship on a timber frame, or how a sculpture is framed by planting. Some smaller things you might not even notice straight away, but it all adds up and the garden leaves an impression on you.
The images above are from a selection of gardens that I’m very proud to have created.
1. Chelsea flower show boardwalk 2. Corten ‘Tulip’ sculpture and agapanthus 3. Scalloped shingles and Helenium 4. Dancing perennials under downlighting 5. Curved sculpture that frames a view 6. Corten screen and cedar cladding with bamboo 7. Recycled steel channel & stumpery
Attention to detail is everything in a beautiful garden. Modern or rustic, straight or curvy, urban or country, they all benefit from going the extra mile when it comes to details.
This can be anything from the threshold where one material meets another, the craftsmanship on a timber frame, or how a sculpture is framed by planting. Some smaller things you might not even notice straight away, but it all adds up and the garden leaves an impression on you.
The images above are from a selection of gardens that I’m very proud to have created.
1. Chelsea flower show boardwalk 2. Corten ‘Tulip’ sculpture and agapanthus 3. Scalloped shingles and Helenium 4. Dancing perennials under downlighting 5. Curved sculpture that frames a view 6. Corten screen and cedar cladding with bamboo 7. Recycled steel channel & stumpery
Transforming a boring back garden into a lush jungle!
My good friend @jacobgibbinsphoto asked me to create a plant filled paradise for his small urban garden in Bristol. What made it so exciting is that he had recently gotten into gardening - specifically Cornish gardens and exotic planting!
I designed the garden and plantings with a winding pathway that leads to the garden office, so he would be immersed in the planting every day. Large structural plants like the tree ferns, Trachycarpus and Olive all help to make you feel immersed in the garden. Even the garden room has a green roof to utilise all available space!
Jacob caught the gardening bug hard and has been experimenting with all sorts of tender and exotic plants, which you wouldn’t necessarily suggest for a new gardener, but he has leapt head first right into it!
That’s what’s gardening is all about, just trying things out, learning from mistakes and experimenting. A garden isn’t done on creation, they develop over years and a gardener will always tell you they’re never finished 😂.
Some of my favourite plants in this garden: Cyathea medullaris Tetrapanax papyrifera Dicksonia antarctica Euphorbia mellifera
Transforming a boring back garden into a lush jungle!
My good friend @jacobgibbinsphoto asked me to create a plant filled paradise for his small urban garden in Bristol. What made it so exciting is that he had recently gotten into gardening - specifically Cornish gardens and exotic planting!
I designed the garden and plantings with a winding pathway that leads to the garden office, so he would be immersed in the planting every day. Large structural plants like the tree ferns, Trachycarpus and Olive all help to make you feel immersed in the garden. Even the garden room has a green roof to utilise all available space!
Jacob caught the gardening bug hard and has been experimenting with all sorts of tender and exotic plants, which you wouldn’t necessarily suggest for a new gardener, but he has leapt head first right into it!
That’s what’s gardening is all about, just trying things out, learning from mistakes and experimenting. A garden isn’t done on creation, they develop over years and a gardener will always tell you they’re never finished 😂.
Some of my favourite plants in this garden: Cyathea medullaris Tetrapanax papyrifera Dicksonia antarctica Euphorbia mellifera
