From Winter to Wonder
Storms Ciara and Dennis may have passed but it’s still pretty chilly outside here in Yorkshire. Many of us like to settle down on a cold winter evening to select our summer holiday – will it be Greece this year? Portugal? Maybe a cruise?! Here’s a suggestion for...
The dark days of gloom
These are the dark times of the year. Dark mornings, dark evenings, cold, rain, grey skies for days on end. We now know that blue Monday is a thing; That third Monday in January - the most depressing day of the year. More suicides happen in early January than any...
The New Eclectic, our Guide to the Most Inspiring Garden Design Writing on the Internet
Oh lucky you, unmitigated pleasure awaits you on these dark, short winter days. Come with us now…
Why do we love our gardens?
Take me back home What makes any garden satisfying? What fills our hearts with joy, sets us at ease, gives comfort, and a sense of anticipation? The answers are of course as varied as you would expect. But it turns out that a very modern trend and a very ancient land,...
How to Encourage Wildlife into your Garden
With the popularity of shows like Springwatch and its seasonal cousin Autumnwatch, encouraging wildlife to adopt your garden as their own has never been easier. For experienced gardeners, the importance of planting pollinators and providing food and refuge in gardens for wildlife has been known for centuries and has been both a practical and a joyful task. The importance of supporting and encouraging wildlife is becoming more well publicised, with documentaries like The Vanishing of the Bees (2009), and campaigns by societies such as the RHS it is a problem that it is now in the public psyche.
An Autumn half term
As we approach the autumn equinox another half term is almost upon us. For those of us with children, or grandchildren, or nephews and nieces, or just helping look after the neighbour’s kids while they’re at work, it can be a challenging time
How gardens can weather the storm
Whilst we have been aware of climate change for a long time, this year has brought it into sharp focus. From the inspiring example of Greta Thunberg setting off a new wave of schoolkids protests, to our own Extinction Rebellion, there is a strong swell of opinion that...
A rainbow of butterflies
Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly Wow! What a summer it is for butterflies. Last week I was planting a new border for a client; within minutes of planting some purple Verbena bonariensis, two Peacock butterflies had already started probing their flowers for nectar....
York Gate Garden
York Gate Garden the perfect inspiration. York Gate Garden, although very popular, is still under the radar for many. Yet it is one of the great English Gardens and sits tucked away on the northern edge of Leeds! There are many beautiful and impressive aspects to York...
Brutalism
Facebook comment in The Brutalism Appreciation Society “No empathy for its surroundings, an esoteric design, and an uncompromising statement of design pushed beyond normal limits.” As garden designers, we have a wonderful life. We get to work for people who care about...