Hello

WELCOME to my WordPress blog. I’m a gardener, freelance journalist and former magazine editor with a passion for flowers and foliage. When I’m not gardening, I’m writing about it, or interviewing other people about their gardens. Or visiting gardens to gather ideas. Or reading books on the subject.

My own garden is rather small, but I’m not sorry about it. There are lots of amazing things you can do with a small garden, which is why I’m going to focus on them in my blog.

For one thing, small gardens can be transformed from shocking to show stopping with relatively little fuss or financial outlay. All you need is a cohesive design that works from every conceivable angle and you’re away.

My favourite small gardens have a strong theatrical bent – they tend to incorporate large, architectural plants and dramatic colours, imposing ornaments and features that command attention. The main thing is not to go twee: avoid cluttering up the space with lots of little things. Keep it bold and simple.

Just because a garden is small doesn’t mean you should shy away from colour – I think it should be quite the opposite! While it may help to coordinate your flower and foliage tints for a harmonious effect, in a small garden you can break the rules too. A garden should be a creative expression of self. Treat the space as your own private theatre for sitting in with a cup of tea (or glass of wine) and watching the panoply of plant life and the creatures that visit, as flowers come and go across the seasons.