Little Sparta

I had an unexpected trip to this interesting garden in the Pentland Hills. Created by the poet Ian Finlay Hamilton in the Arcadian style, it it a fascinating piece of personal history and design. Love it or hate it, it is impossible to not feel the passion and delight that must have been integral to…

Newton Mearns

This garden was a collaboration with the architect owner. A retirement project, we wanted to use the site to provide all the opportunities that time on your hands can provide in the garden. Keeping the existing levels, and by moving the garage to the side of the house, we were able to create an elegant…

Rutherglen

This small garden was in a lot of trouble, with bad soil and drainage, poor quality turf and inaccessible planting. The client needed easy access to all parts of the garden and a low maintenance planting solution so that she could enjoy her outdoor space. The wet turf was replaced with artficial turf, whilst the…

Low Maintenance Garden

This small garden was in a lot of trouble, with bad soil and drainage, poor quality turf and inaccessible planting. The client needed easy access to all parts of the garden and a low maintenance planting solution so that she could enjoy her outdoor space. The wet turf was replaced with artficial turf, whilst the…

Mount Florida Water Feature

This tranquil water feature and seating area replaced an overgrown planting bed. The Cor-Ten screens are bespoke, set behind a circle of Porphyry setts. A centre water bowl provides some soft movement and sounds as the water overspills gently. The planting, when mature will be soft and billowing with grasses, verbena, rogersia, salvias, hostas, ferns…

Strathbungo

Still to be finished with some soft herbaceous planting, this classic courtyard garden was created from a damp patch of grass. The whole space has been lifted by the natural stone paving and the property complimented by the formal shapes of the buxus balls and topiarised holly trees

Visit to Le Jardin Champêtre

I have been visiting Le Garden Champêtre in Caunes-Minervois over the last two years. It has been lovingly created by Imogen Checketts and Kate Dumbleton on a normally very dry site near to the river L’Argent Double and specialises in perennials, ornamental grasses, bulbs, ground covers and herbs. These drought-resistant plants form a demonstration garden and…

Strathbungo Build

  Work is progressing well on the front and back gardens of this Strathbungo property. I am looking for a semi-formal look for the front garden, finally settling on randomly laid riven sandstone flags which will elevate the existing box balls and holly topiaries when all is completed. The animation above is my original concept…