For the cleanest border line through a hard winter, choose Ilex crenata ‘Dark Green’. It keeps a tight shape, handles frost better than many box plants, and responds well to clipping. For formal beds, it is the strongest all-round choice. Boxwood still works in sheltered gardens, while euonymus, carex, and lavender suit looser or more …
If you’re buying plants for shade, firstly think about what kind of shade you have in your garden. At least half your garden – wherever you live – is shady. If you’re in a town or city, with a small garden surrounded by tall buildings, then much of your garden may be shady for most …
The jungle garden look takes the contemporary, lush layers of today’s houseplant-filled interiors out into the garden. This style of garden is a foliage-based green haven, with layers of plants and different leaf shapes. And you don’t have to live in a tropical country. It can be achieved in cool climates. Philip’s own garden is …
A winter container garden display can give the garden such a lift. You can enjoy winter pots in the front garden every time you come home. And just a few pots near the house in the back garden can give your back garden focus and structure at a time when things can look quite shaggy. …
How can you plan a winter border that still looks deliberate in January, when most summer colour has disappeared? The answer is not a longer list of flowering plants. It is a clear framework of height, shape, texture, bark and controlled empty space. A reliable border should still show where the eye should travel on …