Monthly Archives: April 2008

No garden should be without a good selection of climbing plants and wall shrubs. They add color and interest at various levels, creating attractive features out of otherwise unappealing walls and fences; they can also be encouraged to scramble over … Continue reading →

The art of clipping evergreen shrubs into geometric shapes dates hack to the Romans, whose desire for order in all things extended to their plants. The popularity 0f topiary has waxed and waned, although it has never gone out of … Continue reading →

Tools and materials ■ garden line■ spade■ wheelbarrow■ hedging plants■ organic mulching material 1 Start by marking out the course 0/ the hedge with a garden line. 2 I sing (i spade, dig out the hole for the first plant, … Continue reading →

The most effective hedges are evergreen, because they offer the greatest protection and privacy, hut some deciduous plants also make attractive, if less dense, hedges in the winter. Thorny hedges, such as rugosa roses, can form effective obstacles against roaming … Continue reading →

Hedges and Screen Hedges can serve all sorts of purposes within the garden. They make excellent screens and barriers, especially where walls and fences are not practical. They also provide a useful habitat for birds and other wildlife, as well … Continue reading →

Whether you are planning a very small border or something much more elaborate, think carefully about the color, eventual height, and spread of your plants. Consider also their suitability for the aspect and soil type: sun or shade, damp or … Continue reading →

A garden that exists only on the horizontal plane, with all the plants well below eye level, can be monotonous. Try to include vertical features— man-made or natural—at appropriate internals. They will help to anchor the rest of the plants … Continue reading →

If you are planning to plant a new garden, or replant an existing one, you will need to draw up a plan. This can embrace the whole garden, or just a portion of it. If you plant one part, make … Continue reading →

In addition to choosing the right plants for the place, you need to think ahout how the planting scheme will look at different times of the year. In most gardens, the greatest display occurs in high summer, when most of … Continue reading →