My Gardens - 2004 - 2026
My first garden in Northumberland was a restoration and remodelling project that I worked on for 14 years.
With the stunning view of Yeavering Bell dominating it, and all the local wildlife to contend with, including rabbits, hares, stoats and mice, it was good training!
The second garden, literally three houses away down the same lane, was a blank canvas. I removed all the overgrown hedges, trees and existing vegetation, and remodelled the whole site in 2018.
I put it to grass for two years, then, when inspiration found me, I feverishly began to build a garden that is starting to show a reasonable maturity in just six years.
This is where choosing the right plants and starting with the structure of the garden helps it to look established quickly, while still allowing plenty of time to create different layers of planting and ‘rooms’ within the larger space as it evolves.
I love to experiment with plants at home. I have no overall plan. Sometimes it happens on a whim, with one structure or plant leading me to another idea.
It is wonderful to have that sort of creative freedom in my own space. My very own living sketchbook.