Garden design has evolved over many centuries, with varying styles from all over the globe being shaped and adapted to suit differing needs. From classical French parterres in the seventeenth century, to the calm, zen gardens of Japan, there’s a garden style to suit every taste.

Published in the Lansdcape Instutute journal (spring 2024):
Anecdotal observations of poor landscape maintenance are commonplace, and indeed the deterioration over time of our beloved parks and communal landscapes has been well-researched*. This situation has come about despite the fact that the myriad benefits of green infrastructure have also been well-researched and proven*. This uncomfortable disparity…

The fact that humans have such a strong desire to create gardens is illustrative of our innate connection to the natural world. As a species, humans have only lived outside of natutral environments for a fraction of their existence, so it is no surprise that we have this burning drive to be nestled in nature, and it is inevitable that the planting schemes that touch us most deeply will also be ones where wildlife is happy.

When creating a planting scheme for biodiversity, there are a number of key things to keep in mind. Firstly, ensure you have a long overall flowering period in your garden; you won’t achieve this with purely native planting, so you will need to use various non-native species to ensure flowers especially later in the year.

Biodiversity net gain (BNG) is an approach to land management and new developments that ensures the natural environment is left in a measurably better state than it was beforehand. Biodiversity refers to the variety of all wildlife - this includes the animals, insects, plants, bacteria and fungi.

Gardeners can understandably be hesitant about pruning their beloved apple trees, but carried out carefully and methodically it is a reasonably straightforward job. Here are instructions about when and how to prune an established apple tree.