There’ll be days this month when the wind and rain will make venturing out into the garden seem like way too much effort but, on those days when the sun shines and the temperatures start to rise, you’ll be chomping at the bit to get out there.  Here are some tips for what you can be doing then….

• Now is the time to chop down winter flowering dogwoods I.e. Cornus plants.  You can cut this down to within 10cm of the ground and it will sprout up again over the rest of the year.  Keeping it cut each year renews the vibrant winter stem colour.  
• Many deciduous grasses are cut down in February.  Evergreen grasses just need a light tidy up.
• Dig well rotted manure into the surfaces of your beds and borders.  Don’t forget to weed first!
• Look around and move any deciduous shrubs to new positions.  Take up as much of the rootball as possible when moving the plants.
• This is a great time to divide large clumps of herbaceous perennials into more manageable smaller clumps - you can use the free plants you create elsewhere in the garden or give a gift of a free plant to a friend!
• Elder plants (Sambucus) needs cutting down to the ground now to keep the size in check.
• Prune winter jasmine.
• Remove any tatty looking Hellebore leaves.
• Winter prune apple trees and pear trees.
• Start chitting potatoes in a bright, cool frost-free place.  I use old egg boxes - they make great containers.

The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch is about to start so it seems like a great time to think about how we can use our gardens to attract the three Bs - birds, bees and butterflies.

Birds

I am often asked about how we can encourage more feathered friends into our lovely spaces and it usually helps to think about shelter, food and water.  If we can provide those three things we’re off to a fantastic start!  A few tips then…

Have you ever noticed how blackbirds will pick at leaves and drag them onto the lawn?  They are ground feeders so ensure that you have a good supply of leaf mould on your borders which they can peck through to find insects and earthworms.  The leaf mould will also be great for your soil.  Feel free to store fallen leaves on beds and borders in autumn - they will turn into this lovely soil improver.

Variety is the spice of life and the same goes for our feathered friends.  Ensure that you plant a good selection of shrubs and trees.  Berried shrubs such as cotoneaster are great sources of food.  Trees like the Sorbus (rowan) provide berries and crab apples are another great source for birds like blackbirds and thrushes.  Their flowers also offer pollen and nectar for insects which are of course food for birds.  Some other plants you can try include:

• Amelanchier and cherry trees,
• Cimbers like ivy and Pyracantha,
• Shrubs like Viburnum opulus, hazel and lavender,
• Hedges including hawthorn (fantastic for nests) and beech.

Water is an easy way to entice your chirpy companions into the garden.  If you don’t have room for a pond don’t worry - a bird bath or shallow container will do just fine.  It needs to be shallow so that fledglings don't drown.

Finally, entice some insects with log piles and insect hotels - these can look very stylish in the right space.

Bees and butterflies

The key here is to add plants to provide a source of food throughout the year so think early spring through to autumn.  And the list is long and not limited to Buddlejas....

English bluebells are great for early spring as is Aubretia.  Aubretia looks fantastic sprawling over a low wall. 

Lavender packs a punch in summer and who hasn’t seen bees buzzing crazily over sea holly when the sun shines?  They don’t seem to mind the prickles!  Herbs are also great for pollinators and they smell great too.

Sedum provides food in autumn as well as gorgeous late red autumnal colour for the garden.  The seedheads last well into winter too.  I usually cut mine down after Christmas when they start to look shabby.

Need some help to get your garden chirping and buzzing this summer?  Jo Manfredi-Hamer Garden Design can provide pollinator and bird focused planting plans and we can instal the plants too - just email us to find out more.

If you are struggling to think of a wonderful bespoke gift for the garden lover in your life why not purchase a gift that keeps on growing.  Your loved one will receive a letter from me personally congratulating them on their gift and expressing my excitement to be working with them to transform their garden.

Packages start from £150 so get in touch whilst the offer lasts - there are limited numbers and the offer expires on Friday 20 December 2024.

Winter can seem like a time when not much is happening in the garden but there is plenty to do.  Check out the suggestions below.

Pruning makes perfect

Roses - climbing roses can be trimmed in December and shrub roses should be trimmed in February.

Clematis - Group 3 clematis flower in mid-late summer. Prune in February by cutting the plant down to the lowest pair of healthy buds 15-30cm above the ground to remove long, old growth and encourage strong flowering shoots.

Wisteria - in December - cut summer trimmed stems back.

Fruit bushes - Autumn fruiting raspberries, blueberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries can all be cut back.  
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Many deciduous shrubs should be cut back in Winter including Cotinus (smoke bush), Forsythia, Syringa, Magnolia, Berberis, Cotoneaster, ornamental pear and Sambucus (cut Sambucus to a framework of branches 30cm from the ground).  Remove older stems.

Leave some perennials until the spring - their stems will provide homes and food for wildlife.

Planting perfection

Winter can be a great time to plants new shrubs and trees so long as the soil is not frozen and temperatures are above 4 degrees and not falling below that.  It is a great time to plan your new garden for the year ahead and take advantage of reduced nursery plant prices!

Contact me if you would like help choosing your new plants.  I LOVE PLANTING THIS TIME OF YEAR!  There is so much optimism about investing in new plants for a new look garden.

In my life before garden design, gardening was the one hobby that could distract me from the stresses of my old job.  Somehow putting my hands in the soil, and nurturing a new seed or plant, helped me to feel totally absorbed in nature.  

More and more people now agree that gardening is good for the soul as well as providing gentle exercise which releases feel good hormones.

Many people I meet are keen to develop gardening skills and I love to help them and enjoy seeing them get more confident with their plants.  Designing a garden for someone, which suits their needs and lifestyle, is often the first step to helping them on their gardening journey and, potentially, the first step to their well being.  

And let’s not forget about climate change.  Trees are great weapons against this - they absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide and pollution and trees in cities help to keep the climate cooler too.  Smaller plants are good for the environment too with many flowering species attracting birds, bees and butterflies.  

So what are you waiting for?  If you are keen to start gardening, but are not sure where to begin, why not start with a few raised beds?  You could try growing easy vegetables or some uplifting flowering plants.  I’ll add some ideas to a future blog so watch this space.

Just loving the rendering capabilities of my new software.  I can now show you what your garden looks like through the seasons as well as at night! 

The design process often starts with sketches of the site to explore various design possibilities but rapidly progresses to a 3D model.  As a designer, I need to understand how your garden works in detail, with level changes, and 3D modelling enables me to do that. 

Producing a model in 3D makes it easy for me consider the garden from all angles.  I can move features such as garden seating with the click of a button!  It also helps to flag design issues before any serious money is spent.  So, if you are thinking of investing in your garden this year, you should be thinking of a 3D garden design and, if you are doing that, why wouldn't you want to use the latest modelling techniques to make the design as visually accurate as possible?

I usually spend some time discussing the plants and colours my clients like right at the outset of a new job. Invariably, conversation turns to providing year-round interest.

What does year-round interest actually mean and how easy is it to achieve a garden for all seasons? If there is space, it is good to include plants which flower/have berries/fantastic foliage at different times of the year (and also into winter) to extend the interest. Bulbs are also great for providing early spring colour in February and March when other plants are only just starting to wake up. However, a garden which has just one or two plants flowering at any time would be dull. So, it is also important to plan for a border to have enough plants which flower at the same time to have a proper dramatic effect. That is the basic formula for success but we are just getting started on the process.

When I begin drawing up a planting plan I analyse the soil for pH and texture.  I assess the surroundings for sun, wind and shade.  Then there is the question of style.  Would a particular planting style suit the garden design I have in mind more than any other?  Do I need the plants to perform a function?  Are they there to provide scent?  Do they look good in death?  Then we are back to the client’s favourite colours and, of course, the colours they don’t like are equally important. 

The planting of a garden is never an after thought at Jo Manfredi-Hamer Garden Design. If you would like to achieve year-round interest in your garden you can contact me to make an appointment to see your garden and I can take it from there.

One of the questions I am often asked is whether I can see through the clutter of an outdated garden and bring out its potential.  The answer is “of course” as that is what I am trained to do and is actually what I love best about my job.  

I won’t assume that we have to remove everything but neither will I assume that everything stays.  Often cost is an important factor but it is not the only factor.  Some existing features (say, a tree) might be important to retain whilst others (like old sheds in a prime position) might have to go.  It is all part of the design process and it is one I am more than happy to lead on and guide you through.  In addition, because I 3D model your garden you will easily be able to see what your new space will look like and, having seen it, if you wish to change it, that’s easy to do.

Let me transform your garden for you and make it a space you can enjoy.  I have experience redesigning all sizes of gardens from new builds to larger country gardens.

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Jo Manfredi-Hamer is open for business and operating within Covid-19 restrictions.

We are conducting initial consultations outdoors whilst maintaining a 2 metre distance.  Alternatively, initial consultations can be carried out on Whatsapp or via Zoom, with or without a follow up visit to the garden.  Surveys are carried out on our own in the garden and designs can be presented via Zoom/Whatsapp or in the garden.

Planting plans can be provided entirely remotely if dimensions of a bed or border are provided and we can help you to test your soil.  Spring is one of the best times to get planting so don't delay as it is just around the corner!

Landscapers are incredibly busy so, if you would like a new improved garden space for 2021, contact us today.

Testing soil for PH and to find out its structure is crucial to any planting scheme.  

Many plants that would thrive in acidic soil would struggle in alkaline and vice versa.  

It is also important to know whether your soil is clay, sandy or loamy in structure.  Some plants love the high moisture content of clay soils whilst others need free draining conditions to succeed.  

Knowing the type of soil you have will help to inform what sort of design scheme would suit the site.  There is no point dreaming of a Mediterranean scheme if your site is wet in winter and slow to dry out in spring.  

Jo Manfredi-Hamer Garden Design will always do a soil test and assess the light and shade in different parts of your garden.  Only then will a planting plan be prepared.