Blog

I chose Manchester’s canal and industrial heritage as my design inspiration to create a calming, restful space where you could ‘Take a pew’ with a brew after a hard days work. Using ordinary reclaimed materials such as sleepers and granite sets to make an extraordinary front garden that can turn your front garden into something […]

New Build Garden Makeover Often new build gardens are random shapes that don’t quite work with many designs or ideas. They nearly always feature hundreds of utility grids right smack bang in the centre of the lawn area. It’s a shame that the garden space is most often tiny and they give you the smallest […]

I entered a National garden design competition with the RHS and BBC: the RHS Feel Good Garden competition. The brief was to design a ‘Feel good’ front garden, taking inspiration from your local area. I received fantastic news recently from the RHS: I had won and been chosen as one of the four winners to […]

Front Garden ‘Grey to Green’ Makeover It’s a shame that so many of us just block pave or tarmac over it as we as a nation don’t really know what to do with front gardens. I’ve written an article on things to consider with a front garden makeover which gives hints and tips. This front garden […]

Regardless of the weather; its variety of both terrain, wildlife and botany is something that always draws me back to Scotland whenever I can.  Scotland, especially the highlands, can be a place of extremes which can give a garden designer such as myself some brilliant inspiration.  Brutal winds whip up dried leaves, waves crash on […]

When were the Winter Gardens created? Prior to the Dunham Massey Winter gardens, the area where they sit was used by the main house as a pony field for the family horses. Over years, the ground became more and more overgrown and the usage became less and less. Covered in weeds, brambles and thicket it […]

Water Feature Design Brief The client wanted to make over an awkward corner of their garden. The corner in question was quite damp and had an incline and the client wanted me to design a water feature for them to turn this awkward corner into an area of beauty. They were stuck staring at a […]

If you already have a garden structure that you’re happy with but need some assistance in what to plant where then a Garden Planting Plan could be the ideal solution for you. My garden design services always include planting plan. Please note I have stopped offering a stand-alone planting plan under my services. How does a […]

In our 21st-century world everything seems to be expected, bigger, faster and more up to date than ever before. It is conversely at the same time required to be thinner, smaller and more socially available than ever before. You shouldn’t eat this. You can’t do that. You must avoid those. I think most can relate […]

Sensory gardens prime purpose is to awaken your senses, whether that be smell, touch or sight. They are rarely sutble and require specific design principles to work well. Garden Ninja is here to help clear up the confusion and provide some guidance on sensory garden design. This handy guide will explain each of the areas […]