greencube garden and landscape design, UK

We've had a very busy week, we are currently preparing a garden for a Wedding in Hadlow and lifted at least 100 day lilies out of the borders and prepared the borders ready for planting next week. Very exciting, a new challenge to put a palette of plants together that look good in October....... as well as the rest of the year!!!  I have also been working on the second phase of the MoonGate garden in Brentwood and met with the team to handover the design, it will be good to see this one completed. Phase 1 completed back in 2008 3D model of phase 2 We are also going out to tender on a very exciting job in Neville Park, Tunbridge Wells, I'm looking forward to seeing this one built. The garden contains an outdoor fireplace with strip fire light, oak seating, oak detailing, oak arches, smooth creamy stone and resin bound gravel all laid out in interlocking zones.

I am suppose to be working this morning but could not resist a little photography in my garden.  Aster × frikartii  ‘Mönch’ is looking amazing and will continue until the first frosts. Greencube have also planted this in a front garden in Oxted, Surrey this year and I'm hoping my clients are enjoying it as much as I am this morning. One of my lecturers at Hadlow College, Brian, always raved about this plant and I understand why having watched it develop in my own garden over the last couple of years.  I have planted it at the foot of a bold swathe of Miscanthus, which is equally as gorgeous.

Storage in a garden is a common requirement but often forgotten or positioned too far away for practical use. Greencube have installed solutions in 2 of our gardens this year without the need for an ugly shed.   The built in seating has doubled up as a great practical storage solution so that the cushions, hand tools and firewood for the brazier are readily available.

I have entered one of my favourite gardens constructed this year for the   Society of Garden Designers 'Review of the Year' . If we are lucky we will feature in the Journal which we have managed to achieve 2 years in a row, so fingers crossed, its one of my favourites for the sheer vibrancy of perennial colours with ornamental grasses mixed with industrial rusting corten steel screens, bands, rill and brazier. My clients allowed me total flexibility to come up with a eye catching scheme. The garden has knitted together quite well in its first season and looks amazing at night.

On my 'improved' sandy soil which has been bulked up with manure and mushroom compost, I have planted Anthemis 'E.C Buxton' which has flowered its socks off all summer and is still looking great in September. I also planted erigeron karvinskianus as a front of border gap filler which has done equally well and still looks great in September.

We have planted  Schizostylis 'Major' in two of our gardens this year, extending the flowering period into October. A Kaffir Lily with upright habit and slender green leaves. Follow links to our website a contemporary garden in Sevenoaks and a Wildlife friendly garden in Folkestone , both are planted with Miscanthus to great effect.

I have taken time out this week to photograph a couple of gardens that I designed last year, a garden design is only as good as the landscapers delivery, Wow they've done an amazing job. Both gardens are in Twickenham. Modern courtyard with ipe decking, rendered planter, cantilevered bench and cosy rattan furniture. Lighting extends the gardens use into the evening. and the second garden

A neat little front garden in Sevenoaks, dealing with a slope running from left boundary to right, tricky little space but the wall encloses the higher ground allowing turning and two cars to fit nicely. Looking forward to seeing this built.

This weekend we have been visited on three occasions by a Hummingbird Hawk Moth, a great treat, a migrant moth, that hovers over the Verbena flowers dipping its proboscis into the delicate flowers of the Verbena. Thanks to Mike for the close up shots.

Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan' planted with Buxus cubes with Bird bath from sculptor Ian Gill Echinacea purpurea from Heidi's nursery