greencube garden and landscape design, UK

The Salvia argentea is doing incredibly well in my sandy free draining soil, good front of border plant with an unusual texture.

Extending the flowering to Autumn, the Rudbeckia Goldsturm and Geranium 'Johnsons Blue' are looking great! Nice combination, Rudbeckia's make n=me smile, they are full of SUNSHINE

As a garden designer it's tough making decisions about how to lay out my own garden, all week I'm creating gardens for others but to knuckle down and make decisions for my 1/2 acre plot which has been neglected for 6 years whilst getting the house fully refurbished as well as working 6 days a week has been difficult. I have trialled many plants in the garden over the last 6 years and have decided to choose a majority of drought tolerant plants for my sandy soil but have improved the soil for the borders with a very generous layer of mushroom compost and Alpaca poo straight from the field behind us, which has improved the retention of water, thus reducing the watering during the summer months. We have now set out to landscape the 3 gardens with a phased approach. Garden 1, phase 1 a large triangle with some established Birch, Laurel and a Pine tree, mostly sunny aspect with shady border to boundary. A little help from a digger and  driver, a load of help and hard work from ...

Greencube office has been incredibly busy throughout the spring and summer and so a break to Sweden to freshen the mind, relax and revitalise was on the 'TO DO' list. To be successfully creative in my role as a garden designer I'm best when relaxed and organised without too many constraints and pressures. Our chosen location of Skanor and Falsterbo which can be reached from Copenhagen airport a short journey on the train across the water from Denmark into Malmo (Sweden) and short bus journey to our chosen boutique hotel/cafe. Wonderful scenery, peaceful, fresh and slow paced...... Bikes were hired for the duration to discover the numerous network of paths and off we went to learn about this wonderful coastal peninsula at the southern tip of Sweden where the birds flock on their migratory paths. Inspiring landscapes, wind swept and coastal. I particularly enjoyed photographing the numerous beech huts amongst Rosa rugosa or Marram grass. Now back in the office feeling r...

Keeping myself occupied whilst my husband was bird watching at Dunge, i photographed a deserted wooden boat on the beach. The moody skies, the Sea Kale, the contrasting blues of sea and sky and pebbles all set the scene, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder', the power station is behind me;>)

I have visited Dixter every Summer since 2003, normally in August and always enjoyed the vibrancy, colours, contrasting textures and new additions. On walking into the garden the blackboard noted Scabiosa as a great plant looking good at the moment, but I stumbled across a wonderful, graceful, elegant combination of Ammi visnaga with Verbena bonariensis, its a herb, a member of the carrot family and an umbellifer I have not noticed before. It's planted as an annual and can be sown in spring or autumn. I shall definitely treat myself to a packet of seeds on my next order and give it a try in my sandy soil.

Folkestone Garden completed July 2011, lovely little courtyard space within a new housing development, Garden includes plants selected to attract Birds, bees, butterflies and a lovely storage area within a hatch in the curvy seat, beats having an ugly shed!