Latest news with #gardendesign
Telegraph
10-08-2025
- General
- Telegraph
16 ways to make the most of a small garden, with Chelsea gold winner Jo Thompson
It has been a busy year so far for garden designer Jo Thompson. Her latest book, The New Romantic Garden, was published in February; in May, she created the gold medal-winning The Glasshouse Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, and now she has released an online course, The Fundamentals of Garden Design, with Create Academy. While she has designed gardens all over the world, what unites them all is a love of planting – 'I can't bear the sight of a bare pergola,' she says – as well as a desire to make spaces that feel like they have always been there, and 'create an atmosphere'. Her own garden in Kent is no different. It's small by country standards, as she lives in the middle of a village, so many of the ideas she applies to smaller projects are rules she lives by. Although she does have to break them sometimes: 'My garden is a laboratory where I try out varieties I may want to use in projects for clients.' Here are her tips for creating a sense of space and atmosphere in a small garden. Limit your materials First of all, get out into your garden and look at the material that surrounds you. 'You can't necessarily green out everything, but you can distract,' says Thompson. 'Remember that once your garden is full of beautiful things, the eye won't be attracted to that rusty padlock or gate that bothered you.' If your house is made from brick, then perhaps that's a material you repeat in the garden. 'Try to keep your choice of hard materials to three maximum – for example, brick, oak and stone – otherwise it can look too busy,' says Thompson. Keep fences simple Thompson isn't a fan of painting fences. 'Once you paint a fence, you've got to keep on painting it, and that's something to remember.' Instead, she recommends keeping wooden timber fences simple and letting them age naturally: 'Too many decorative details in a small garden can look really busy. I prefer to let the plants do the talking.' Instead of trellis with fancy filigree details, she recommends just a small enough amount of trellis that lets plants such as honeysuckle and clematis grow on top of themselves. 'You don't want the fence to be a feature in itself: that draws the eye and makes the garden feel smaller.' Plant in bulk In a small garden, you need plants near the windows that draw the eye as you look out. Thompson favours perennials that create airy veils you can look through; think plants with naked stems such as salvias, verbenas and rudbeckia. The classic mistake Thompson always sees in a nursery or garden centre is people with 20 plants in their trolley, but only one of everything. 'However hard it is, restrict yourself to fewer varieties, but more of them,' she advises. So instead of one lovely flower or plant, have five of them. 'Put three of them together, and then two of them a little bit further away,' says Thompson. 'Then repeat nearer the house, so you've got that sense of harmony and the eye isn't zigzagging about.' Have fun with bulbs Bulbs are great for small gardens, where you can plant tiny ones into pots and have them near your kitchen window. 'Have things like Iris reticulata and muscari on a bistro table – the flowers that you're not necessarily going to see if they're at the end of the garden,' says Thompson. 'You can chop and change, and move things elsewhere from season to season.' And then, of course, you can plant the bulbs out in your beds: 'There's an allium for every space.' Plant a rose Roses are plants that Thompson returns to again and again, for their beauty. She is sure there is a rose for every garden. 'They're not as high-maintenance as people think. They can cope with hot weather, especially if they are in the ground and have sent their long tap roots down,' she says. Blush Noisette is a small climber that doesn't get higher than 8ft or 9ft. 'It's a great rose for a small space.' Thompson recommends looking for repeat-flowering roses that offer bang for their buck: 'English roses are great for that. Olivia Rose Austin is a very popular one, with a lovely, pretty pink colour. Look for scent: go to David Austin or Peter Beales now and smell them. You'd want to be planting them in November.' If space is very tight, then roses can work well in pots, so long as you water them: 'Olivia Rose Austin thrives in a pot, as does Emily Brontë, and Kew Gardens. The latter will bloom all summer.' Keep furniture compact Sitting outside and perhaps having a little barbecue is part of enjoying a garden, but be realistic about how much space you have. 'You don't need a built-in barbecue and permanent sofas,' says Thompson. Instead, if your space is really tiny, have folding garden furniture that you can store in a small shed and bring out when the weather is good. Add a statement parasol If you want to make your space more jolly, then think about investing in a fabulous parasol. Thompson is a fan of the East London Parasol Company. 'They're not cheap, but there are loads of really good ones,' she says. If you want to spend less, check out Dunelm. 'I have a bright orange one that's quite retro,' says Thompson. 'Whatever your tastes are, you can really go with it. Just remember to bring them inside [if the weather's bad].' Look up Thompson is partial to a pergola, if there's space, as a way to add height: a vital consideration in a small garden. She also advises making use of fences and walls to add climbing plants that draw the eye up, creating the illusion of more space. Have unexpected moments Small pots clustered together are a favourite thing of Thompson's. She also likes auricula theatres: display structures used to showcase auriculas, a type of primula. They usually feature tiered shelving units that provide shelter from rain and sun, while their dark backgrounds enhance the visual impact of the colorful blooms, allowing for close-up viewing or viewing as a group. 'Even a little bookshelf on a wall where you put your terracotta pots with one or two little spring bulbs is quite fun as well,' says Thompson. 'It looks really pretty, and uses no ground space at all.' Avoid brightly coloured pots Good pots that are frost-proof are worth investing in. However, Thompson advises going for softer colours in a small garden; pinky terracottas and orange pots that will calm down with age. 'I probably would avoid too many bright colours, because they do grab the attention and can make it feel small,' she says. 'Steer away from those bolder colours, and towards the calmer ones for a smaller place, if you want it to feel calm.' Don't go overboard with storage Think about what sort of storage you really need, and choose the worst corner of the garden. Often, a shed like a little sentry box will suffice. 'That will be simple enough to put in a spade, a rake and some trowels,' says Thompson. She advises against putting a storage unit in a place where it will become a focal point, and 'don't necessarily have the door facing out; turning it 90 degrees can work nicely'. Don't default to a lawn – and avoid plastic In a small space, opting not to have a lawn might be prudent. 'I understand that it's nice to have something underfoot, but a lawn means you will need a lawn mower,' Thompson points out. If you have a small shady garden, you're unlikely to be able to grow a lush lawn, but don't be tempted by artificial grass, says Thompson: 'A few people I know haven't realised that in a heatwave, when you sit on Astroturf, it burns you. It's also unhygienic; I think that's something a lot of people don't realise. You only need cats and foxes going across it peeing, and it's disgusting.' If you want a low-maintenance alternative to a lawn, permeable surfaces such as gravel will still allow you to embrace clusters of pots and seating. 'You've got to think about the drainage, and then have paving stones if you want to be able to walk barefoot through your garden,' says Thompson. 'Not everything has to be a square of lawn.' Be careful of mirrors Some mirrored glass behind a climber can give a sense of the garden going on for longer than it does – but, says Thompson, 'more often than not it just ends up looking like you've put up a mirror to make your garden look bigger. Especially if you put it in a sort of arch directly facing you, it's the one thing you always see.' Instead, if you want to add a mirror, place it behind plants: 'And then you just get an idea of light, just those sort of speckles of light.' Choose simple water features The sound of water flowing is lovely if you live in the city and want to distract from traffic sounds, but Thompson prefers to keep it simple and avoid anything too trickling. 'Those water features with pebbles and things coming out of stones that you see in the garden centre can be too much,' she says. 'A simple trough with a spout is lovely, because if you're going to be constantly looking at it, you don't want to go over the top. You want something easy to maintain.' Forget symmetrical borders A common sight for Thompson is gardens with rectangular borders of 20cm, 'which is totally and utterly pointless, because you can't grow anything apart from climbers', she says. Instead, give up on the idea of your garden being symmetrical and look at where the sun hits it: 'Make your sunniest border your deepest border, and give plants at least 45cm. You can plant things like geraniums that you can cut and they will keep coming back.' Create winter interest In a smaller garden, you won't have a choice of beds to dedicate to the different seasons. Instead, Thompson says, simplicity can be calming in winter. 'Have blobs of evergreen such as Ilex crenata or euonymus that give a little bit of structure in winter, but then get lost in summer.' Easy additions, for example, pots with winter-interest bulbs such as snowdrops and early spring croci set on a bistro table, will help to keep your garden looking good throughout the year – whatever its size.
Daily Mail
26-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
Royal-inspired garden buys you'll love this summer - from rattan furniture and solar lights to elegant mirrors and birdhouses
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more With summer in full swing, there's no better time to refresh your outdoor space. And who better to take inspiration from than the Royal Family? I've explored royal residences across the country to uncover garden styling ideas - from furniture to accessories - that are certain to impress. A recurring theme in these regal gardens is the use of natural, organic materials, such as rattan and wood. Bee and bird houses play a starring role - Queen Camilla, a dedicated beekeeper, maintains hives at both Buckingham Palace and her Wiltshire retreat, Raymill. For a touch of elegance, I spotted a beautiful garden table and chair set on Amazon, featuring weather-resistant handwoven rattan and a durable coated steel base. Prefer something more laid-back? Dunelm's rattan-effect sofa is perfect for lounging. I'm a huge fan of the romantic Love Bench from Signature Homes & Gardens. With ornate metalwork that nods to palace gates, it's both charming and practical. As someone who admires the classic blue and white pottery seen in Windsor Castle, I was instantly drawn to Ruggable's Fontain Delft outdoor rug. It comes in a variety of sizes and, best of all, is machine washable - making it as functional as it is stylish. For nature lovers, Wildlife World's charming bee barn feels like something Camilla herself would approve of. There are also colourful recycled cotton birdhouses by Paper High or a sage green bird table from John Lewis. Lighting matters too: Waitrose's solar globe lanterns echo the warm ambiance of the restaurant at King Charles' Balmoral estate, while Nkuku rustic clay pots bring a timeless feel, reminiscent of those scattered around its gardens. To finish, a large outdoor mirror can work wonders. It opens up the space, reflects light and adds a hint of drama. I love the cathedral-style gold mirror from Canora Grey and the vintage-inspired white version by Dibor. Take a closer look at these finds - and more - below.
BBC News
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
In pictures: Queen Camilla attends 142nd Sandringham Flower Show
King Charles III and Queen Camilla were among the 14,500 visitors that attended Sandringham Flower Show as it celebrated its 142nd year. The flower show, which is held at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, will be paused next year to make way for the six-day Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) touring flower show in 2026 and and the flower show's chairman, Graham Browne, said the event on Wednesday had a lovely atmosphere. He said: "The mood of the whole of the show is good, everyone is happy, the weather is good, the King is in a really good frame of mind. "We were talking about vegetables and flowers and the weather and things that are happening" The king and queen visited the event on Wednesday, but last year's event saw no royal visitor for the first time in 30 years. Creative freedom Hillary Fay-Mellor, a professional garden designer who has created a display at the flower show, said she enjoyed "the freedom to be creative" at the show. She said: "There's a very lovely atmosphere at Sandringham Flower Show. Everyone helps each other, the whole team they genuinely want each other to do well... it's a bit like going to a festival except you have to work hard."There's always been a flower show here, so it's a real tradition for the village... it will just be a different vibe because RHS shows are bigger. "They are much more expensive to get accepted... and you have to be very specific with your brief." The Sandringham Flower Show said all profits from each show were donated to local charities and since 1977 the committee has donated more than £825, Thomas has been involved in designing her first show garden for the Sandringham Flower Show. She said: "This is the first time I have done a show garden at Sandringham, it might be the last with the amount of rain we have had to contend with. "It's a climate change garden so it's based on producing a sustainable garden through periods of climate change... it's plants that will sustain those conditions and also a low carbon footprint garden." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Outdoor bath? Next we'll be returning to outside toilets
YOU MAY be used to seeing your neighbour mowing the lawn or hanging out the washing - but what about taking a bath? Coming hot on the heels of alfresco living rooms and kitchens comes outdoor baths and showers, which are gaining popularity in gardens across the country. People are immersing themselves in baths or enjoying showers installed on patios and even in the middle of lawns. Relaxing in the bath outdoors, surrounded by greenery and birdsong is thought to bring health benefits, leading to the term 'spa-den' - turning your garden into a wellbeing retreat. I just hope my neighbours don't turn their veg plots into a spa-den. I don't mind seeing them pottering about in shorts on hot summer days, with their hoes and trowels, but I'd rather they kept their bathroom routine inside the house. Why can't people enjoy their gardens for what they are? They should be bring a different experience to the one we get inside our homes, yet people seem to want to replicate it with outside living rooms, kitchens and now bathrooms. When I was growing up, on hot summer days, families brought out a few deckchairs and maybe a sun lounger. Some people, like my parents, had a garden bench and carried out the coffee table when we ate outside. Now, gardens are home to sofas larger than those in living rooms and with far more cushions. In place of rusty grills barbecues dragged out of the garage every summer come state-of-the-art outdoor kitchens with range cookers and special pizza ovens. So it's no surprise that the next step is to bring the bathroom outside too. But why? Jacuzzis and hot tubs are commonplace, and have been for some time, so the desire for an actual bath in the garden seems ridiculous. It's not just a hot soak - outdoor ice baths, in particular, are catching on. Ever practical, my first thought would be 'Where would you store all the ice?' I struggle to find space for anything in my chest freezer as it is. We have larger, more comfy sofas outside than in our homes. Picture: PA And I am assuming bathers do so in the buff. It's to be hoped that nobody in the street pops round to borrow a cup of sugar while you're having a garden soak or showering beside the flowerbeds. I enjoy a bath as much as the next person, but I'll take mine inside, thank you. Likewise with cooking and lounging about on the settee. To me, inside and outside should be different and offer contrasting experiences. I anticipate the next big thing will be a return to the outside lavatory. My nana had one in her back yard in Normanby near Middlesbrough. During the night she would use a ceramic chamber pot kept under her bed but otherwise went outside to the loo in a small brick outhouse. Let's face it, during a busy day we all love to close the bathroom door and relax on the loo for ten minutes. Alfresco toilets, where you could sit in the sun, or shade - behind the garage or under a car port, maybe - with the T&A, could be just the thing. I'm forgetting the bedroom - why not fetch that outdoors too? It wouldn't be too difficult to heft a mattress or two on to the lawn, along with some bedding. After dining in your outdoor kitchen and winding down in your outside bath, sleeping under the stars in your garden bed would be magical. And with your outside toilet you could have an en-suite. I've convinced myself now - this outdoor living malarkey is not such a bad idea after all.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
An outdoor bath? Maybe the next big thing will be outside loos
YOU MAY be used to seeing your neighbour mowing the lawn or hanging out the washing - but what about taking a bath? Coming hot on the heels of alfresco living rooms and kitchens comes outdoor baths and showers, which are gaining popularity in gardens across the country. People are immersing themselves in baths or enjoying showers installed on patios and even in the middle of lawns. Relaxing in the bath outdoors, surrounded by greenery and birdsong is thought to bring health benefits, leading to the term 'spa-den' - turning your garden into a wellbeing retreat. I just hope my neighbours don't turn their veg plots into a spa-den. I don't mind seeing them pottering about in shorts on hot summer days, with their hoes and trowels, but I'd rather they kept their bathroom routine inside the house. Why can't people enjoy their gardens for what they are? They should be bring a different experience to the one we get inside our homes, yet people seem to want to replicate it with outside living rooms, kitchens and now bathrooms. When I was growing up, on hot summer days, families brought out a few deckchairs and maybe a sun lounger. Some people, like my parents, had a garden bench and carried out the coffee table when we ate outside. Now, gardens are home to sofas larger than those in living rooms and with far more cushions. In place of rusty grills barbecues dragged out of the garage every summer come state-of-the-art outdoor kitchens with range cookers and special pizza ovens. Many people have larger, comfier sofas outdoors than in. Picture: PA (Image: PA) So it's no surprise that the next step is to bring the bathroom outside too. But why? Jacuzzis and hot tubs are commonplace, and have been for some time, so the desire for an actual bath in the garden seems ridiculous. It's not just a hot soak - outdoor ice baths, in particular, are catching on. Ever practical, my first thought would be 'Where would you store all the ice?' I struggle to find space for anything in my chest freezer as it is. And I am assuming bathers do so in the buff. It's to be hoped that nobody in the street pops round to borrow a cup of sugar while you're having a garden soak or showering beside the flowerbeds. I enjoy a bath as much as the next person, but I'll take mine inside, thank you. Likewise with cooking and lounging about on the settee. To me, inside and outside should be different and offer contrasting experiences. I anticipate the next big thing will be a return to the outside lavatory. My nana had one in her back yard in Normanby near Middlesbrough. During the night she would use a ceramic chamber pot kept under her bed but otherwise went outside to the loo in a small brick outhouse. Let's face it, during a busy day we all love to close the bathroom door and relax on the loo for ten minutes. Alfresco toilets, where you could sit in the sun, or shade - behind the garage or under a car port, maybe - with the T&A, could be just the thing. I'm forgetting the bedroom - why not fetch that outdoors too? It wouldn't be too difficult to heft a mattress or two on to the lawn, along with some bedding. After dining in your outdoor kitchen and winding down in your outside bath, sleeping under the stars in your garden bed would be magical. And with your outside toilet you could have an en-suite. I've convinced myself now - this outdoor living malarkey is not such a bad idea after all.
