The rise of artificial grass
Jane Harries Garden Designs
by Jane
1M ago
Apparently around 10% of gardens contain plastic grass now. Strange that we have happily got rid of plastic bags in shops, only to cover our lawns with them! Unfortunately, it’s an ecological disaster. As the Society for Garden Designers says: “Not only do these products contribute to habitat loss; they also cause plastic pollution, destroy living soil, leak microplastics into waterways, cause flooding, contribute to urban heat islands due to the amount of heat they retain and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions in their production.” A damning summary. For more details, please see this leaf ..read more
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A garden transformation for a 30s house
Jane Harries Garden Designs
by Jane
1y ago
I had the pleasure of designing a garden for a close friend in Milton Keynes.  It’s an example of how the same space can have a completely different feel to it once redesigned, even before plants have been put in. The previous owners had small children, and the garden was entirely designed as a child’s play paradise – slide, swings, Wendy house, soft surfaces to fall on, a willow arch to hide in and a shady nook at the far end as a den.  Unfortunately the play area split the garden down the middle – and it was a narrow longish garden anyway, so it felt cramped and crowded.   T ..read more
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Oriental gardens, and an English version
Jane Harries Garden Designs
by Jane
2y ago
I have been asked to design gardens with an Oriental influence recently, particularly from the Chinese and Japanese traditions. I haven’t seen these gardens in their home countries, but there are examples in the West that have inspired many. My most recent clients were inspired by one in Vancouver – and so were two people whose own garden appeared on Gardener’s World recently; a single visit inspiring in all of them a lifelong interest, and the wish to create a beautiful garden. It is the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese garden. A Chinese pavilion looks onto a lake surrounded by rocks, trees a ..read more
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Landscaping for a long narrow garden, step by step
Jane Harries Garden Designs
by Jane
3y ago
Thanks to my clients for the photos in this post. The Design Brief My clients had a long, narrow, flat garden laid mostly to lawn, in Beckenham.  They wanted more privacy – both visually and from the noise of the adjacent road.  They had just added a modern extension with bifold doors onto a patio, and wanted to improve the view from it.  They were a couple with adult children,  liking to sit outside, to entertain, hold occasional parties, not serious gardeners but wanted some space to grow vegetables.  The garden faces northwest, so they liked the idea of a pergola or ..read more
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Birds in your garden: 3 steps to attract and keep them
Jane Harries Garden Designs
by Jane
3y ago
This time of year many of us start to feed the birds. But what else should we do to encourage them to flourish in the garden? We know they need help – even sparrows’ numbers are decreasing – and we love to look at them. This post shows you 3 main things to consider. 1. Nesting Site your nestboxes where they will use them. Now’s the time to put them up, as they start looking for nesting sites in late winter/early spring. CJ Wildlife says that birds need a clear flight path in and out of the box, but also shelter from wind and rain, and some shade from hot sun. And of course, make them high eno ..read more
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5 Steps to Successful Organic Lawn Care
Jane Harries Garden Designs
by Jane
3y ago
I hope you are all keeping well during this strange time of lockdown against the corona virus. It seems everyone wants to tackle their gardens at the moment, and in the UK it’s been perfect weather to get out there to do that. A favourite project is improving the lawn, and here’s a post to help you do that. This contribution is by Laurence Bennet, who has a useful website on which he evaluates garden equipment and writes about everything to do with your lawn. See http://lawnmowerlarry.co.uk/    5 Steps to Successful Organic Lawn Care Have you considered that the greenest part of your ..read more
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When is a good time to start planning my garden redesign?
Jane Harries Garden Designs
by Jane
3y ago
Here’s a great article on how to work with a designer and what to expect – including how long in advance to book them.  This is for the UK by the online house and garden magazine/forum ‘Houzz’.  Houzz also have another article here on Design Costs (not including landscaping or plants). When is a Good Time to Start Planning My Garden Redesign ..read more
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Australian ‘back yard’ garden tips
Jane Harries Garden Designs
by Jane
3y ago
Here’s an article from the ‘Houzz’ website on Australian gardening – with a photo from one of my designs in it, from Towcester in the UK! I enjoy looking at gardens from a different culture – The Australians always have a shaded space next to the house as the sun gets so hot. They practically live in this area and in the outdoors, so their gardens seem more expansive and relaxed than ours.. NB: Click the lettering in green to go to the article. How to Create a Backyard You’ll Always Want to Spend Time In ..read more
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Summer 2019 Open Gardens
Jane Harries Garden Designs
by Jane
3y ago
It’s been awhile since I wrote a blog and I have some varied visits to blog about – the first ones in June. My village, Wappenham in south Northamptonshire, once again opened its gardens for the National Garden Scheme, and there were all sorts of gardens to see. I didn’t get round all of them so my apologies to those I missed out, such as Hilary and John’s lovely garden full of flowers and fruit. Please note that the weather was very wet so imagine how it would all look when the sun came out… The first garden was at the end of my road and was originally designed by James Alexander Sinclair. It ..read more
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Small garden ideas from Chelsea by Houzz
Jane Harries Garden Designs
by Jane
3y ago
I thought this post from the home and gardens website ‘Houzz’ was worth including: Small Garden Ideas to Steal from The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019 ..read more
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