Beauty & the Beast

Beauty has to fall in love with the Beast just the way he is before he can be transformed into the highly desirable guy of her dreams. Um now, you may be wondering how this relates to gardens and you may be even more surprised when I tell you that this fairy tale is happening right outside your back door.

I am talking about clay soil - the Beast. If you've tried digging deep you'll know what I mean and you'll probably know that large swathes of South West England are covered in clay soil. Difficult to work, heavy, slow to warm up and if left unimproved will spell certain death for many relationships with plants.

Okay, so the key is to love the soil just the way it is, and this means...
Rule 1 - Doing some research - Don't try to grow plants that need well drained soil.
Rule 2 - Developing True Grit - Get plenty of sand and/or grit dug into it over a year or so, or certainly when adding new planting.
Rule 3 - Learning Patience - It's going to take time for your garden to grow beautifully because it takes time to love the beast just the way it is.

But when you do, something wonderful happens, because of all the soil-types clay is potentially the most fertile and some of the most beautiful and productive gardens have been crafted on clay.

If you have a garden problem or garden design question, why not POST it here in comments and I will get back to you.

Take one garden and just add sunlight!

Ever planted something in the wrong place? A position that later turns out to be too shady, or even too sunny for a particular plant that you fell in love with at a local Garden Centre. Making the most of your growing potential involves closely observing that wonderful thing called the Sun. At this time of year we see little glimpses of it here and there, just hinting that Spring truly is just around the corner.

If you take a look at the diagram I have drawn here, it is amazing to see just how low in the sky the Winter Sun really is - and how a garden with high fences or a northerly aspect will be affected. Changes in growing conditions are all part of the garden design process. An excellent way of making sure your space is fully utilised is to check levels of sunlight and how they will change throughout the year. If you want great results with plants and veggies, sunlight is of paramount importance, when laying out your beds.

But it's not just about getting the best growing conditions for plants alone. How about you?

When I set foot in a garden, I look for something that I like to call 'Sun-trap potential'. I am looking for even just a small area, that is out of the cold wind. So a sheltered little nook can suffice, if it's in the right position to catch available sunlight, just for an hour or two in the depths of December. If I can find a sun-trap, then I know that a small seat placed there will be appreciated all year round. So if you are planning out your garden always see if you can make space for a seat or two in a little sunny nook. I am not saying that you won't need your overcoat, but you can soak up those precious rays during short days, and so can any plants nearby.

If you have a garden problem or question why not POST it here in comments and I will get back to you. Also I would love to know how you get on this year with any of the ideas or inspiration you find on this blog. Let me know.