IT WORKS FOR ME
General thoughts/ideas in no particular order of preference.
1. Always ask for gardening vouchers for birthday and Christmas. It makes life easier for friends and relatives and there is now such a wide variety of items on sale at garden centres. You never know you might just accumulate enough for that very expensive plant you always wanted but never dared to spend so much money on.
2. Paint all woodwork (fences, sheds etc.) dark green/forest green it makes them blend into the background and no, you don’t lose green plants against the green background.
3. I am a shocker for changing the position of plants in the garden but each time I move a plant it gets a little bit of compost (ericaceous if appropriate) and some chicken manure pellets and of course regular watering for a while.
4. Every Spring, chicken manure pellets are liberally scattered around the garden including in the many pots that contain plants or trees.
5. Apologies to Monty Don, Joe Swift et al; because my garden is so densely planted (saves a lot of weeding), before adding a new plant, I do not have enough room to dig enormous holes and fill them with wonderful home-made compost (I confess I am a failed compost maker) but I get by with reasonable results.
6. Remember “staring time” is invaluable. Go round your garden and from many different positions stand (or sit) and stare at the short view and the long view. Can it be improved? Use your imagination, visualise the view, would adding, a taller plant, a tree, a pot, a statue, a piece of sculpture, a water feature, a hanging basket etc. etc. improve that view and make the garden more interesting? If you have a particularly nice view can you put a seating area where you are standing for you and others to relax and enjoy that view?
7. Never be frightened to change things in the garden (use that imagination again). Move a path, add a path, change a focal point, add a seating area, change the shape of flower beds, alter planting combinations, if it doesn’t work you can always change it back or, may be better still, why not change it again?
8. After ever change to the planting or garden layout I ask myself three questions: “Does it look right? Does it feel right? Have I improved on what was there?” Usually the answer to all three is “Yes” but I have had occasions where “Yes” has only lasted for a few weeks and further adjustments were required.
9. Short of space? You can still have a “mini orchard” by using minarette or patio fruit trees, also known as upright cordon trees.
10. I use plants and trees in pots quite a lot for several reasons. To help restrict growth, to restrict the spread of invasive plants such as the Japanese Anemone, to give a little more height when needed and of course versatility, in most cases they are relatively easy to move around the garden. So far, even in very dry weather, the pots have only been watered twice a week along with the garden. So no additional attention needed unless you do not water your garden.
11. Want that feeling of walking through a flower bed rather than around the outside? Use tall plants either side of your paths. Similarly, for a feeling of sitting in a flower bed rather than on the outside, plant tall plants at the sides and back of the seating area.