by GillianPolley | Jan 24, 2018 | 're-wilding', back gardens, Colour, container growing, containers, Design, design balance, Edinburgh, evergreen plants, fire pits, front garden, garden inspiration, herbaceous perennials, herbs, indoor plants, insect habitat, insect hotels, insects, meditation, outdoor kitchens, pizza ovens, Plants, Polley Garden Design, Potager, Potager gardens, Raised wooden beds, safe haven, shapes, shrubs, sustainability, Top garden trends in 2018, Vegetable growing, wildlife, wildlife habitats, winter colour, winter scent in the garden, winter structure
‘Haven’ is often a word associated with our gardens. Studies have shown people are healthier and less stressed when they are close to nature, and people are using their gardens to enjoy family life, relax, exercise and mediate in. This trend...
by GillianPolley | Aug 28, 2017 | 2017, A Day Out, Alitex greenhouse, art in the garden, August, bees and insects, Christopher Lloyd, Colour, colour in the garden, Design, Dumfries House, Edinburgh, Exotic Garden at Great Dixter, garden design, Grasses, Great Dixter, Green house, herbaceous perennials, long flowering period, National Trust, ornamental grasses, Piet Oudolf, Plants, Polley Garden Design, Potager gardens, Prairie planting, Queen Elizabeth Walled Garden at Dumfries House, Roses, sculpture in the garden, seats in the garden, shrubs, Sissinghurst, sissinghurst castle, Vegetable growing
I always enjoy visiting gardens and here are some images from visits so far this summer. To kick off – a second visit to a garden with great style – Sussex Prairie Garden. If you want to see beautiful prairie style planting over several acres this is...
by GillianPolley | Jun 6, 2017 | 'Lelystad' bulb mixture, 2016, 2017, Anemone, April, bees and insects, bulbs, Colour, colour in the garden, Design, Edinburgh, focal points in the garden, front garden, front garden/driveways, garden inspiration, Holland, insects, JUB Holland, Keukenhof Park, long flowering period, low maintenance plants, Mixed bulb planting, Muscari, Narcissus, Narcissus Topolino, Polley Garden Design, scent, shrubs, Spring, spring blossom, spring colour
Inspired by my visit in Spring ’16 to Keukenhof Park just outside Amsterdam and seeing 7 million bulbs in bloom, last October we planted 1000 bulbs in a plant bed in our front garden under some deciduous shrubs. The bulbs we planted were a special mix called...
by GillianPolley | Feb 17, 2017 | 1930's house, 2017, A Linear Focus, Acer, Acers, arts and crafts, arts and crafts garden design, Arts and Crafts style house, box balls, Colour, Design, design balance, drainage, driveway, Edinburgh, evergreen plants, front garden, front garden/driveways, garden inspiration, garden transformation, Grasses, Hellebores, herbaceous perennials, Japanese gardens, low maintenance plants, O-Karikomi, outdoor furniture, Plants, Polley Garden Design, Pulmonarias, scent, shrubs, Sir Robert Lorimer, SUDS, winter colour, winter scent in the garden, winter structure
Designing front gardens and driveways is often challenging. Never mind the practicalities of a car parking space or manoeuvring space for the car or cars (it often takes more space then you think) and access routes from A to B and Sustainable Urban Drainage issues...
by GillianPolley | Jan 30, 2017 | 2017, apples, back gardens, bare root fruit trees, bees and insects, bulb planting for insects, bulbs, colour in the garden, community gardens, container growing, Copper Mango Photography, Design, designing your own garden, Edinburgh, evergreen plants, fire pits, fire places, front garden, fruit trees, garden inspiration, garden trends 2017, gold, health, herbaceous perennials, indoor plants, insect habitat, insect hotels, insects, Keukenhof Park, low maintenance plants, Mixed bulb planting, naturalistic planting, outdoor furniture, outdoor kitchens, outdoor sitting areas, pears, pizza ovens, plums, Polley Garden Design, Potager, Potager gardens, Raised wooden beds, rear garden patio, rear garden terrace, safe haven, seats in the garden, shrubs, soft fruit, Top Garden Trends for 2017, wellbeing
The desire for a healthy lifestyle continues with nearly 39% of us spending more time in our garden and 45% of us seeing our gardens as an extension of our homes. Growing our own fruit, vegetables and herbs in our gardens, allotments or with others in community...
by GillianPolley | Sep 16, 2016 | 2016, apples, back gardens, bare root fruit trees, bees and insects, cooking apples, Design, designing your own garden, fruit trees, pears, plums, Polley Garden Design, Potager, Potager gardens, Raised beds dimensions, september, soft fruit, soft landscaping, Stepover fruit trees, Vegetable growing
Potager gardens originated in 16th Century France arising from kitchen gardens of monasteries, growing vegetables, fruit, flowers and herbs together in symmetrical geometrical garden beds planted in groups rather then rows. Plants are chosen for both their good looks...