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 | 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 | Dec 6, 2016 | 'Lelystad' bulb mixture, 2016, autumn colour, back gardens, bees, bees and insects, bulb planting for insects, bulbs, Crocus, Edinburgh, front garden, Holland, JUB Holland, Keukenhof Park, long flowering period, Mixed bulb planting, Muscari, Narcissus, Plants, Polley Garden Design, shrubs, spring colour, Tulipa fosteriana Orange Emperor, windy conditions
After my flying visit in the spring to the Keukenhof Park just outside Amsterdam, inspired by seeing 7 million bulbs in bloom. I wanted to add more bulbs to my own garden – albeit in a much smaller way! Packing a very big punch were large borders of mixed bulbs,...
by GillianPolley | Apr 24, 2016 | 2016, A Day Out, Anemone, April, bees, biodiversity, bulb planting for insects, bulbs, Colour, colour in the garden, Crocus, Design, designing your own garden, early summer, Edinburgh, February, focal points in the garden, garden inspiration, garden transformation, habitat for wildlife, Holland, Hyacinthus, insect habitat, insects, January, JUB Holland, Keukenhof Park, long flowering period, low maintenance plants, Muscari, Narcissus, Plants, Polley Garden Design, spring blossom, spring colour
Spring planting is all about Colour, Colour, Colour from the subtle to the eye watering. After a long, wet, grey winter, colour in the garden is what we all need to pep us up and spring bulbs do it in spades. A flying visit to Keukenhof Park just outside Amsterdam...
by GillianPolley | Jan 18, 2016 | 2016, annual plants, back gardens, Colour, colour in the garden, community gardens, containers, cooking apples, Dahlias, Design, Edinburgh, evergreen plants, front garden, fruit trees, garden inspiration, garden trends 2016, January, local hard landscaping materials, long flowering period, low maintenance plants, outdoor kitchens, outdoor sitting areas, Plants, plums, Polley Garden Design, rear garden patio, rear garden terrace, shrubs, Stepover fruit trees, Vegetable growing
Fun, Chat, Eat and Relax are the key words for 2016 in the garden. Our desire for a healthy lifestyle continues from last year and growing your own vegetables, fruit and herbs in our gardens remains popular. From mixing it up and growing vegetables and flowers...