How I can help you with your garden…and how I can’t

Things I can do and reasons to work with me

I want to save you some time here, and maybe some money too. Integrity is important to me, so before you book a Plant Your Own Joy garden consultation with me, you need to know where my expertise lies…and where it doesn’t.

My speciality is helping people to design and create beautiful gardens. My priorities are suggesting plants which are:

• Easy care
• Low maintenance
• Pollinator friendly
• Often scented

I focus on recommending trees, shrubs, and plants which can grow in pots/containers or in the ground. 

How I became an expert in easy care, low maintenance gardening

Having gardened my own small outdoor spaces for three decades, and made many mistakes along the way, I know which plants can survive my often haphazard, and sometimes, frankly neglectful gardening habits.

I can’t tell you how many plants I’ve lost over the years, because they’ve been impulse buys. Spotted at the garden centre when they were in full flower and looking gorgeous. But because I didn’t read the labels carefully, they eventually (or quickly) failed because of one of many reasons. 

Like needing:

• Different soil 
• More/less sun
• Regular pruning
• Repotting often
• Overwintering in a greenhouse

Feelings of frustration and guilt were common as I sadly looked at wilting rags of dead leaves.

And then I started noticing which plants were thriving even though they were getting minimal attention.

I read more gardening books, and spoke to friends trained and qualified in gardening.   

Eventually, I compiled a list of trees, shrubs and plants which do well in almost any garden. And I’m adding to that list every year.

All the plants I recommend are good natured, easy going companions which will reward your smallest amount of time with abundant foliage, fabulous flowers, and attract valuable pollinators too.

I’m bursting with ideas for combining plants to give you maximum impact with minimum effort.

You’ll have more time to enjoy your garden, rather than feeling like you should be working on it. 

Whether that’s soaking up the morning sun with your first cup of coffee, sharing your stunning green oasis with your friends, or smelling an opulent rose as you dash out to do the bins.

You too can be a success at gardening

If you’re completely new to gardening—welcome! 

And try not to worry too much about it. It’s not nearly as hard as some people make out.

Learning a new skill takes a little bit of time and patience, but I can recommend the easiest plants for your beginner green fingers. 

You’ll soon get a feel for what your plants need from you, and be able to relax into your new hobby.

Studies in Sweden have shown that gardening even a tiny outdoor space can have a significant positive impact on your mental health. 

Things I can’t do and reasons not to work with me

Honesty and transparency are important to me. And there are lots of ways in which I am not an expert in the garden.

I’m not a garden landscaper. If you want paths and steps designed and built, then I’m not your person.

I’m not a lawn expert. If you’re hankering after manicured and clipped grass, I’m not a good fit for you.

I’m not a tree surgeon. If you’ve got big trees that need to be cut back or pruned, I’m not skilled.

Things I won’t recommend for your garden

I’m against the use of astro turf in gardens. 

I think there is rarely any need for chemical sprays in gardens. 

I don’t believe in bedding plants that are bought seasonally, and have to be thrown away after they’ve flowered.

Of course, you are absolutely free to garden as you please. But if you need someone to advise you on these methods, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

There are many ways to garden successfully

Gardening comes with more than its fair share of gatekeepers. People who would have you believe that there is only one way to garden correctly, which turns out be, not surprisingly, their way.

Maybe Great Uncle Geoff told them: you must repot/prune/feed/water like this. And maybe it worked for him.

But there are other, easier ways to create a garden sanctuary.

Far fewer rules than you would expect.

More like gentle guidelines.

I choose and recommend plants which have proved themselves to be resilient in non-expert hands. 

They don’t need you to spend hours counting the outward facing buds and then cutting back at a 45 degree angle with the lower end sloping away from the plant. And yes—some plants do need this kind of meticulous care and attention to detail, which is why I don’t grow them. 

Or not any more, I don’t. 

And, unless you have hours to spend with a manual in one hand and razor sharp secateurs in the other, I wouldn’t recommend that you grow them either. 

My methods are about choosing the right plants for your tiny garden, which will, more or less, look after themselves.

Except for watering.

Container grown plants need lots of water

Which, you know, might sound like an obvious statement.

But, if it’s hot, and your garden gets lots of sun, you’ll need to water your container grown plants abundantly. More if they’re planted in terracotta pots, because water evaporates quickly from the clay.

If you live in a house, especially if it has an outside tap, this might not be too much of a problem.

Except for water meters. And it can get expensive. 

If you live in a flat with a balcony, pots can dry out very quickly. Will you be able to fit multiple watering can trips into your schedule? Maybe every day in a warm summer?

I’m not trying to put you off. Honestly, I’m not. 

But it’s important that you consider if you have the time and the energy to water your plants in containers. Even the most easy care plants need regular drinks.

So, now you know my areas of expertise, and also projects that I wouldn’t be a good fit with.

Why not have a look at the Garden Gallery to see more examples of what you could grow, with minimal effort, in your own garden space?