Blog

Blog

Rewilding on the Suffolk Coast

Rewilding   The term rewilding can be interpreted in different ways, but generally as the restoration of an ecosystem to the point where it can take care of itself. This can involve the reintroduction of …

Blog

Wildflowers and Pastoralism in Arcadia

    Arcadia, Greece A week of hiking the Menalon Trail in Arcadia from Lagadia to Dimitsana, high up in the Peloponnese mountains and one starts to understand what pastoralism really means. This part of …

Blog

Choosing a gardening colour palette

The Boodles Best of British Garden  choosing the colour palette I love the vibrancy and drama in Pre-Raphaelite paintings and I want to harness this vibrancy of colour in my plant palette for the garden …

Blog

Surviving the drought in my kitchen garden

This summer has been a battle of survival in my kitchen garden. At last, after months of waiting, we have had some rain here at Mansard House in Suffolk. Since May we have only watered …

Blog

Rambling Roses at Mansard House

The garden at Mansard House, here in Suffolk is not so much of a designed garden, but rather a kind of garden laboratory to try out planting schemes before imposing them on our clients. The …

Boodles Garden design at RHS Chelsea
Blog

Gold at RHS Chelsea 2022

    I am absolutely thrilled to have been awarded a gold medal by the RHS for my Boodles Travel Garden at Chelsea Flower Show 2022. What an incredible team I had working with me …

Blog

Autumn Colour

Autumn colour is always a bit disappointing at Mansard House – with the exception of this year. I think it’s a soil/climate thing. Firstly, our soil is a very silty sandy loam with a very …

Blog

Bulb planting in meadows

The soil at Mansard House is far too fertile for the traditional wildflower meadow. Owing to the fact that we are on alluvial flood plain; essentially silty loam. I have managed it as a wildflower …

Blog

Cambridge Garden Design

There is one big hurdle to overcome when designing a garden in the city of Cambridge in that it is the driest city in the UK. Combined with rain shadow and global warming, Cambridge is …