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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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Society of Garden Designers Autumn Conference – Saturday 4th February
I am delighted to be talking at the Society of Garden Designers Autumn Conference with this prestigious list of speakers, hoping you will be able to join us at The Royal Geographical Society in London. …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …