As a professional gardener, I have often been asked what climbing plants I recommend for covering fences. However, there are many options when you consider deciduous varieties, and I’ve talked about some of them in my Climbers for Fences guide. I’ve also talked about evergreen climbers in general here, so in this guide, I want to focus on the best evergreen climbers for fences. What makes these climbing plants different is that they are perfect…
When it comes to large grasses, not many varieties of grasses make more of a statement in the garden than an established pampas grass with tall swaying plumes. I’ve been a professional gardener for over 20 years and have worked in my family’s small nursery for as many years. I often get asked ‘when and how to prune pampas grass? I first covered this in my Pampas grass growing guide, which covered planting, general care,…
I’ve been a professional gardener for 20 years, working on my family’s nursery. Over the years, I’ve often been asked about the best shrubs for small gardens and shrubs for low-maintenance gardens. However, in this guide, I want to talk about some of my favourite shrubs that thrive in full sun with very little shade. Many shrubs prefer a more partially shaded position with the sun for around 5-6 hours a day; in 10-12 hours…
I’ve previously talked about ground cover plants in general and some of my favourite recommendations, as well as which ground cover plants I plant in shady positions. In this guide, I want to focus on fast growing ground cover plants and have included shrubs, perennials and even a couple of my favorite alpines. Some of my recommended ground cover plants, including Vinca, also known as Periwinkle, thrive in more shady positions, while others, including Ceanothus…
As a professional gardener and working on my family’s nursery for over 20 years, one of the most common questions I get asked is, ‘Why is my conifer turning brown?’. After further investigation, it’s nearly always usually caused by one of two reasons: by trimming to hard into brown wood or at wrong time of year. The second reason for browning is the Cypress aphid, but more on this further down. There are a handful…
