Colour in the Garden - The Benefits of Blue

When it comes to using colour in the garden, did you know that blue is a fantastic colour to use because it's so versatile? It has a recessive quality to it which some people may find ambiguous but it is that exact quality that makes it such a useful colour to use in a garden design. Simply by receding, it can be used to blend other colours together in planting; or to create an illusion of depth be that in planting or within the landscaping materials; it also has an ability to pick up the mood of its neighbouring plants too.

Blue can add depth and space to a garden so it’s a great colour to use at the back of a border to make it seem like the vista is extending even further. There are so many different hues and tones of colours - pale blue for example, can bring lightness, through to intense saturated hues – think of the vibrancy of cornflowers on a hot summer's day! Blue also works really well in shady areas as it picks up the light and is a colour well known for creating calm, restful and contemplative spaces. So, with that in mind blue can offer you opportunities to help obtain the right feel and ambience that you are trying to create.

Some well known blue plants you might think of immediately are Ceanothus, Muscari, Iris and Geraniums but here are a few others that we use in our planting schemes:

Echinops ritro ‘Veitch’s Blue’ is popular for its globes of blue flowers which contrast so well with other plant forms, they stand around 1m in height and 45cm in width so are ideally suited to the middle or back of a sunny border. Echinops are magnets for lots of pollinating insects to your garden too which can only be an added bonus!

Salvia x sylvestris ‘Mainacht’ has indigo blue flowers on spikes that liven up a border in early to mid summer; it stands around 80cm in height and 50cm in width. It looks great in an herbaceous border and is a reliable perennial which will keep coming back year after year making it a good investment. It prefers well drained but moist soil, plant this and you’ll notice pollinating insects visiting your garden!

Salvia 'Blue Spire' (previously classified as Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’) is also known as Russian sage, (see main pic) it has aromatic leaves and upright silvery grey spires with blue tubular shaped flowers. Often mistaken as a perennial it is in fact a shrub and will typically flower in August and September. It can get to around 1.2m in height and 1m width and is happiest in full sun. Plant it near a pathway where you can enjoy its fragrance.

Don’t forget you don’t have to just have blue flowers in the garden to create that blue theme; you can match your gates, doors or even paint obelisks in this colour too which will create dynamism, cohesion and flow right through your garden.

We’ve created a Pinterest board for ‘Blue’ in the garden, take a peek here www.pinterest.com/bluedaisyuk/colour-wheel-blue/

March Gardens

This month we should start to notice the sun warming up, the grass starting to grow and of course the early spring bulbs will be gracing us with their presence brightening up our borders and generally making us smile! The weather though this month can be changeable so don’t be tempted to remove any protective fleeces on your planted out tender plants. And for any you've stored under cover over winter, we can still have some sharp frosts so you may need to keep them safe until the threat of frosts has passed.

With the sun’s warmth getting stronger though the germination of weeds will begin in earnest now so it is really important to hoe them out. Any perennial weeds will need to be dug out now before they really start to take hold. Applying mulch to the soil this time of year is good because it will keep all the moisture in and cut down on the amount of weeds germinating.

Roses will need some attention this month too, if you didn’t prune in the autumn now is the time to do it before new growth is well developed. Also willows and dogwoods will need some attention so they are looking their best for the autumn and winter displays we like so much.

This month pests and diseases in the garden really start to get going so it is vital to keep on top of them. If you are normally a chemical user then consider giving biological controls a try this year, slugs and snails can be greatly reduced by watering a particular nematode into the borders two or three times a year. In the greenhouse keep your eyes open for aphids, red spider mite and whiteflies as the temperatures begin to rise and biological controls can all work for them too.

March Garden Jobs

Prune heathers by removing dead flower heads being careful not to cut into old wood
Keep on top of and remove germinating weeds
Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials to encourage invigorated growth and increase your garden stock
Gently scarify your lawn if not done in the autumn
Mow lawns on a high setting for the first few cuts
Lay turf or seeds from the end of this month and into April
Prepare seed beds ready for planting up vegetables
Plant early varieties of potatoes
Sow seeds this month, check carefully as some will need to be started off inside and some can be planted straight out into the borders
Divide large clumps of herbs such as chives
Mulch beds and borders to keep weeding and watering to a minimum
Refresh and top dress containers with fresh compost
Begin to increase watering of houseplants, if the compost feels moist wait a little longer before watering.

Building to Protect Gardens

Considering having some building work done on your home? If so, now is the perfect time to factor your garden into those considerations too. As Garden Designers who often follow on after builders have left a property, we can find some pretty shocking things. Not all of the time thankfully, but enough to know it’s an industry wide problem for many homeowners so it’s good to get ahead of the game if you can, and some – if not all – of the points below are a good idea to discuss with your builder preferably at quoting stage or at the very least, a pre-build meeting.

Think about your garden/s (both front and back if you have them) and try to be clear about what – if anything - you want to protect. Identify those things right at the outset, before any building work begins – before you’ve even got quotes for building – for instance, garden plants and trees, family space and/or access, elements like patios or water features, etc.

If builders know at the outset (i.e. at the point of being asked to quote) what it is you’re expecting of them you can both agree how things might happen throughout the build, for instance:

Designate areas:
- Consider having strict ‘no go’ areas that builders, their equipment and supplies aren’t allowed to encroach upon and ensure they are clearly marked as such. This might be areas of lawns and borders, for instance. Don't forget you might still be living in your property while work is being done so you might need some outdoor space to be available when your builders aren't on site - you shouldn't need to be imprisoned inside when you're having work done on your house, especially at weekends or evenings.
- Ask builders to put up protective fencing or a visual barrier around trees and their roots and/or borders; this tells all their workers and those delivering that they can’t cross that line. Plant roots, especially trees, need to breathe so any compaction will be detrimental to their health. Protect tree trunks too.
- Create an agreed route in and out of the site with a view to keeping soil compaction down. Compaction makes it very difficult to sustain plant and soil life. Board the route to help spread the weight of footfall, vehicles and machinery.
- Agree a designated area for storage of materials and equipment as well as for waste materials for onward collection, it helps the organisation of the site as well as making it tidier for you and your neighbours!
Don’t forget waste water disposal too. So often water used for washing tools or cement mixers is just thrown onto grass/lawns, under hedges or down the drain! This ‘slurry’ has so many chemicals that can render soil lifeless for quite some time, it can also change the pH of earth and kill off micro-organisms that live in it. Slurry needs to be dealt with properly so there is no damage to water courses or your garden. It can be used in an added-value way – for instance as hollow concrete block wall back-fill, or in sub-bases but if no positive use is possible, it can be poured over waste masonry in skips that contain no organic materials. (This is a good point to be aware of even if you're having small jobs done on your property - think plasterers, decorators, painters, etc.... the list goes on.)

Protect gardens from compaction: Often known affectionately as 'tonney bags' bulk bags are heavy! (the clue is in the nickname!), so storing them under trees, right on top of a tree's roots is not a good practice. Tree roots need to breathe so compaction will be detrimental to a tree's health.

Some builders will have their own set of ‘green’ credentials but it’s important to ask to see them and ask everyone who's quoting how they will look after your land whilst transforming your home. Whilst homeowners need to be realistic about impending deliveries and storage requirements for hard landscaping materials, builders need to also know that all of a homeowner’s property is not a free access-for-all and sundries, so compromises will need to be made on both sides. But what you don’t want is to have to spend even more money needlessly dealing with contaminated or compacted soil or waste in your garden or a long list of damaged or dead and dying plants once builders have left (which has, unfortunately been the case, for some of our clients). So agreeing a plan of attack at the outset – and getting it written into contracts – is in both parties’ best interests.

Existing home owners at least have the opportunity to potentially influence what happens in their gardens during a build. We have also designed gardens for new build properties and our experience of these gardens is quite scary; very little viable soil, ground that has been badly compacted and contaminated; buried waste, severe drainage issues and often poor-quality turf laid to cover what’s left are just some of the horrors our landscapers have discovered. At the moment there’s no real legislation for builders to leave the earth in a good condition after they’ve finished so many don’t (though there is a Defra released, non-binding Construction Code of Practice for the Sustainable Use of Soils on Construction Sites); our industry is pushing for codes like this to become binding but we’re not there yet. So, if you’re able to influence things right from the start, we’d highly recommend it!

February Gardens

February is usually a cold month and can often be colder than January, but it looks to be another year of changeable weather for us - very wet and unseasonably mild.

This month we really start to notice the days getting that little bit longer and there are often a few sunny days to look forward to too! The warmer days can tempt us outside but don’t be fooled there's still a likelihood of cold winds, heavy frosts and maybe even a sprinkling of snow so remember, early sowing of seeds and planting out may lead to disappointment!

On those days warm enough to get outside and enjoy you’ll be able to see signs of life beginning to stir in and around your garden! Snowdrops and crocuses are already up and flowering in many areas and even the daffodils have made an appearance making everywhere look so much brighter and cheerier! We're already seeing them peeping through in many of our client's gardens here in Kenilworth and Warwickshire.

This month is a really great time to prune trees, roses, shrubs and climbers that are due to be cut back in late winter. Buds are already appearing on many plants and it’s best to finish the winter pruning just before the spring time growth spurt really begins so sooner rather than later is the mantra for this year so far!

Take a walk around the garden on a warmer day and check that your recently planted trees and shrubs haven’t been lifted by the frost or strong winds (known as wind rock). If they have, gently firm them in – those that have been planted the previous year should have had plenty of time to grow out from their root balls.

Last month we mentioned planning what you wanted to do in your garden this year, whether it was making a new veggie bed, to moving or dividing plants through to re-designing part or the entire garden. So, if you are considering having a new veggie bed now is the time to plan for it and a few questions to ask yourself are:

What do you want to grow?
What is your budget?
What size do you want?
Where will it go?
What materials can you use?
How much time to you have to maintain what you grow?

Once you’ve answered those questions it’s time to get started. If there is turf in the area you want to use simply skim it off the surface and then fork over the soil and let the remaining frosts break it down and it will also give it time to settle! Have a look through the seed catalogues or go and visit a local garden centre for inspiration!

February Garden Jobs

There’s still lots to do in the winter garden!

Put cloches over the ground that you’ll be using for vegetables so the soil can really warm up and be ready for the seeds/seedlings. If you don’t have cloches use clear polythene and ensure it is weighted down at the edges.
Check garden structures e.g. pergolas, arches, fences and trellis and make any repairs as needed
Keep ponds free of ice
Keep bird feeders and water dispensers topped up
Plan a herb garden/area
Clean, sharpen and repair tools before the season really gets going
Continue to remove any debris and rubbish whenever you find it to reduce the risk of infestations of for example, greenfly, blackfly, vine weevils and slugs later in the year
Check any tubers you are storing for rot
Begin to sow annuals of both flowers and herbs but keep them in a greenhouse or on a warm windowsill
Any conifer branches bent out of shape with snow can be coaxed back into place, simply tie in any branches that are spoiling the shape of the tree but make sure it is soft twine or it could cut the branch and frost could get in and damage or kill it
Remove worm casts from the lawn by using a brush and keep it clear of leaves
Keep any protective fleeces on your plants a bit longer yet!

Good Bones - Structure in the Garden

If you’ve been looking out at a garden that gives you very little to hold your interest, it’s likely it could do with a serious injection of ‘structure’.

It’s probably fair to say that garden designers are a tad obsessed with structure in the garden because it is the key to a great garden; it is the framework upon which the fleeting or seasonal elements of a garden hang on, the skeleton or ‘bones’ of a garden, if you will; the thing that holds everything together, strongly and in place. As such, structure in a garden can be made up of many things, both hard and soft landscaping elements (including, confusingly, ‘garden structures’, like buildings and pergolas!). For the most part the defining quality of any structural element in a garden is one of permanence or persistence – they are the things that are there throughout the year; they might change through the year (like a deciduous tree) or not (like a patio or pathway) but they will be a constant, so regardless of season, they still bring something to the garden.

So, where do you start with structure in your own garden?

Well, if you’re designing a garden from scratch good bones or structure starts with the shapes you use for the different elements of your garden (patios, pathways, lawns, ponds, beds and borders, etc.) and how you lay them out in relation to each other and to your home. Regardless of the season this layout is the constant foundation of the garden, it underpins everything. And whilst you can make this layout interesting in and of itself with the application of different materials and textures, when you start to think in 3D the magic really begins to happen.

Elements such as trees, walls, pergolas, gazebos, arches, hedges, obelisks, sculpture, shrubs, etc., that operate on the vertical plane, offer up a gold mine of infinite structural possibilities, that when integrated effectively with the structural foundation of your garden layout can ensure that every season in a well structured garden is a season of interest. Take our main image as an example, this was taken in October at Scampston Hall in Yorkshire, and you can see that there's still plenty of interest going on to hold the eye even without any flowers to speak of, and you also know that even later in the year and well into winter the structural elements will still continue to work well.

Whether starting from scratch or adding extra layers of structure to an already existing garden when deciding which structural elements to include in your design simplicity is often the key. Consider the function, size and scale, materials, colour, style and positioning of each element; too many elements or materials, style and colour for instance, can result in visual overload whilst misjudging the size and scale of an element can lead to confusion and disproportion.

If you’re working with an existing garden most people tend to have a lawn, patio, pathway, borders and a shed or greenhouse. These are all structural elements – hopefully organised well already – so you wouldn’t want to overload it with too many more structural things but you might be amazed at the difference one or two small well placed specimen trees and some low level evergreen hedging could make!

Don’t forget the more seasonal elements of your garden in relation to the structure too. Your structure should support the whole, not take it over! It should offer a dependable backdrop to the high impact stars of the growing season. Those seasonal showstoppers will take centre stage when cued but when their star has faded it will be the good bones; the strong structural elements of a garden that will carry the mantle of interest through the whole year.

January Gardens

Whoever said January was a boring month for gardening? Just take a look out of your windows at all the colour, ok it’s not from flowers blooming but look at the evergreens, the bare branches and the different colour barks often covered in frost.

If you’re very lucky (or unlucky depending on your view!) snow will add more interest and if you don’t have a snowfall this month you should still be guaranteed a frost or two! We've had a very mild winter again so far - even with the smattering of snow we've had - so chances are you will catch sight of a few Spring bulbs popping up to take advantage of the days getting a fraction lighter.

This is a great time of year to begin planning ahead in the comfort of indoors, deciding how you want your private space to look. So get out those seed catalogues or gardening magazines/books and write a list of which seeds (or if seeds feel risky, plants) to buy for the year ahead. You may even decide to buy a greenhouse and erect it ready for sowing your seeds or buy a compost bin and water butt – you can’t start preparing too early!

There are still lots of jobs to be done even on those cold and wintery days - an ideal way to burn off the mince pies and Christmas pud!

January Garden Jobs

This year has (so far) begun unseasonably mild again which means we have the opportunity to get out into our gardens early paving the way for spring. It also means that some plants will be flowering a bit too early so keep your eyes on those tender plants especially as the chances of a cold snap will still exist for the next few months.
See below for a list of jobs that can be done this month.

If you plan on sowing seeds early this year – buy the seeds as soon as you can to avoid delivery delays
Check the weather forecasts to make sure you protect any tender plants from frost and wind
Regularly check any trees you have staked, the wind can often loosen them
If you have snow remember to knock it off your hedges and conifers – it can get really heavy and make them bend
Remove any weeds that show themselves this month
Wipe all the blades on your cutting tools and remember to give them a rub down once a year with wire wool to remove the rust
Don’t forget the birds – they rely on you for their food and ice-free water!
Buy some plant pot cleaner and make sure all your pots are clean and ready for this year’s use
If you plan on sowing seeds outdoors think about covering the soil with cloches (or similar) to get the soil warm and ready for seeds
Install waterbutts and compost bins
Check any bulbs or tubers that you are storing for signs of rotting
Keep borders clear of debris or falling leaves
Keep your eyes open for any last leaves that fall, sweep them up and keep for leaf mould
Plant bare root roses
Clean both the inside and outside of greenhouses and cold frames to get ready for seeds.

Blue Daisy - Christmas Card through the ages...

One of our eagle eyed clients noticed that our Christmas cards have a 'different but familiar' feel to them but she just couldn't put her finger on why. So, since we're all bombarded with cards and e-cards these days - and we generally don't keep them - we thought we'd provide a little 'Blue Daisy Christmas through the ages' timeline which, as you can see, does have a rather familiar thread running through them!

Jules has been involved with Blue Daisy right from the outset - although not officially until 2014 - but she has been doing our cards for us since way back when, we hope you enjoy this little trip down Memory Lane!

2009

Our first card - Robin and Snowman (v1) make their debuts.

2010

Snowman (v2) makes an appearance - we rather liked a top hat for him!

2013

Snowman gets a makeover!

2014

The double act continues...

2015

Need we say more?

2016

Snowman being I...

2017

Meet Rudy, he makes an occasional appearance...

2018

Encased...

2019

The elves are upon us!

2020

Snowman and Robin get an actual garden!

2021

Candle glow for 2021

2022

Silent night...

2023

Snowman and friends - hat parade.

2024

As you can see from our main image, baubles are the order of the day for 2024 with Rudy making another guest appearance. And if you've also been feeling a hint of deja vu when you get our e-cards please be assured we're not sending you the same card year in year out!!

We'd be interested to hear your thoughts on them, do you have a favourite? Let us know on our social media channels (links are at the top and bottom of the page)!

Oh, and Merry Christmas!

Plan Now For Your 2025 Garden

Winter border including bright dogwood stems against tree bark.

Get ahead for 2025

The end of one year and start of another often sparks thoughts of both reflection and of possibilities to come. Gardeners, of course, are masters of thinking ahead but typically, we’ve found that that many of our garden design clients are slightly less so! Often those interested in having their garden professionally designed don’t start thinking about it until the weather starts picking up in the spring - at exactly the point that they want to start enjoying their garden in full; little realising that the process from planning through to build and then to planting can actually take months.

Even if you’re not planning on working with a professional garden designer winter is the perfect time to make the most of that ‘end of one year, start of another’ mindset that is ingrained in us all. But by applying it to your garden, which often doesn’t get a look in at this time of year, it allows you to get ahead - hopefully to the point where your garden will be ready for when you want to enjoy it in 2025.

Review your existing garden

So, thinking back, consider what has worked well for you in the garden this year, what were your highlights and, more importantly, what didn’t work so well for you. Try to think about all the different elements that make up your garden - the planting, the hard landscaping and all of the people, pets and wildlife that interact with it and how, then add into the mix the weather and how that affected the use of your garden. Try to think about function and form, for example: did your garden accommodate everything you wanted from it; when you wanted it; does it look how you’d like it to look, when you wanted it to look it.

It can be a good idea to break down your review by months. So, for instance let’s start with January. You might not engage with your garden in January but that may purely be down to the weather so would a garden shelter for instance make your garden more usable in those inclement weather months? Would all weather furniture make a difference along with an outdoor form of heating? Would slip-free surfaces make your January garden life better? If you’re really not interested in being outdoors in January does your garden still give you something beautiful to look out on at that time? More structural elements in your garden perhaps, and probably way more evergreens than you currently have!

Identify improvement areas

Do this for every single month and chances are you’ll end up with a long list of potential improvement areas, and while these ideas aren’t exhaustive, if you can become aware of the gaps or shortcomings of your garden - or in some cases potential dangers that arose during the previous year (for example surfaces may have become slippery in damp weather) - you can then start planning ways to address them for the coming one. And once you know what you need you’ll then be able to consider the methods required to achieving them.

Professional garden designers

Some of those solutions may well be achievable on your own and sometimes some professional help might just be the ticket. For the most part our clients choose to work with a professional garden designer because they know what’s not working for them in terms of their garden but they can’t quite see the wood for the trees in finding the best way forward for them and their budget. They also find comfort in the idea that we can recommend landscapers because we’ve worked with them on previous builds. But either way, when a professional is involved - whether that’s a garden designer, a landscaper, or both, then for most of us that will mean finding someone reliable and that can take time. Then they have to be available, because, let’s face it, the good ones are often booked up for some time but you can begin to see why now might just be the perfect time to be thinking about your 2025 garden.

December Gardens

With Christmas fast approaching us the general pace of work in the garden is much more relaxed as there is a lot less urgency for jobs to be completed now. Many people think that there is nothing to do in December but you’d be surprised! It’s a great time for pruning woody ornamental plants, fruit trees and bushes because they are in their dormant period. Now that the leaves have almost finished dropping you can really see what you’re doing and can check to see if there is any dead or diseased wood to prune out. Don’t prune your Cornus (Dogwoods) though because their stem colour gives us some striking winter interest for our gardens.

Keep clearing any fallen leaves and save for leaf mould. Even though there are fewer garden pests and diseases around at this time of year keeping one step ahead of your garden hygiene – even in December – will reduce pest and disease problems in the spring and summer. If you find anything diseased you should really burn it rather than putting it in the compost heap. Remember too to leave a few areas undisturbed for overwintering beneficial insects like ladybirds.

Greenhouse and cold frame hygiene is also high on the list this month as the moist atmosphere is a perfect breeding ground for moulds and other diseases. Insulating your greenhouse or cold frame with bubble wrap will conserve heat for those overwintering plants you’ve brought in or if you’re getting ahead with any newly sewn seeds for next year.

You’ll find that whenever you’re out and about in the garden this month you’re likely to be followed around by a Robin looking for worms or insects that you may have disturbed. Winter is a difficult time for birds, so don’t forget to feed them regularly and give them clean water to bathe as they do become quite dependent on you to survive especially in the deep cold of winter (if it happens this year! It's been super mild again so far.)

For those of you that don’t want to go out into the garden you could start to think about what you want to do with the garden next year. Make a list of any plants you want to move or divide, any new plants you want to buy or seeds you want to order. Consider the different parts of your garden – are there any parts you would like to change? Would you like to add something to it, take something away, change the shape of it, incorporate vegetable beds, perhaps?

Whatever you have in mind, don’t forget that Blue Daisy can help you shape your garden with and for you, whether it is designing all or part of it and if you're not sure what you could do don't forget we also do advice sessions. These involve an hour of Nicki's time talking about your garden with you, it's amazing the amount of information you can get in an hour...

December Garden Jobs

Start to prune your climbing roses - this is something that can be continued until February time
Protect the base of tender climbers and shrubs - straw is a good option
It's a great month to plant bare root trees and shrubs
Keep borders free of fallen leaves
Keep your garden birds fed and watered
Protect your container plants and pots - move them to a sheltered spot and if it's due to be really cold wrap up any terracotta pots with bubble wrap or similar to help prevent them from cracking
Prune shrubs and hedges while they're dormant
Keep an eye on any overwintering bulbs and corms for any signs of rot

What the Great British Bake Off Can Teach Us About Garden Design... no, really!

If you’re anything like us you’ve been watching the trials and tribulations of this year’s wannabe star bakers getting to grips with Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood’s stretching, if not seemingly impossible (for us mere mortals), weekly baking challenges in the Great British Bake Off (GBBO).

But watching the initially optimistic bakers’ dozen succumb to the pressures of the signature, technical and showstopper challenges over the last few weeks it’s got us to thinking and as mad as it sounds we think the GBBO has lessons about garden design hidden in its depths.

So, without further ado, and in no particular order, here’s our take on what the GBBO can teach us about being a garden designer.

Ingredients
A core component of a successful GBBO challenge is the ingredients of a bake that combine to make a hopefully beautiful whole. It’s exactly the same for garden design – get the ingredients wrong and the results can be disastrous. When putting that ‘recipe’ together, whether for the oven or the garden it pays to think ahead. Creativity and flair make for exciting results but garden designers generally tend not to throw ingredients in on a whim!
Measuring out
Linked to the above, the measuring out of those ingredients is crucial to a good bake. Getting it wrong will change the chemistry of a bake, and from that everything else follows: taste, structure, consistency, look, etc. Get your measurements wrong in garden design and you’ll potentially be looking at a disproportionate, imbalanced result, not to mention a probable under or over spend on materials and a garden that might not be fit for purpose (paths too narrow, steps too high, patio too small, for instance). It might not feel very creative, but garden designers love tape measures and other measuring instruments. The lesson is clear - take the time to measure things out and the results will look all the better for it.
Timing
There’s no getting away from it – good baking is all about timing and the GBBO takes that timing and turns it into high pressure for the bakers every week. Garden design is a little less time sensitive for most of us (unless there’s a show garden involved, of course!) but it does still play a key role in a garden design project. Timescales from idea to concept through to build and planting can take months rather than weeks so it’s important for clients to know what’s involved before things even begin to happen; the timing of materials delivery can either help or hinder the progress of a build phase while the seasonal timing of planting up designs can have implications for cost, risk and visual impact, to name a few. Timing also needs to have a degree of flexibility and judgement thrown into the mix too – in GBBO terms that manifests itself as ‘shall I take it out of the oven’, ‘shall I leave it in’, ‘is it cooked’, ‘shall I turn it up, or down or just leave it’; these are all GBBO dilemmas that we see week in week out but similar judgement calls also need to be made in garden design projects too, many led by the weather! The lesson:– have a plan, but be prepared to be flexible.
Creativity
This one goes without saying – every week in the GBBO kitchen we see creativity in spades. A GBBO winner is never going be short on creativity and neither is a good garden designer. But creativity doesn’t have to be all singing, all dancing and showy, it can be subtle and clever too; hidden in the depths of the flavouring, and so it is with garden design too. A good, creative garden design doesn’t have to smack you in the face! It can creep up on you slowly and win you over with subtle, clever touches of genius; so don’t forget garden design isn’t all about the show stopper!
Confidence
We see it often in the GBBO – a contestant trying to face down Paul Hollywood’s sceptical blue eyes after they’ve outlined their plans to him. Garden design can sometimes feel like that, especially when presenting a concept! But we’ve also found that non-believers can and often do become converts – the proof, as they say, is often in the pudding. Paul Hollywood is big enough to admit when his scepticism was misplaced and a good dose of confidence also goes a long way in garden design where, unlike the GBBO, the ‘pudding’ will never usually get to be made unless you can win someone over to the ideas first. The lesson for a garden designer - present your ideas with confidence because if you don’t have confidence in your design your client definitely won’t.
Scale & Structure
Scale and structure crops up time and again in the GBBO – bake 36 identical these; 3 tiers of those; a freestanding this; a centrepiece made out of that – it’s not enough to make a great biscuit for instance in the GBBO: instead you’ve got to make a biscuit scene or structure and week in, week out the bakers generally rise to the challenge. The lessons are clear: a methodical, unflappable approach, calmness in the face of adversity, being able to think on your feet (and occasionally outside the box), adapt plans, avoid distractions, work to a plan and a timetable while remaining technically sound and keeping a sharp eye on the details along with a flair for 'joining things' are all required to win out. These skills need to be the preserve of the garden designer too.
Consistency
Everyone agrees – you have to be good to even win a place in the GBBO tent but when the competition starts in earnest you have to be consistent too. You don’t have to be star baker week in week out to win either, just consistently good. Consistency counts and it’s a good trait for a garden designer too – you don’t have to be a celebrity garden designer to be a good one.
Expertise
The GBBO wouldn’t be the success it is without the highly experienced and respected Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith (and Mary Berry before her). It is their expertise that adds the extra pressure onto the contestants which in turn is so engaging to watch. It is their opinion we all hang on to – it is them the contestants want to impress and to be like in the kitchen – it is them that are the safe pair of hands in the collective and proverbial baking kitchen of the nation. The GBBO wouldn’t be the same without that level of expertise – it is a key ingredient of its success – and garden designs benefit from a good dose of expertise too. Sure we can all have a go and do it ourselves – the contestants themselves are testimony to that for the most part in baking terms, but disasters do happen, quite often, and you can’t help thinking that if Paul, or Prue (or Mary) were baking x, y or z, it would be a pretty disaster-free affair. The GBBO lesson for being a garden designer: know your stuff.
Humour
GBBO's sidekicks Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond (along with Sandi Toksvig, Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins previously) aren’t to everyone’s taste but their contribution to the success of GBBO with their silly, easy brand of humour and tongue in cheek innuendos is indisputable. Their humour is the constant thread throughout the GBBO; it is the tension reliever, the stress buster and sometimes even the disaster averter. And while it’s not a requirement for a garden designer, the lessons of the GBBO apply here too – however plans go awry, and for whatever reason, hang on to your humour!
Taste test
There’s no getting away from it, taste matters in the GBBO tent and so it is with garden design too. Whether you’re baking for Paul and Prue or your family; or designing a garden for a client the desired outcomes are the same: the taster has to love the result. Hopefully the other lessons learned will contribute to a positive outcome but one of the tricks in this regard is to keep the particular taster in mind while applying those lessons. Taste is subjective after all, and there is no accounting for it as the old adage says, so it is important to cater for a specific taster (client) when thinking about garden design – it is that bespoke application of skill and knowledge that will ensure success.

So there you have it, 10 lessons that GBBO can teach us about being a garden designer. A stretch? Maybe… but silliness aside, the lessons still apply!!