Simon Orchard Garden Design Blog

Late summer perennials to keep your garden flowering for longer

It’s a bright September morning, cool but with the promise of a warm day as the sun rises over the trees in the east in my Hampshire...

4 Creative Ways to Light Your Garden

Adding lighting elements can really help you to make the most of your outside space, and extend the hours of enjoyment you can get from...

Shed some light - a guide to buying the perfect shed

We were recently contacted by Wayfair.co,uk (purveyors of everything one could ever want or need for the home and garden) and asked if we...

In the media - a wow-factor garden

Modern Gardens Magazine seem to like featuring our gardens (and there's another of my garden designs featuring in the forthcoming April...

How much does a garden design cost?

If you’re reading this article you’re most likely thinking about updating or improving your garden and want to find out more about garden...

7 tips on how to choose a landscape contractor

If you’re planning on carrying out some landscaping work in your garden – whatever the size of the project - it’s vital to get a...

In the media - hiring a garden designer

I get lots of calls from people looking for a garden designer in Hampshire, Surrey and London, and they often ask what the garden design...

Top 5 plants for winter scent

The first of February and it’s a cold and wet day. Outside, people are dashing around, heads bowed, trying to get from one warm dry...

On a cold & frosty morning...

What a joy to wake up this morning to a sparkling hoar frost on the last day of November – an unusual sight in London. So as soon as I’d...

Urban garden living wall

We’ve recently completed a small courtyard garden design-and-build in Clapham, incorporating a stunning ‘living’ wall. The clients, who...

A sackful of Dahlias pilfered from the park

I was out for my morning run in my local park in South East London earlier in the week and was stopped in my tracks by the sight of the...

A shady front garden

The client was looking for a south east London garden designer who could improve their neglected front garden. The small north-facing...

A stunning summer posy

I'm generally not one for creating flower arrangements but I couldn't resist putting these stunning colours together in a little posy....

How to create a mini dinosaur garden

Looking for ways to entertain the kids outdoors? Here's an easy way to create a miniature dinosaur garden, ideal for little explorers!...