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Wholesale Plants: A Garden Designers Guide

Written by Duncan Heather on .

How and where to buy wholesale plants in the UK There is an enormous choice of wholesale plants in the UK.  From independent nurseries like Avensis Perennials, Babylon Plants, and Farnham Common Nurseries, to large wholesale/retail nurseries like Hillier, Kingsdown or  Evergreen.  For trade only [...]

Our 10 Best Planting Design Books

Written by Duncan Heather on .

Our Planting Design Diploma Book List is by no means definitive, but has been compiled as a reference to some of the best planting design books currently available.  Some are now out of print but still current, while others are still very much available.  They cover both domestic, as well as commercial [...]

John Brookes MBE 1933-2018

Written by Duncan Heather on .

John Brookes Landscape Designer passed away yesterday at his home, at Denmans Nr Fontwell West Sussex.  He was 84. This article was written as a result of an interview that took place back in 2008 but was never published.  It briefly documents John’s extraordinary career and why his work had such [...]

Outdoor Steps: How to design a flight of outdoor steps

Written by Duncan Heather on .

Outdoor steps are a design opportunity. On any site with significant level differences, the design of changes in level is important for appearance, convenience and safety. The size and shape of outdoor steps in new buildings is governed by the local Building Regulations. This control is mainly directed [...]

Garden Design Shows

Written by Duncan Heather on .

Taking part in exhibitions as a garden designer - sense or nonsense? By former student Sabine Friedrich Should you take part in a garden design show? The answer is simple: yes, but ... ... only in cooperation with a landscaping company.But let's start with the 'yes, I would take part in an exhibition [...]

Outdoor Lighting: How to Design a Garden Lighting Scheme Pt. III

Written by Duncan Heather on .

In this final article on outdoor lighting, we will look at a real scheme.  In the first article we looked at the different outside lights,  such as uplighting, downlight, path lighting moonlighting   In the second article on garden lights we covered the different fittings and the choice of lamps.  [...]

Garden lights: How to Design a Garden Lighting Scheme Pt.II

Written by Duncan Heather on .

In Pt. 2 of this three-part article on How to Design a Garden Lighting Scheme, we look at garden lights, the fixtures, what they are and how they are used.  Garden Lights: Spot LightsThe fixtures pictured above are examples of bullet-style spotlight fixtures. The one on the left is in a bronze [...]

Outside Lights: How to Design a Garden Lighting Scheme

Written by Duncan Heather on .

Outside lights are fundamental to any successful landscape scheme.  In this 3 part article, we’ll discuss the different outside light fittings as well as their quality and durability. The different lamps available, as well as how, what and where to place outside lights for maximum effect. The [...]

Garden Design Tutorial: Banning the Eraser

Written by Duncan Heather on .

Why Banning the Eraser will Make you a Better Designer In this garden design tutorial, I ban my students from using an eraser! Instead, I encourage them to make mistakes which can then lead to happy accidents.  I have often used the analogy of ‘writers block’ when it comes to designing.  Some [...]

How to Measure A Garden

Written by Duncan Heather on .

Site Surveying: How to Measure A Garden and Plot it on Paper Before you can start designing a garden, you need to know how to measure a garden, then plot it on paper.  In order to do this, you will need to carry out a site survey. Your area measurement should be as accurate as possible, as mistakes [...]
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