How I work
Beautiful gardens, naturally
High standards and a living garden aren't opposites. Here's how I actually work.
I have a strong preference against synthetic herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers. Not as a principle to lecture people about. In most small gardens there's a better answer, and the better answer usually lasts longer.
Spraying a weed kills the weed. Working out why that patch keeps growing weeds (compacted soil, too much shade, bare ground over winter) stops it coming back. The second one is more interesting, and it's less work over a few years.
What I do differently
Feed the soil, not the plant
Most struggling plants are telling you something about the ground they're in. Compost, mulch and leaving the soil covered do more over a season than a bottle of feed does in a fortnight.
For example: A mulch of home-made compost in early spring, rather than granular feed in June.
Hand weeding and mulch before anything else
Most weeds in a domestic border are a bare-soil problem. Get something growing or something covering the ground, and the problem shrinks every year instead of coming back every spring.
For example: Bark or compost on a newly cleared border, rather than leaving it bare.
Leave something for the wildlife
A garden can be immaculate and still be alive. Usually that's a corner left long, a hedge cut at the right time of year, or seedheads left standing over winter. None of those stop the rest of the garden looking sharp.
For example: Not cutting a hedge between March and August if there's a nest in it.
Companion planting where it earns its place
Some combinations genuinely help: with pests, with pollination, or just with using the space better. Others are folklore. I'll tell you which is which.
For example: Poached egg plant near the veg for hoverflies, which eat aphids.
Right plant, right place
Half of garden problems are a plant in the wrong spot working very hard to stay alive. Moving it is usually cheaper and more effective than propping it up.
For example: Moving a hydrangea out of full afternoon sun rather than watering it twice a day.
Where I'd make an exception
I'm not absolutist about it. If there's Japanese knotweed, or a serious infestation that's going to cost you a hedge, I'll tell you honestly what the options are, including the ones I'd rather not use. What I won't do is reach for a spray as the first answer to an ordinary garden problem, or use anything without telling you.
Questions people ask
Want a gardener who'll explain what they're doing?
Give me a ring. I'm happy to talk through anything you're unsure about.