Landscape Juice

Claudia de Yong's been to the Malvern spring show

After a long drive,due to me ignoring my Sat Nav as I of course know better, I arrived in the beautiful Malvern Hills ready to be blown away by not only the scenery but hopefully an exciting show, now in it's 25th Year, writes Claudia de Yong.

The wind however, did most of the blowing at The Spring Garden Show. The setting is beautiful but I can't say I was too impressed by the Show Gardens this year. The show ground is very spread out and the area for gardens is large but with no real signposting which indicated which exhibit belonged to which Designer or Sponsor.

Garden Press Event review by Claudia de Yong

I have just visited the Garden press Event held at The Royal horticultural Halls in Westminster.

There were 63 stands and the event is billed as key companies within the Industry showing what plants and products are new.

As for all shows, trade or public, they are only as successful as the stands that are there, writes Claudia de Yong.

The Kitchen Garden

When someone mentions they have a kitchen garden, a feeling of intense jealousy comes over me.

I imagine a lovely Georgian home with a walled area to the side and a small gate leading to a wonderfully abundant garden brimming with neat rows of vegetables interspersed with flowers and standard trees or roses, writes Claudia de Yong.

Glee review 2009

Never listen to a Glee sponsor when they say, ""Glee is still as popular as ever and this year's show aims to uphold its status as an informative and innovative event."

I will always prefer to hear it from the horses mouth. In other words, peer review; the people who actually attend.

Claudia de Yong paid a visit on the middle day and here are her thoughts.

Having been to Glee for the last 4 years and with a trimmed show last year, I was unsure if the journey up the M40 would warrant a visit this year or not. The show had opened yesterday and I was here on the second of the three exhibition days, writes Claudia de Yong.

Garden lighting

Putting lighting in a garden is often an afterthought but it should be considered from the outset when designing a garden, writes Claudia de Yong.

More and more people are using their gardens as outdoor rooms these days and lighting extends the amount of time you can use the space. Subtle lighting can transform an area adding a touch of romance . Candles add ambiance but there are also so many new lights on the market that have the same effect.

Maintenance of a garden after it has been designed

Having a new garden designed and built is just the beginning of a journey. Because the planting is usually the very last job to be done and provides an instant effect, many clients get the impression that its then state, is timeless.

Regular contributor, Claudia de Yong shares her thoughts on how to approach your new garden after completion with tips on maintenance.

One of the best feelings for a garden designer is seeing your client’s happy face when you have just finished a project on their garden. It is so rewarding knowing that what you have designed and built will be enjoyed and continue to give great pleasure for many years to come. Writes Claudia de Yong.

Claudia de Yong's Hampton Court Flower Show report

Regular Landscape Juice contributor, Claudia de Yong as been to Hampton Court. Claudia tells me that there is a lot to see so if you go, leave enough time.

Hampton Court Flower Show may never have had the prestige of Chelsea but many people have always it enjoyed it more as a show not only as an exhibitor but also as a visitor. Indeed they call it the show for real gardeners, writes Claudia de Yong.

This is due partly due to the wonderful setting with the Palace behind as a vast backdrop and the long water with sprouting fountains and also for the fact that many gardens have been created using plants that are in season,they can be bought in the plant marquees and stands and , people seem to glean more with them in terms of ideas for themselves.

Sourcing garden pots and containers

Claudia de Yong does the hard work for you in sourcing garden pots and containers.

Finishing touches to a garden often involves using pots and containers planted up with annuals, shrubs or topiary. There are so many options available from classic lead, faux lead, terracotta ,fibreglass, stone, hazel and willow and the list goes on.

Choosing the right pot for the right situation is quite important when designing a garden and making sure all the elements work together be it for a front porch, a driveway , a patio or even around a swimming pool.

Planting odd and even numbers in garden design

When we plant our gardens we generally follow a rule which is to plant in odd numbers. Threes, fives , sevens and so on. In a garden centre or nursery we can be tempted by a herbaceous plant which looks so lovely we feel we ‘have’ to have it, by Claudia de Yong.

Then we come home and wonder where we are going to put it without really thinking of the overall picture. However, when designing a garden we would never think of just planting one of something unless it was a large shrub or tree and we have planned where it is going to go from the outset.

Recently a client asked me why we plant in odd numbers. I replied that traditionally we don’t tend to plant in even numbers as we want to avoid a bed with plants all in a row lined up like soldiers. We take our inspiration from nature which has a natural chaos about it and thus a less ordered or managed look.

Is Gardeners' World Live worth it

This week Claudia de Yong took a trip to Gardeners' World Live. Judging by the following it seems she really wish that she hadn't.

Claudia writes, Today I drove up the M40 to go for the first time to the BBC Gardeners’ World Live at the NEC. It was a case of if you don’t go you might miss something but for me it was more a case of now I know why I have never been!

To get to any show at the NEC is like going to Ikea. The signs are dreadful, the parking , well you are sent round and round until you end up on the other side of the M40 virtually. Once you have negotiated the endless parking areas with a letter and number, you have to join a queue for a shuttle bus which never arrives so it is better to walk the miles to the entrance- that is if you can find the entrance. And like Ikea you can’t wait to get out and vow never to go back!