I've always believed that a garden fence holds more potential than just marking boundaries—it can be a canvas for your creativity.

Cor-ten steel looks good on fences, raised garden beds, and retaining walls. Here are 8 surprising ways to use the weathered metal in a landscape.

Mark Lane, the UK's first garden designer in a wheelchair and presenter on BBC Gardeners' World, with his top tips for a safe, secure and beautiful garden.

Is your garden on a slope? Unlock the potential of your space with these hillside garden ideas. Click to start the transformation!rn

Note: I originally did this page in such a way that the oldest content was at the top, and the newest was at the bottom. I have now decided to reverse the order so that new stuff is visible without having to scroll down to the end! November 2012 - Brassicas at rear, lots of Endives under cloches October 2012 - the Woodblocx raised bed is installed ********************************************************************************** This is where the original "My Plot" page began. Here are some pictures that show the layout of my plot. My house is a "typical" English suburban property. It has a small garden -- probably intended only for ornamental purposes. Regrettably, many people do not enjoy gardening, and having a small garden is attractive to such people since it involves less maintenance (what a strange view!)  Front view of my house  My property has almost no Front Garden -- just a tiny patch of grass and one Crab Apple tree -- but the Back Garden is my pride and joy. It is very roughly 10 metres square. When we first moved in here, the garden consisted mainly of a "lawn" (in very bad condition, and very uneven), surrounded by a very thin strip of "flower border". This is how it used to look, years ago In our early years here we enjoyed having the lawn as a play area for our children, and we sometimes used to play badminton on it. As the children grew up, the relevance of the lawn diminished, and the drudgery of keeping it in anything like decent condition became more and more onerous. About 10 years ago I dug up some of the lawn and created my first raised beds. These have subsequently been added-to and I now have six. Each one measures 1 metre x 2.4 metres. Finally, in 2007 I think, I had the grass completely removed and replaced with 2.5cm shingle. This was a stroke of genius in my opinion! August 2010 - six raised beds fully-stocked The patio - our outdoor dining area, with barbecue at right Looking towards the raised beds That blessed washing-line! (Rusted-in - can't shift it!) The "Fish Tree" (a Sorbus of some sort) with bird-feeders  Compost bins under the Fish tree September 2010 - netting over some of the beds October 2010 - nets replaced by fleece  November 2010 - just look at all those leaves   My shed - 6ft x 4ft  November 2010  18 Dec 2010 18 Dec 2010  12 March 2011 - peas sown    13 March 2011 - parsnips and beetroot protected by new cloches  19 March 2011 - The tatty old grass at the front got replaced with shingle 15 April 2011 - Crab Apple tree flowering  25 April 2011 - Brassicas removed; asparagus cropping; beetroot netted. 28 May 2011 - Broad Beans, Climbing Beans, Brassicas... 28 May 2011 - the patio still covered in seed-trays and mini-greenhouses 28 May - view onto the road. Cucumber bin at bottom right 27 June 2011 - the Outdoor Dining Room is enabled once more! 07 Jan 2012 - Mostly resting. New cloches hosting Lettuce 03 Mar 2012 - Netting everywhere (to deter foxes) 03 Mar 2012 - Pea-supports in foreground 03 Mar 2012 - Parsnips and beetroot sown under cloches 03 Mar 2012 - Shallots and Garlic under net in background 03 Mar 2012 - "Empty" bed is the one containing Asparagus plants 01 June 2012 - Chillis in front of Runner Beans 01 June 2012 - Tomato plants lined up next to the water-butt    

A wildflower bank

Is your garden on a slope? Unlock the potential of your space with these hillside garden ideas. Click to start the transformation!rn

Planting under a shady spot in your garden can be tough, but these 30 ground covers for shade stand the test of time and shadow! Get some ideas on what to grow in these tricky locations.

Take a look at our Portfolio of Garden Designs, from Nigel L Philips Garden Design. Cover small to large projects, across Lewes, Brighton & Haywards Heath.

Source: xtremeedeals

Deutscher Name: Steppen-Salbei, Gattung: Salvia, Art: nemorosa, Sorte: 'Ostfriesland'

Turn every recess into an adventure!

For years we have struggled with the steep hillside at the back of our property. The previous owner had established a flower garden on the hill, but it had fallen into a neglected mass of invasive decorative grass and day lilies. It was much too wide to weed or cultivate. The steep hill made it difficult and sometimes dangerous to navigate. It was slippery and back-breaking. We called it the "jungle garden." In the spring of 2009, we decided to begin terracing the hill as seen in the photo above. This section was built into two wide terraces which we planted with eight blueberry bushes. Building terraces is labor-intensive and difficult, but once accomplished, the chores of gardening are far more manageable. In the photo above, you can see the middle section that was recently terraced in three steps. The lower two sections are planted with raspberries, while the upper section is for roses and flowers. There is a small walking path between the terraces. This section of hill behind the greenhouse is still under construction. It will also be three narrow terraces. Unless you have very long arms, it's easier to reach to the center of each terrace if the width is about three feet. The last section of the hill is not terraced, but the fall-bearing raspberries have taken hold nicely along with the rhubarb. We placed small pavers in a cruciform pattern to allow access for weeding and picking berries. For now, I think we'll leave this section as it is. We're happy that the project is nearly finished, and we look forward to many years of gardening on the hillside. Terracing is worth the effort.

A brick garden border is an easy way to boost your curb appeal on a budget, and the landscaping project can be installed over a single weekend.

I was going to write about Verbena bonariensis to sing its praises in long periods of drought and then I heard something odd. I was at a talk at the Garden Museum in London and an audience member asked/stated: "What would you say to all the male designers who always plant V. bonariensis and grasses?

Sure, a garden gate marks the entrance to your property but it also signals what's beyond. Set the tone with one that reflects your style.

For a decorative and long-lasting bed, brick is a good choice. Here's how to make a sturdy brick raised bed for your garden.

Bad circulation in and of itself is never good, however, it could mean that you have blocked arteries. Having a blocked artery can kill…

Mark and Loni from Adore Magazine needed a home office studio. See here how they transformed their backyard and created Mark’s ideal work space with a Star

How do you identify your plants in the garden after you have planted the seed? I usually use Garden Markers to help me to know what plants are what. As I was looking around the web for Garden Marker Ideas, I found so many creative ways to make them by using items around the house and outdoors.

Garden markers can be just as beautiful as the flowers, herbs and vegetables that they mark! These 20 ideas to buy or

Liven up play areas with weather-proof chalkboard daisies, blending fun and learning outdoors.