creative garden design

Jill is featured in local press!

jillyfenwick — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:56:13 +0000

The Yate and Sodbury Gazette newspaper this week, has run a full page editorial on Jill and her garden design business. The article explains her approach to designing individual gardens and also her artistic background which gives her an extra advantage when faced with problematic gardens.

Jill is currently designing her own garden which is based on the idea of a cloister and has several espalier fruit trees providing the main structure. The garden will be open to the public in a couple of years when it has had more time to mature.

January Gardening Tips

jillyfenwick — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:32:03 +0000

Christmas is over and resolutions have been made, so now is the time to get out in the garden and shed those extra pounds! However dire the weather may look from the inside, it’s great to get outside and see what’s popping up already. Snowdrops will be pushing through the dark earth and Arum italicum ‘Pictum’ will be looking its best now with its bright green marbled leaves. It is very easy to grow even in the driest of shady corners.

For a really stunning combination that will lighten up the dull days of January, grow clumps of yellow and red-stemmed Dogwood. Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ and Cornus stolonifera ‘Flaviramea’ are very easily available and are well worth the investment. If you are lucky enough to have a large pond or stream in your garden, plant them on the bank and the reflection will double the effect. The youngest wood gives the brightest colour, so cut them down to the ground each March and they will not disappoint you.

Pruning Wisteria is always a puzzling thing for most gardeners, but it is really quite simple: cut back the long whippy growths in August by two-thirds and then in January, cut these back to two or three buds to promote flowering. Thin out congested or dead branches while you are able to see the framework more easily.

Liven up your palate this month with some fresh home-grown salad. The lettuces outside may have succumbed to the frost, but you can still grow rocket in pots on a sunny windowsill or try your hand at growing beansprouts. Alfalfa seed is the quickest and all you need is a wide-necked jam jar with some muslin over the top. Rinse with fresh water twice daily and they will be ready to eat by the end of the week.

Keep warm.

New Garden in Bristol

jillyfenwick — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:32:31 +0000

Hot off the press are these photos of a garden that I recently designed in Westbury-on-Trym in Bristol. The garden was excellently constructed by TAG Landscapes who are based in Chippenham. Although quite a small garden, there is now ample space to entertain and the raised wall doubles up as extra seating for parties. The espalier fruit trees take up little room but will provide a variety of fruit for years to come.

The raised seat is now softened with Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’, Penstemons and a haze of pink Verbena bonariensis.

Poppy heaven

jillyfenwick — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 09:56:29 +0000

On the road to Stroud in Gloucestershire yesterday, I came across an amazing sight: a field of dancing poppies as far as the eye could see. Scattered amongst them were delicate mauve Corncockles poking their heads up above the red carpet. A true feast for the eyes.

Heritage Vegetables

jillyfenwick — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:41:46 +0000

Spring is on its way at last and it is time to take stock of last winter’s devastation and re-think some of our planting schemes. The Cordylines have been hardest hit but they now appear so foreign in English gardens. A bare-stem Holly, Ilex J C van Tol which has few prickles and plenty of berries, would be a good evergreen alternative.

Our broad beans were badly hit too but it is not too late to sow some more. Broad bean ‘Crimson Flowered’ is an old variety mentioned as long ago as 1778. It not only tastes good but looks beautiful too, one to put in your flower borders along with Ruby Chard. By adopting these endangered varieties, our back gardens can become a refuge for vegetables not approved for sale by the EU. They can be acquired from www.garden organic.org.uk.

Another edible stunner for the garden borders is the Globe Artichoke. Expensive to buy at the garden centres but very easy to grow from seed. Place it carefully in your garden as its enormous silver leaves will create a very bold statement. It looks wonderful in a mild winter too.

My espalier fruit trees are all planted now in their new borders so I am planning how to fill the bare earth between them. While waiting for the perennials to grow, I am going to sow two hardy annuals to provide a good show this year. Love-in-a-Mist or Nigella is a flower I sowed every year in my Grandmother’s garden as a child and it never fails to delight. The other annual is Borage; its star-shaped azure blue flowers and cucumber taste are perfect for a Pimms on a warm summer’s evening.

It’s time to get your wellies on and enjoy the longer days!

Testimonial

jillyfenwick — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:20:17 +0000

“Jill was engaged to design a new garden, including landscaping and planting plans on a new build site. The consultations, proposal and execution were excellent, and have made a huge contribution to the enjoyment of the home.”
David Walsh, Surrey

Testimonial

jillyfenwick — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:19:51 +0000

“The transformation of our garden by Jill’s design has been so stunning that we decided to spend our summer holiday at home in the garden this year, instead of going away!”
Lisa and Tony Roberts, Surrey

Testimonial

jillyfenwick — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:19:15 +0000

“Jill has designed some of the best gardens The Outdoor Room has ever built. She always shows great attention to detail and the end results are stunning. I would not hesitate to recommend Jill as a friendly and extremely talented garden designer.”
David Dodd, The Outdoor Room Ltd

The Landscape Man’ Ch4 TV Did you see the programme?

jillyfenwick — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:23:37 +0000

My latest TV garden adventure was ‘The Landscape Man’ which was shown on Sunday 23th May on Channel 4. Set in the beautiful Welsh hills, the restored farmhouse had no garden to speak of when I first arrived. My clients had three young children and a vast collection of rescue animals who all had to be catered for in the overall design. Sustainability was the key issue though, so we used local stone and re-cycled materials throughout the garden. The weather during the build was absolutely dire, with heavy rains and biting winds and yet the pressure to meet the TV deadline was ever-present.

However, it turned out to be a great success and the garden, with its slate terrace and drystone walls, now fits perfectly in the stunning Welsh landscape.

Homes & Gardens feature

jillyfenwick — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:23:16 +0000

One of my Surrey gardens has been featured in September’s edition of Homes & Gardens magazine in an article entitled ‘Designer’s Secrets’. The site was a nightmare when I first saw it: heavy, wet clay on a steep slope which had been totally trashed by the builders who were constructing the house at the same time. Although the garden is very shallow, I have ‘borrowed’ the surrounding Surrey landscape to extend the views, and to make the garden feel far larger than it is.