David Domoney

Category: Blog

Blogs, guides, and gardening ideas from TV Gardener and Chartered Horticulturalist David Domoney.

  • Five RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show garden looks to try at home

    Five RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show garden looks to try at home

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    Garden shows are fantastic events and great places to pick up design inspiration. There are so many different looks on show, but I’ve picked five creative ideas for you. I want to show how you can use different plants and features to create a garden mood – why not give it a go?

    1 The formal garden

    formal-garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace trends 2014

    Most of us don’t have acres of land like Hampton Court Palace, but garden designers are always inspired by their surroundings. This boxy garden is an effective way to use the shapes of a formal garden in a smaller space. It works as a front garden or as a hedge or border.

    The formal look is really clean and stylish, and I love the use of cream-coloured garden features. But what makes this different is the sensory element – lavender releases a lovely scent when you walk past, and the silvery Stachys is nicknamed Lamb’s Ears after its fluffy foliage.

    2 The white garden

    white-garden RHS 50 years in bloom garden at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2014

    Create impact with plants by sticking to a simple colour scheme like the 50 Years in Bloom garden. Green and white is a classic combination, and gives you the freedom to play with textures instead. I love the wire arch in the background too!

    Start with multi-stem silver birch trees at the back, and add in different flowering plants and shrubs in front. Foliage is important here – plants with silver leaves help to bring the white and green together. The key to making it look cohesive is to repeat plants throughout the bed. Plus follow the ‘tallest at the back’ rule.

    3 The meadow garden

    Jordans wildlife garden meadow-garden style plants at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2014

    Wildflower meadows are on trend at the moment for lots of reasons. They are relaxed, low-maintenance and natural looking. Plus wildlife and pollinators love them! Create a meadow path like this Jordan’s Wildlife Garden by burying log stumps as stepping stones, and let the grass regrow between them.

    The planting may seem a bit chaotic, but if you look closely you’ll see there is an order. Beds are sorted by colour and height, and fuzzy grasses are used throughout to bring it together.

    To get the look at home, buy different colours of wildflower seed mix for each bed. Then mix in taller flowering plants and put low-growing varieties at the front.

    4 The woodland garden

    David Domoney Quiet Mark Treehouse and Garden by John Lewis 2014 RHS Hampton Court palace Flower Show woodland plants silver birch trees

    You don’t need to live in a forest to have a woodland garden – I designed one for the Quiet Mark Treehouse and Garden by John Lewis at this year’s show. Trees are a must, but leave plenty of space between them to allow dappled sunlight through.

    The woodland look should be free and earthy. The trick is to keep everything relaxed and let plants grow onto each other.

    Fill beds with rich foliage like ferns and cornus, and traditional flowers like catmint, hollyhocks and rhodanthemums. Cover paths with a natural gravel and grow wildflowers and grasses over any banks and slopes.

    Check out my ‘Get The Look Guide’ for more details

    5 The texture garden

    The One Show garden RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show texture garden sunken garden with dark pools

    Purple was the major trend at the Chelsea Flower Show, and it is here to stay! This lovely One Show garden is a textured take on the trend, with swishy grasses and dark sunken pools. They added dye to the water to make it more reflective, but you can use black liners for a similar effect.

    A texture garden is great for the senses – touch, sound and smell are all important. The idea is to contrast the plant texture with the fine gravel and sleek pools.

    Try planting loads of grasses and mix in dark purple foliage and flowers. The stalwart is lavender, and I love the agapanthus around the edge for height interest!

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  • Love Your Garden: 5 things we learned in episode 3 and how to get the look

    Love Your Garden: 5 things we learned in episode 3 and how to get the look

    It was another great episode for series 4 – here’s what we learned from the show this week. Plus find out what plants we used to get that tropical look!

    1 Britain can go tropical

    Love Your Garden 14 with Alan Titchmarsh

    Many people think that tropical plants won’t survive in Britain, but I’m sure Alan convinced you otherwise! The key is to choose varieties with lots of lush green foliage and mix in plants that traditionally thrive in our climate. Then use trees for height and to create a canopy of foliage, so you’re surrounded by a tropical atmosphere.

    Plant tropical varieties like palm trees in the spring, to give them time to get their roots established before winter.

    Get the look

    Love Your Garden with Alan Titchmarsh 2014 episode 3 beds plants for tropical garden

    Try combining palm trees (Chamaerops humilis) with tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica) with grasses like Carex, Phormium and Amemanthele lessoniana. Then add in flowering plants like hostas, hellebores and Japanese anemone.

    Other great tropical plants include Rodgeresia, Dryopteris and Ghost lady ferns. Break up tropical beds with box balls and agapanthus for some structure and height.

    2 Sometimes, the soil just needs replacing

    If your soil is very thick clay, you could spend years digging in soil improvers and trying to break it up.

    But sometimes, you just need to replace it. If you’ve got the budget (and the muscle power), dig it out and add in fresh topsoil and mushroom compost. Your plants will grow so much better, because there is no substitute for good soil.

    3 Trees require homework

    Love Your Garden with Alan Titchmarsh 2014 trees to plant in flower beds

    Everyone can have a tree in the garden, but they need to be thought through. Consider how big the tree will get, as well as the span of its roots, before you buy it. And take into account how long it will take to reach the size you want – sometimes it is better value for money to buy a more mature tree.

    Remember not to plant the tree too deep! Keep the soil at the same level as the root stock.

    4 Containers can be easy

    Every garden needs containers. They are great because you can change the contents according to the season, and rearrange them to give your garden an impromptu makeover!

    But they need watering regularly, and feeding every spring. The plant roots have limited soil, so you have to take care of them. If you’re not sure how often to water them, push your fingers a couple of centimetres into the compost – if it feels dry, it needs more water.

    Follow Katie’s lead and give pots a top-dressing of gravel and stones. It keeps weeds down, locks in water and gives your containers a designer feel.

    5 You can have great hostas

    Love Your Garden hosta tropical garden plants for episode 3

    Okay, those hostas Alan showed you were incredible, but you can protect yours too. Gravel on the soil around the plants will deter slugs and snails, who don’t like to crawl over it. Beer traps are also a great way to kill slimy plant-eaters without using pesticides.

    But nothing will help as much as going on a slug-hunt after dark with a torch. Pick the blighters off and put them in the beer traps.

    Looking for the garden features? Check out the Love Your Garden blog for our amazing suppliers and the products we used.

  • Love Your Garden Series 4 Episode 3: Before and after photos

    Love Your Garden Series 4 Episode 3: Before and after photos

    So what did you think to last night’s show? (If you missed it, get on ITVPlayer now!)

    Here’s what the garden looked like when we got there!

    Love Your Garden 2014 episode 3 before shot

     

    And here’s the finished article!

    Love Your Garden 14 with Alan Titchmarsh

     

    Love Your Garden episode 3 final garden the McGinns

     

    Love Your Garden episode 3 series 4

     

    Fantastic hot tub.

    Love Your Garden ITV1 8pm Tuesdays

     

    Who put those rubber ducks in there?

    David Domoney with ducks on set Love Your Garden

     

    Love Your Garden ITV show gardening

     

    Such a deserving family!

    alan-titchmarsh with family on Love Your Garden 2014