David Domoney

Category: Homepage

A list of blogs from the home page David Domoney. David is a Chartered Horticulturalist with over 40 years of experience growing and caring for plants. David has also worked on UK national television for over 2 decades. As a garden designer, David has won over 30 RHS medals for his garden designs at leading UK gardening shows and events.

  • Young Gardeners of the Year 2016: See the finished gardens

    Young Gardeners of the Year 2016: See the finished gardens

    [fusion_builder_container type=”flex” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”true” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_sizes_top=”” border_sizes_bottom=”” border_sizes_left=”” border_sizes_right=”” first=”true”][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” user_select=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_left=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” font_size=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_transform=”” text_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_color=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_offset=”” logics=””]

    Explore the stunning show gardens from the 2016 Ideal Young Gardeners of the Year competition.

    The awards see six of the UK’s top horticultural colleges design and build urban show gardens at the Ideal Home Show at Olympia, London.

    The gardens will be open to the show’s visitors from 18 March – 3 April 2016.

    Find out more about the Young Gardeners Competition here.

    Capel Manor College – Wellbeing Yoga Retreat Garden

    Capel Manor College designed a Wellbeing Yoga Retreat Garden, featuring wooden decking and tropical plants like tree ferns.

    It had plenty of space to practise yoga and empty your mind.

    The whole garden had a calming atmosphere, with pools of water filled with lights and candles.

    The leafy planting, including ferns and black grasses, was punctuated by orange tulips.

    Capel Manor College was awarded a Silver Medal.

    See more about their garden here.

    Shuttleworth College – Peace (Salaam) Garden

    Students from Shuttleworth College created a Moroccan-inspired garden with vivid blue tones from the country’s famous Majorelle gardens.

    It was set out into four areas, in the Chahar Bagh Persian style, with cobbles divided by gravel.

    The garden style includes tiled furnishings and decorations, including the seating area and water fountain.

    The planting included Mediterranean varieties like olive and yucca, as well as herbs and pyramid bay trees.

    Shuttleworth College was awarded a Silver Medal.

    See more about their garden here.

    Chichester College – Three Flow Garden

    Chichester College students designed a garden around the theme of ‘three’.

    The three raised beds on each side went up on one side and down on the other, surrounding a spiral patio.

    The seating area sat under a metal dome and the beds were clad in traditional stone walling.

    The planting included spherical shapes from bay and cryptomeria, as well as alliums.

    Chichester College was awarded a Silver Gilt Medal.

    See more about their garden here.

    Askham Bryan College – New London Garden

    Students from Askham Bryan College designed a contemporary urban woodland garden.

    It featured rustic timber, including the stunning wooden fence made from trees felled at a college site. Students carved the tree names into each piece.

    The planting was a tapestry of woodland colour, including daffodils and hellebores.

    It also featured green wall frames and insect hotels, plus a relaxing seating area with tub chairs.

    Askham Bryan College were awarded a Gold Medal, and the Best At Show trophy.

    See more about their garden here.

    Pershore College – Path to Discovery Garden

    Pershore College students created a garden haven with a secluded sunken seating area. The benches were made with recycled breeze blocks and timber.

    The planting included foliage plants and grasses, plus deep purple tulips. On the wall is a spiral vertical planter of sempervivums.

    The garden is clad in rusty corten steel and features a black pergola with a fern leaf design across the roof.

    The plant labels feature QR codes, which can be scanned by a smartphone to direct visitors to an online plant catalogue.

    Pershore College was awarded a Gold Medal.

    See more about their garden here.

    Writtle College – Basement Garden

    Students from Writtle College designed a basement garden under a green roof planted with meadow grass and young trees.

    The garden features clever lighting, including recycled silver birch logs transformed into wall lighting. More silver birch light logs dotted the planting.

    The plants included leafy and tropical varieties with pops of colour and a huge feature of rhododendrons.

    The relaxing seating area looked towards the green wall, which was testing a method of producing electricity from plants.

    Writtle College was awarded a Silver Medal.

    See more about their garden here.

    [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • Quiz: What do these common Latin plant names mean?

    Quiz: What do these common Latin plant names mean?

    [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible” type=”legacy”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none” align_self=”flex-start” border_sizes_undefined=”” first=”true” last=”true” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all”][fusion_text]

    periwinkle-vinca-ground-cover-for-shade
    Periwinkle or Vinca minor

    Many gardeners are fascinated by Latin plant names. And it is important – common names can vary by region and country, but Latin names are the same all over the world.

    Plus, the Latin name can tell you about the plant, such as where it originated, what shape and colour it is and information about its growing habit.

    Plant Latin names are in two parts – the genus and then the species or variety. For example, periwinkle is Vinca (genus) minor (species). You can get additional information too such as Vinca minor variegata – a variety that has variegated leaves.

    Knowing some common Latin names can help you determine what a plant will look like. These names can refer to:

    • The plant’s appearance, such as purpurea (purple) and pulchra (beautiful).
    • The plant’s growing habit, such as pumilis (dwarf) and repens (creeping).
    • The plant’s origins, such as japonica (from Japan) or maritimus (coastal growing).

    Some plant names come from the botanists that discovered the varieties, such as Buddleja davidii, from Abbé Jean Pierre Armand David (1826-1900).

    Here is a handy quiz of common Latin plant names and descriptions – see how many you know!

    Fun quiz - do you know these 20 common Latin plant names? Test your knowledge!

    [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none” align_self=”flex-start” border_sizes_undefined=”” first=”true” last=”true” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all”][fusion_text][slickquiz id=14][/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • Opening the Collection House building at Pershore College

    [fusion_builder_container type=”flex” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”true” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_sizes_top=”” border_sizes_bottom=”” border_sizes_left=”” border_sizes_right=”” first=”true”][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” user_select=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_left=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” font_size=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_transform=”” text_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_color=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_offset=”” logics=””]

    At the beginning of March I went to Pershore College to officially open their new building and Collection House.

    The £5.8m project includes a spectacular contemporary glass building that acts as an entrance to the college. It overlooks the double height Collections House which will contain a horticultural collection.

    There are also teaching rooms and project spaces as well as a new library area for students.

    I spent time studying at Pershore College and was delighted to be asked back to open the new building. I took a tour of the development last year and it looks marvellous now it’s finished.

    I really enjoyed the day taking a tour of the new building and meeting students, partners and representatives. I hope they get great use out of the new project!

    Find out more about the building on Pershore College’s website.

    [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]