Soil and Compost Archives - Tony Harding Garden Adviser

Gardening in December: A garden designer’s perspective

Tony Harding — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Gardening in December is not just a list of jobs. From a garden designer’s perspective, it is a chance to look at how plants, soil, light, colour and wildlife work together in a real UK garden.

The best planting decisions come from matching the plant to the environment. A border with heavy clay, a dry new-build plot, a shaded courtyard and an open windy garden all need different answers. Good design is not about forcing a favourite plant into the wrong place; it is about choosing plants that can grow well, look right and support the life of the garden.

What to notice in December

This month, focus on reflection, evergreen balance and planning for the year ahead. Stand back from the border before making changes. Notice where the garden has depth, where it looks flat, where colour feels balanced and where plants are fighting the conditions.

Planting for the right soil and aspect

December is a thinking month. Look at drainage, shade, shelter and soil before ordering plants. The right plant in the right place starts with honest observation.

Useful plants to consider at this time of year include evergreen shrubs, ferns, hellebores, sarcococca, viburnum, winter honeysuckle, grasses and trees with good bark. The exact choices should depend on your garden’s soil, aspect, drainage, exposure and the amount of maintenance you realistically want to do.

Using depth, colour and repetition

A strong border usually has layers. Low plants cover the ground and soften edges. Middle-height perennials carry seasonal colour. Taller shrubs, grasses, climbers or small trees give the eye something to travel towards. Repetition helps the garden feel intentional rather than busy.

Colour works best when it is connected to the site. In a hot, sunny border, silvers, blues, purples and soft yellows can feel calm and drought-aware. In shade, pale flowers, fresh greens, ferns and glossy foliage can lift the space. The aim is not to use every colour available, but to create a rhythm that suits the house, the season and the setting.

Leaving space for wildlife

Leave cover, provide water when safe to do so and keep berries available. A winter garden should still be alive, even when growth is slow.

A wildlife-friendly garden does not have to look neglected. It needs food, water, cover and a little tolerance. Open flowers, seedheads, varied heights, hedges, ponds, log piles, compost areas and quieter corners can all sit comfortably within a well-designed garden.

A garden designer’s December checklist

Check whether struggling plants are in the wrong soil or aspect.
Look for gaps in height: ground layer, middle layer and structure.
Choose plants for long-term suitability, not only for immediate colour.
Repeat key plants or colours so the border feels coherent.
Leave some space for wildlife, movement and seasonal change.
Plan before buying, especially if the garden feels expensive or uncertain.

A few extra design checks before you act

Before making seasonal changes, look at the garden as a whole rather than one border at a time. The best UK planting advice considers soil, light, shelter, colour, maintenance and wildlife together.

Check whether the plant suits the soil before buying more of it.
Repeat successful plants to create rhythm and reduce visual clutter.
Leave breathing space so shrubs, grasses and perennials can mature naturally.
Keep a mix of flowers, seedheads, shelter and water for wildlife.

This designer’s perspective helps the garden feel more intentional, more resilient and easier to enjoy through the seasons.

Need help applying this to your own garden? Tony Harding offers garden consultations, garden coaching, garden health checks and wildlife-friendly garden advice. You can also book a garden conversation.

Garden adviser tip
Before buying plants or booking landscaping work, write down what the garden needs to achieve, where the soil is wet or dry, which areas are sunny or shaded, and how much maintenance is realistic. Those details make advice more accurate and the finished garden more resilient.

Need advice for your own garden? Tony can help with garden consultations, planting advice, garden coaching, remote advice and garden health checks across Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and nearby Midlands areas.

Ask Tony About Your Garden

The post Gardening in December: A garden designer’s perspective appeared first on Tony Harding Garden Adviser.

Gardening in November: A garden designer’s perspective

Tony Harding — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Gardening in November is not just a list of jobs. From a garden designer’s perspective, it is a chance to look at how plants, soil, light, colour and wildlife work together in a real UK garden.

What to notice in November

This month, focus on bare-root planting, shelter and the bones of the garden. Stand back from the border before making changes. Notice where the garden has depth, where it looks flat, where colour feels balanced and where plants are fighting the conditions.

Planting for the right soil and aspect

Bare-root planting is economical and effective when soil is moist but not waterlogged. Firm plants carefully and avoid planting into compacted ground.

Useful plants to consider at this time of year include bare-root hedging, roses, fruit bushes, trees, yew, hornbeam, beech, hawthorn and winter-flowering shrubs. The exact choices should depend on your garden’s soil, aspect, drainage, exposure and the amount of maintenance you realistically want to do.

Using depth, colour and repetition

Leaving space for wildlife

Native hedging, berries and undisturbed corners give the garden winter value. Wildlife-friendly design is often about what you choose not to remove.

A garden designer’s November checklist

Check whether struggling plants are in the wrong soil or aspect.
Look for gaps in height: ground layer, middle layer and structure.
Choose plants for long-term suitability, not only for immediate colour.
Repeat key plants or colours so the border feels coherent.
Leave some space for wildlife, movement and seasonal change.
Plan before buying, especially if the garden feels expensive or uncertain.

A few extra design checks before you act

Before making seasonal changes, look at the garden as a whole rather than one border at a time. The best UK planting advice considers soil, light, shelter, colour, maintenance and wildlife together.

Check whether the plant suits the soil before buying more of it.
Repeat successful plants to create rhythm and reduce visual clutter.
Leave breathing space so shrubs, grasses and perennials can mature naturally.
Keep a mix of flowers, seedheads, shelter and water for wildlife.

This designer’s perspective helps the garden feel more intentional, more resilient and easier to enjoy through the seasons.

Ask Tony About Your Garden

The post Gardening in November: A garden designer’s perspective appeared first on Tony Harding Garden Adviser.

Gardening in October: A garden designer’s perspective

Tony Harding — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Gardening in October is not just a list of jobs. From a garden designer’s perspective, it is a chance to look at how plants, soil, light, colour and wildlife work together in a real UK garden.

What to notice in October

This month, focus on trees, shrubs, bulbs and wildlife-friendly tidying. Stand back from the border before making changes. Notice where the garden has depth, where it looks flat, where colour feels balanced and where plants are fighting the conditions.

Planting for the right soil and aspect

This is a good time to plant woody plants if the soil is workable. Improve the planting area broadly rather than dropping a plant into a small pocket of compost.

Useful plants to consider at this time of year include spring bulbs, native hedging, roses, fruit trees, amelanchier, viburnum, cornus, ferns and shade-tolerant groundcover. The exact choices should depend on your garden’s soil, aspect, drainage, exposure and the amount of maintenance you realistically want to do.

Using depth, colour and repetition

Leaving space for wildlife

Tidy paths and lawns, but leave some border material standing. Over-clearing removes food, cover and winter interest at the same time.

A garden designer’s October checklist

Check whether struggling plants are in the wrong soil or aspect.
Look for gaps in height: ground layer, middle layer and structure.
Choose plants for long-term suitability, not only for immediate colour.
Repeat key plants or colours so the border feels coherent.
Leave some space for wildlife, movement and seasonal change.
Plan before buying, especially if the garden feels expensive or uncertain.

A few extra design checks before you act

Before making seasonal changes, look at the garden as a whole rather than one border at a time. The best UK planting advice considers soil, light, shelter, colour, maintenance and wildlife together.

Check whether the plant suits the soil before buying more of it.
Repeat successful plants to create rhythm and reduce visual clutter.
Leave breathing space so shrubs, grasses and perennials can mature naturally.
Keep a mix of flowers, seedheads, shelter and water for wildlife.

This designer’s perspective helps the garden feel more intentional, more resilient and easier to enjoy through the seasons.

Ask Tony About Your Garden

The post Gardening in October: A garden designer’s perspective appeared first on Tony Harding Garden Adviser.

Gardening in September: A garden designer’s perspective

Tony Harding — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Gardening in September is not just a list of jobs. From a garden designer’s perspective, it is a chance to look at how plants, soil, light, colour and wildlife work together in a real UK garden.

What to notice in September

This month, focus on autumn planting, soil warmth and long-season structure. Stand back from the border before making changes. Notice where the garden has depth, where it looks flat, where colour feels balanced and where plants are fighting the conditions.

Planting for the right soil and aspect

September is one of the best planting months in the UK because soil is warm and rainfall usually improves. Prepare soil well and water new plants in properly.

Useful plants to consider at this time of year include asters, anemones, sedum, grasses, hydrangeas, heuchera, ferns, cyclamen and spring bulbs. The exact choices should depend on your garden’s soil, aspect, drainage, exposure and the amount of maintenance you realistically want to do.

Using depth, colour and repetition

Leaving space for wildlife

Plant for nectar now and for shelter later. Autumn-flowering perennials and grasses support insects while also extending the garden’s visual depth.

A garden designer’s September checklist

Check whether struggling plants are in the wrong soil or aspect.
Look for gaps in height: ground layer, middle layer and structure.
Choose plants for long-term suitability, not only for immediate colour.
Repeat key plants or colours so the border feels coherent.
Leave some space for wildlife, movement and seasonal change.
Plan before buying, especially if the garden feels expensive or uncertain.

A few extra design checks before you act

Before making seasonal changes, look at the garden as a whole rather than one border at a time. The best UK planting advice considers soil, light, shelter, colour, maintenance and wildlife together.

Check whether the plant suits the soil before buying more of it.
Repeat successful plants to create rhythm and reduce visual clutter.
Leave breathing space so shrubs, grasses and perennials can mature naturally.
Keep a mix of flowers, seedheads, shelter and water for wildlife.

This designer’s perspective helps the garden feel more intentional, more resilient and easier to enjoy through the seasons.

Ask Tony About Your Garden

The post Gardening in September: A garden designer’s perspective appeared first on Tony Harding Garden Adviser.

Gardening in August: A garden designer’s perspective

Tony Harding — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Gardening in August is not just a list of jobs. From a garden designer’s perspective, it is a chance to look at how plants, soil, light, colour and wildlife work together in a real UK garden.

What to notice in August

This month, focus on late-summer colour, seedheads and planning for resilience. Stand back from the border before making changes. Notice where the garden has depth, where it looks flat, where colour feels balanced and where plants are fighting the conditions.

Planting for the right soil and aspect

Use August to notice which areas dry fastest. That observation is more useful than guessing: it tells you where drought-tolerant planting should lead.

Useful plants to consider at this time of year include rudbeckia, helenium, echinacea, asters, grasses, sedum, Japanese anemones and late salvias. The exact choices should depend on your garden’s soil, aspect, drainage, exposure and the amount of maintenance you realistically want to do.

Using depth, colour and repetition

Leaving space for wildlife

Seedheads are part of the design, not a failure to tidy. They feed birds, shelter insects and add structure as the garden moves towards autumn.

A garden designer’s August checklist

Check whether struggling plants are in the wrong soil or aspect.
Look for gaps in height: ground layer, middle layer and structure.
Choose plants for long-term suitability, not only for immediate colour.
Repeat key plants or colours so the border feels coherent.
Leave some space for wildlife, movement and seasonal change.
Plan before buying, especially if the garden feels expensive or uncertain.

A few extra design checks before you act

Before making seasonal changes, look at the garden as a whole rather than one border at a time. The best UK planting advice considers soil, light, shelter, colour, maintenance and wildlife together.

Check whether the plant suits the soil before buying more of it.
Repeat successful plants to create rhythm and reduce visual clutter.
Leave breathing space so shrubs, grasses and perennials can mature naturally.
Keep a mix of flowers, seedheads, shelter and water for wildlife.

This designer’s perspective helps the garden feel more intentional, more resilient and easier to enjoy through the seasons.

Ask Tony About Your Garden

The post Gardening in August: A garden designer’s perspective appeared first on Tony Harding Garden Adviser.

Gardening in July: A garden designer’s perspective

Tony Harding — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Gardening in July is not just a list of jobs. From a garden designer’s perspective, it is a chance to look at how plants, soil, light, colour and wildlife work together in a real UK garden.

What to notice in July

This month, focus on heat, drought tolerance and keeping planting generous but breathable. Stand back from the border before making changes. Notice where the garden has depth, where it looks flat, where colour feels balanced and where plants are fighting the conditions.

Planting for the right soil and aspect

Dry periods expose poor plant choice. Mediterranean-style plants need drainage and sun; moisture-loving plants need deeper soil and shade from the hottest sun.

Useful plants to consider at this time of year include echinacea, perovskia, eryngium, agapanthus, lavender, santolina, sedum, verbena and ornamental grasses. The exact choices should depend on your garden’s soil, aspect, drainage, exposure and the amount of maintenance you realistically want to do.

Using depth, colour and repetition

Leaving space for wildlife

Water sources matter in July. A shallow dish, pond edge or damp gravel area can help insects, birds and small mammals through dry spells.

A garden designer’s July checklist

Check whether struggling plants are in the wrong soil or aspect.
Look for gaps in height: ground layer, middle layer and structure.
Choose plants for long-term suitability, not only for immediate colour.
Repeat key plants or colours so the border feels coherent.
Leave some space for wildlife, movement and seasonal change.
Plan before buying, especially if the garden feels expensive or uncertain.

A few extra design checks before you act

Before making seasonal changes, look at the garden as a whole rather than one border at a time. The best UK planting advice considers soil, light, shelter, colour, maintenance and wildlife together.

Check whether the plant suits the soil before buying more of it.
Repeat successful plants to create rhythm and reduce visual clutter.
Leave breathing space so shrubs, grasses and perennials can mature naturally.
Keep a mix of flowers, seedheads, shelter and water for wildlife.

This designer’s perspective helps the garden feel more intentional, more resilient and easier to enjoy through the seasons.

Ask Tony About Your Garden

The post Gardening in July: A garden designer’s perspective appeared first on Tony Harding Garden Adviser.

Gardening in June: A garden designer’s perspective

Tony Harding — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Gardening in June is not just a list of jobs. From a garden designer’s perspective, it is a chance to look at how plants, soil, light, colour and wildlife work together in a real UK garden.

What to notice in June

This month, focus on summer balance, plant partnerships and designing with colour. Stand back from the border before making changes. Notice where the garden has depth, where it looks flat, where colour feels balanced and where plants are fighting the conditions.

Planting for the right soil and aspect

June reveals whether plants suit the site. Wilting, weak growth or mildew may indicate the wrong plant for the soil, not simply a need for more watering.

Useful plants to consider at this time of year include roses, salvias, nepeta, verbena bonariensis, stachys, lavender, achillea, astrantia and grasses. The exact choices should depend on your garden’s soil, aspect, drainage, exposure and the amount of maintenance you realistically want to do.

Using depth, colour and repetition

Leaving space for wildlife

Choose repeat-flowering and open-centred flowers for pollinators, and avoid making borders so dense that birds and insects lose access to shelter.

A garden designer’s June checklist

Check whether struggling plants are in the wrong soil or aspect.
Look for gaps in height: ground layer, middle layer and structure.
Choose plants for long-term suitability, not only for immediate colour.
Repeat key plants or colours so the border feels coherent.
Leave some space for wildlife, movement and seasonal change.
Plan before buying, especially if the garden feels expensive or uncertain.

A few extra design checks before you act

Before making seasonal changes, look at the garden as a whole rather than one border at a time. The best UK planting advice considers soil, light, shelter, colour, maintenance and wildlife together.

Check whether the plant suits the soil before buying more of it.
Repeat successful plants to create rhythm and reduce visual clutter.
Leave breathing space so shrubs, grasses and perennials can mature naturally.
Keep a mix of flowers, seedheads, shelter and water for wildlife.

This designer’s perspective helps the garden feel more intentional, more resilient and easier to enjoy through the seasons.

Ask Tony About Your Garden

The post Gardening in June: A garden designer’s perspective appeared first on Tony Harding Garden Adviser.

Gardening in May: A garden designer’s perspective

Tony Harding — Thu, 01 May 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Gardening in May is not just a list of jobs. From a garden designer’s perspective, it is a chance to look at how plants, soil, light, colour and wildlife work together in a real UK garden.

What to notice in May

This month, focus on colour, rhythm and the first real test of planting choices. Stand back from the border before making changes. Notice where the garden has depth, where it looks flat, where colour feels balanced and where plants are fighting the conditions.

Planting for the right soil and aspect

Mulch before dry spells take hold. On clay, mulch helps moderate cracking; on sandy soils it slows moisture loss and supports soil life.

Useful plants to consider at this time of year include salvias, nepeta, hardy geraniums, irises, roses, alchemilla, baptisia, foxgloves and ornamental grasses. The exact choices should depend on your garden’s soil, aspect, drainage, exposure and the amount of maintenance you realistically want to do.

Using depth, colour and repetition

Leaving space for wildlife

Let some lawn areas grow longer if possible. Different mowing heights create habitat, soften the garden and bring movement into the design.

A garden designer’s May checklist

Check whether struggling plants are in the wrong soil or aspect.
Look for gaps in height: ground layer, middle layer and structure.
Choose plants for long-term suitability, not only for immediate colour.
Repeat key plants or colours so the border feels coherent.
Leave some space for wildlife, movement and seasonal change.
Plan before buying, especially if the garden feels expensive or uncertain.

A few extra design checks before you act

Before making seasonal changes, look at the garden as a whole rather than one border at a time. The best UK planting advice considers soil, light, shelter, colour, maintenance and wildlife together.

Check whether the plant suits the soil before buying more of it.
Repeat successful plants to create rhythm and reduce visual clutter.
Leave breathing space so shrubs, grasses and perennials can mature naturally.
Keep a mix of flowers, seedheads, shelter and water for wildlife.

This designer’s perspective helps the garden feel more intentional, more resilient and easier to enjoy through the seasons.

Ask Tony About Your Garden

The post Gardening in May: A garden designer’s perspective appeared first on Tony Harding Garden Adviser.

Gardening in April: A garden designer’s perspective

Tony Harding — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Gardening in April is not just a list of jobs. From a garden designer’s perspective, it is a chance to look at how plants, soil, light, colour and wildlife work together in a real UK garden.

What to notice in April

This month, focus on layered spring planting and making room for future growth. Stand back from the border before making changes. Notice where the garden has depth, where it looks flat, where colour feels balanced and where plants are fighting the conditions.

Planting for the right soil and aspect

April planting succeeds when roots meet prepared soil. Match drought-tolerant plants to lighter soils and moisture-loving choices to deeper, richer ground.

Useful plants to consider at this time of year include tulips, alliums, geums, aquilegias, euphorbia, astrantia, hardy geraniums and compact shrubs. The exact choices should depend on your garden’s soil, aspect, drainage, exposure and the amount of maintenance you realistically want to do.

Using depth, colour and repetition

Leaving space for wildlife

Resist filling every gap. Open soil, small log piles, shallow water and flowering weeds in quiet corners all have wildlife value.

A garden designer’s April checklist

Check whether struggling plants are in the wrong soil or aspect.
Look for gaps in height: ground layer, middle layer and structure.
Choose plants for long-term suitability, not only for immediate colour.
Repeat key plants or colours so the border feels coherent.
Leave some space for wildlife, movement and seasonal change.
Plan before buying, especially if the garden feels expensive or uncertain.

A few extra design checks before you act

Before making seasonal changes, look at the garden as a whole rather than one border at a time. The best UK planting advice considers soil, light, shelter, colour, maintenance and wildlife together.

Check whether the plant suits the soil before buying more of it.
Repeat successful plants to create rhythm and reduce visual clutter.
Leave breathing space so shrubs, grasses and perennials can mature naturally.
Keep a mix of flowers, seedheads, shelter and water for wildlife.

This designer’s perspective helps the garden feel more intentional, more resilient and easier to enjoy through the seasons.

Ask Tony About Your Garden

The post Gardening in April: A garden designer’s perspective appeared first on Tony Harding Garden Adviser.

Gardening in March: A garden designer’s perspective

Tony Harding — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Gardening in March is not just a list of jobs. From a garden designer’s perspective, it is a chance to look at how plants, soil, light, colour and wildlife work together in a real UK garden.

What to notice in March

This month, focus on spring assessment, choosing plants for aspect and building depth. Stand back from the border before making changes. Notice where the garden has depth, where it looks flat, where colour feels balanced and where plants are fighting the conditions.

Planting for the right soil and aspect

March is a good time to improve beds before growth accelerates. Add compost as a mulch rather than digging heavily if the soil is still wet.

Useful plants to consider at this time of year include epimedium, pulmonaria, hardy geraniums, foxgloves, amelanchier, ornamental grasses and early flowering shrubs. The exact choices should depend on your garden’s soil, aspect, drainage, exposure and the amount of maintenance you realistically want to do.

Using depth, colour and repetition

Leaving space for wildlife

Cut back selectively rather than clearing everything at once. Leave some stems in place for overwintering insects until temperatures are reliably milder.

A garden designer’s March checklist

Check whether struggling plants are in the wrong soil or aspect.
Look for gaps in height: ground layer, middle layer and structure.
Choose plants for long-term suitability, not only for immediate colour.
Repeat key plants or colours so the border feels coherent.
Leave some space for wildlife, movement and seasonal change.
Plan before buying, especially if the garden feels expensive or uncertain.

A few extra design checks before you act

Before making seasonal changes, look at the garden as a whole rather than one border at a time. The best UK planting advice considers soil, light, shelter, colour, maintenance and wildlife together.

Check whether the plant suits the soil before buying more of it.
Repeat successful plants to create rhythm and reduce visual clutter.
Leave breathing space so shrubs, grasses and perennials can mature naturally.
Keep a mix of flowers, seedheads, shelter and water for wildlife.

This designer’s perspective helps the garden feel more intentional, more resilient and easier to enjoy through the seasons.

Ask Tony About Your Garden

The post Gardening in March: A garden designer’s perspective appeared first on Tony Harding Garden Adviser.