The Plotting Shed

Garden design does not need to cost thousands, look like a show garden or involves rebuilding the entire garden. There a a few simple rule that will help even non-gardeners redesign their garden so it looks better and becomes a more enjoyable place to be in. For more design advice written you could buy our book ' I Want to Like my Garden ' by Rachel McCartain is available in paperback or...

There are thousands of articles devoted to designing gardens, but very few column inches devoted to designing front gardens. The front garden is the most visible part of the house, yet many homes have gardens crying out for some TLC. Designing a front garden is not simply creating a miniature version of the back garden, it needs a completely different thought process. Simple Practical Garden desig...

It's actually quite a difficult question.  As a garden designer, I have always felt this is an overlooked question. We get too caught up in how the garden should look and what design features to include. But if you don't ask the question - you won't know the answer, and that will mean your garden doesn't and can't do the right things for you! For lots of great garden desig...

Why would you want to buy a book about gardening in the summer!  Because it is the time you use your garden the most; so it is the absolutely the best time to read a book about how to make the most of your garden. I Want to Like my Garden by Rachel McCartain Support the show Support the Show - Thank you PlantPlots.com Watch our videos facebook.com/plantplots Pinterest/PlantPlots

2020 is turning out to be a historic year, a seminal moment, a pre 2020 and post 2020 line in the sand where we compared how we did things then and how we do things now. Covid19 has forced change upon us, but the climate was also forcing us to rethink our habits - and in terms of gardening this is a big one - watering. Why do we water our gardens and should we be? Visit PlantPlots.com I Want to Li...

Not everyone is blessed with gorgeous views from their garden, in fact most of us don't. The view from many gardens is someone else's fence, or another building or a wall. So if you don't have anything special to look at, how can you create a view in a small garden that fills your senses and helps you escape from the modern world? Read more about Rachel's amazing new gardening...

I want to Like my Garden - how to make your garden better. Why don't people like their gardens sometimes and how can you put your garden right. Rachel discusses her exciting new book aimed at helping you. This really is a gardening book unlike any other!  This is a book for everyone who wants to do the garden but doesn't know what to do! Available to order on Amazon today Support the sho...

What makes a garden great and is your garden great too? How can you make simple changes to a garden to transform it into a place you love being in... and the changes aren't what you might think. Read more about it in the Plotting Shed blog Support the show Support the Show - Thank you PlantPlots.com Watch our videos facebook.com/plantplots Pinterest/PlantPlots

Most garden designs start from the wrong end or at least never consider one of the most important factors affecting your garden - how much stuff have you got to clear up! Get that bit wrong and the garden will always create more work than is necessary. PlantPlots.com - we (really do) make gardening easier.  Download your Free Guide here Support the show Support the Show - Thank you PlantPlots.com...

We all love to have beautiful homes and gorgeous looking perfect gardens but there is a flip side.  Striving to keep your world in this perfect state, clean and free from germs pests and disease could mean you are making yourself ill.... Read this article at PlantPlots.com #smallgardendesign #gardendesign #thereisnoplanetb Support the show Support the Show - Thank you PlantPlots.com Watch our vide...

How can you choose fabulous and fantastic plants for the garden when  You don't know much about gardening and you haven't time to be an utterly dedicated gardener Simple easy and practical advice. PlantPlots; we really do make gardening easier Read more at PlantPlots.com Support the show Support the Show - Thank you PlantPlots.com Watch our videos facebook.com/plantplots Pinterest/PlantP...

What could go wrong, you head off to the local garden centre to get some lovely new plants for the garden? But beware the BOGOF's, Speed Spreaders, Triffids and Divas not with-standing those plants that choose to fight back! Support the show Support the Show - Thank you PlantPlots.com Watch our videos facebook.com/plantplots Pinterest/PlantPlots

Simple changes to your gardening habits will not only make the task of gardening less onerous and time consuming, but will also make your garden a better place too. Our aim is to make gardening easier - and we'll also tell you how to prevent an invasion of garden domes taking over your garden! Read more about making your garden a better place Support the show Support the Show - Thank you Plan...

The world is changing and so should gardens and how we view them. Make sure your garden does the right thing for the planet. #doingmybit PlantPlots.com - we make gardening easier Support the show Support the Show - Thank you PlantPlots.com Watch our videos facebook.com/plantplots Pinterest/PlantPlots

A small changes can make a big difference and as redesigning any garden is expensive, listen in to learn how you can love your garden more without spending a fortune. 5 easy, practical and affordable changes will help you love being in your garden a whole lot more! Visit PlantPlots.com - we really do make gardening easier! Support the show Support the Show - Thank you PlantPlots.com Watch our vide...

Why are gardens boring, what makes is a dull and uninteresting place to be and what can you do to change it? Changing the layout of a garden to make it more visually interesting boils down to getting two elements right, sorting the lines and pandering to your natural curiosity. Read the post here We make gardening easier! :) Support the show Support the Show - Thank you PlantPlots.com Watch our vi...

Boring gardens are designed, they evolve, boringness creeps up in over time, so what can you do to prevent the onset of the dull garden? Simple practical advice detailing the easiest way you can keep enjoying the garden. This episode deals with how plants help and next week it's the design and layout. Read the blog post of this podcast too - it's got pictures! :) Support the show Support...

Would your garden win if butterflies could indeed vote? Your garden can help save the world, it's true, the little changes we all make together add up. Make positive changes by helping your garden help the planet. It's a win-win situation, you benefit by watching lots of butterflies and the butterflies benefit from your garden. Read our blog The Plotting Shed We Make Gardening Easier Vis...

If you have an odd shaped garden or want a really interesting design, then think asymmetrically. By creating odd shapes and obtuse angles, you can create a more interesting gardens and indulge your passion for plants by having a different planted feel for each border. We really do make gardening easier! Visit the Plotting Shed blog to see the design Support the show Support the Show - Thank you Pl...

For gardens to compete in the modern world, we need to make them more fun. You need to decide if the garden is your space or an interesting space? Gardens are created by adults but used by children, the problem is we create gardens we like but not necessarily gardens children will like using.  Need some advice or ideas... just give us a call 07985 917767 design@plantplots.com Support the show Supp...

Houseplants are more than just pretty to look at, they make you healthier! Recent research has shown how the humble houseplant absorbs noxious chemical from the air in your home - and one stands out as a clear winner. Plus; if you hate spiders lurking in the home; listen in for the 5 plants all arachnaphobes need to grow! Support the show Support the Show - Thank you PlantPlots.com Watch our video...

This years Chelsea Flower Show was ground-breaking - at last the show gardens really showcased what the garden is for. The show was not the plants or the design that mattered most; instead the 'show' on display at Chelsea was Nature.  Gardens and gardening has changed, gone are the outdated ideals of what a garden should be; instead the garden is all about creating a place where you can...

OK, we all make mistakes gardening, but it's even more annoying when you thought it would be ok because every picture in the design books used them too. And then you find out they create more unnecessary work  - talk about feeling duped! We want to make gardening easier not harder! Support the show Support the Show - Thank you PlantPlots.com Watch our videos facebook.com/plantplots Pinterest/...

We focus far too much on one particular sense when it comes to gardening - our eyes. Which means our other 4 senses are missing out. The same applies to noisy gardens, one sense is being overloaded, so you need to work on stimulating the other 4. Read more Garden Design advice on the website. If you have any questions or would like some garden design advice - why not drop us a line enquiries@plant...

Read more on our 'How to design a garden if...series' this podcast discusses the issues you need to consider. What questions should you ask, how do you create privacy BUT also still have light and sunshine. How can you make the space really usable. Should you have a lawn, how will the garden look in the winter. We ask the questions most other garden design sites don't ask - but we t...