Sam McGowan's garden blog

Oxford College of Garden Design: Plant Hardiness Zones for Europe, US, Canada, China, Japan & Australia

2012-01-28T06:25:00.000-08:00

Oxford College of Garden Design: Plant Hardiness Zones for Europe, US, Canada, China, Japan & Australia

grounded design: Garden Design Trends 2012

2012-01-14T08:19:00.000-08:00

grounded design: Garden Design Trends 2012: Cleve West's winning design for Chelsea Flower Show Each New Year, the internet is abuzz with it the inevitable horde of prophets an...

Pitlochry proceeds

2011-10-08T04:21:00.000-07:00

Despite times of heavy rain, much of the construction of walls and steps is now complete, Unlikely that seeding of a lawn will happen before the onset of cold weather as the soil is far too wet for seed-bed preparation.

Loch Tay revisited

2011-09-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

It's always enjoyable to return to a project after 10 years to see how it has matured, how the spaces work to create an integrated landscape, what works and what could have been done better. The setting for this garden made it a challenge - you can't compete with a loch and mountains but you can introduce human scale and allow them to set the scene.

Pitlochry garden under construction. Out of chaos comes forth?

2011-08-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

At first it looked like this.

And now it looks like this. Retaining walls to terrace a slope end then allow a level lawn to be installed. In the meantime chaos reigns.

grounded design: Beyond the Border 4: Maintaining Perennials to Las...

2011-08-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

grounded design: Beyond the Border 4: Maintaining Perennials to Las...: This is the final post in a series I’ve been doing on how to design perennials and grasses in landscape settings. By landscape settings, I’...

grounded design: Beyond the Border Part 2: Massing Matters

2011-07-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

grounded design: Beyond the Border Part 2: Massing Matters: "The same rules that create impact and drama in art can be applied to perennial planting. My last post set up my proposition that perennia..."

Light and shade

2011-06-11T04:42:00.000-07:00

Spent the day yesterday visiting existing clients. The projects are at different stages of development but one thing they have in common is that they have areas of woodland which allows the interplay of light and shadow as an element of the design.

First sketch design of the year

2011-03-20T06:29:00.000-07:00

First of the year and hopefully many more to come. A historical site showing up in 19th century maps so the style references what was there at that time although with a more contemporary twist (note the cars!).

Winter aftermath in Argyll

2011-02-20T04:35:00.000-08:00

Across to Loch Fyne to meet with client and gardener and to see the results of the harsh winter. Deer jumped the nearby deer fence and got into the garden and nibbled Azaleas of all things! This may have contributed to the death of one of them found in a nearby field. Both a wildcat and a pine marten were spotted in the vicinity during the harsh conditions so the wildlife were severely under stress.

The ornamental meadow has been left uncut until now giving an air of happy chaos to the entrance drive with its mixture of straw and seed heads. It has given much needed protection to the resting plants and shelter no doubt to many overwintering larvae and even small mammals. It will be cut soon to reveal the new basal growth and to let the light in. The year is moving into spring and optimism!

grounded design: The Urban Wilderness: The Poetics of Industrial Ruins and Untamed Nature

2011-02-09T05:58:00.000-08:00

grounded design: The Urban Wilderness: The Poetics of Industrial Ruins and Untamed Nature

grounded design: Is Your Planting Evocative or Provocative?

2011-02-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

grounded design: Is Your Planting Evocative or Provocative?: "The secret of great planting revealed. Of all my various rants, one point I am consistent: planting design is an art. Planting design..."

Pitlochry at last

2011-01-22T10:22:00.000-08:00

Snow is gone from the site so finally managed to have the meeting with contractors on site scheduled for late November! Snow still lying at Dunkeld and lots of ice covering fields on either side of the Tay, left over from the floods. Is this a sign of things to come?

Yule tidings

2010-12-30T05:10:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to all who read this

Stay in and keep warm

2010-12-07T06:48:00.000-08:00

Listening to tales of people trapped overnight in their vehicles on the M8 motorway makes me ruminate on how all of us in the landscape industry should deal with winter weather. Last week I was supposed to have meetings with a couple of contractors near to Pitlochry but couldn't even get out of the street I live in. Luckily most of my work is carried out in the office but I do need to go out on site from time so heavy snow can disrupt my work pattern and throw off future planning. I had tree surgeons in to a garden in Edinburgh to remove a dangerous tree just before the snow began and I hate to think what the weight of snow on it would have done if they had been delayed even for a couple of days. Especially since there are neaby buildings as you can see from the photo os the space left by the felled tree.

Season of mists (?) etc

2010-10-31T08:10:00.000-07:00

There's something very satisfying about kicking your way through piles of fallen leaves. Especially when the sun is shining through and on Autumn leaves in their full glory and seed-heads abound on a variety of different plants. A day like today reminds me how lucky I am to live in a beautiful city like Edinburgh, especially with the botanic gardens only a 10 minute walk away. The gardens were full of happy contented people today of all ages and from several countries going by the mix of overheard languages. Reminds me why I decided to make my living from the world of gardening.

Arts & Crafts house in Fife

2010-10-17T05:58:00.000-07:00

Initial design carried out for an interesting project refurbishing the garden of this house designed by a well-known architect. Many challenges lie ahead but v exciting.

Autumn colours are here

2010-10-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

Do rabbits hallucinate?

2010-09-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

I do small as well!

2010-08-15T03:40:00.000-07:00

Just a quick photo to show that I don't just get involved in larger projects!

Perthshire pond

2010-07-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

Clients have planted their pond and it's taking shape nicely

Fife in the rain

2010-07-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

Amazing how a few trees and a stretch of meadow grass can be so atmospheric when you add a bit of rain

Garden in Edinburgh revisited

2010-07-14T02:39:00.000-07:00

Visit to a previous project (completed over 3 years ago) to look at a tree that seems to suffering from stress. Will monitor the situation over the summer before deciding what action to take.

Dunbar

2010-07-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

Down to Dunbar to meet with a potential new client and look at the site - a very steep slope close to the beach. Took the time to check out a garden completed 6 years ago. Similar slope to the new garden.

Garden Design Guru: Festival de Jardins, Chaumont sur Loire: The New Chelsea

2010-07-03T03:18:00.000-07:00

Garden Design Guru: Festival de Jardins, Chaumont sur Loire: The New Chelsea

grounded design: Groundbreakers: The New Traditionalists

2010-07-03T03:10:00.000-07:00

grounded design: Groundbreakers: The New Traditionalists

Sunshine in Argyll

2010-06-12T06:44:00.000-07:00

Over to Loch Fyne to drop off some plants. Beautiful sunny day and the irises are coming in to flower. Happy days!

Broughty Ferry Revisited

2010-06-06T03:49:00.000-07:00

Up to Broughty Ferry garden - www.sam-mcgowan.co.uk/broughty_ferry - to check winter damage and see how plants are growing in general. Overall things are looking good although there have been some losses. The sunshine helped make it a fun visit as did the clients' enthusiasm.

Trying to catch up

2010-06-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

Out to Midlothian to check how some of last year's planting in a woodland garden has recovered (or not!) from the ravages of the severe winter. Less bad than feared a month ago - less than 5% will need to be replaced. Been a busy few weeks visiting a new site near Pitlochry, checking on outstanding work in Fife and Renfrewshire, chasing contractors for costings and keeping clients aware of how things stand. The sunshine makes it all fun again.

grounded design: Modern Naturalism: Artifice in the Natural Garden

2010-05-23T03:58:00.000-07:00

grounded design: Modern Naturalism: Artifice in the Natural Garden

Summer reaches Edinburgh

2010-05-22T03:20:00.000-07:00

It's official - summer's here: my wisteria is in flower!

A braw place tae bide when the sun shines

2010-05-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

Over to Argyll. The sun shone, the plants were green and the water sparkled on the lochs. No better place than Scotland to live on days like this and what a great job I have at times!

Dumfries & Galloway garden

2010-05-16T02:55:00.000-07:00

Down to the Solway coast to look at a new site. Great views over the Solway to the Cumbria coast from the front while the rear is a little dell partially surrounded by woodland - a chance for something special!

Edinburgh garden after the winter

2010-05-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

Dropped in to chat to a client and to check any winter damage to planting carried out last year. Not too many losses given the severity of the weather, I'm glad to say!

Garden Design Guru: Carol’s Garden of the Month: Rousham Oxfordshire

2010-05-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

A description of a visit to one of the most influential gardens created in the early days of the English Landscape movement:
Garden Design Guru: Carol’s Garden of the Month: Rousham Oxfordshire
see www.rousham.com for info

Design accepted

2010-04-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

Client e-mailed to accept a recent design. Meeting will have to be arranged to discuss costs, phasing of work and other matters before more detailed design work can commence.

Fife wildlowers

2010-04-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

Up to North Fife to check the wildflowers and fruit bushes planted by a local contractor. Doesn't look much just now, particularly since they're surrounded by temporary rabbit netting but will hopefully create a centrepiece to the meadow in the months and years to come. Also spent some time carrying out a woodland survey so that refurbishment of the Eastern section can be carried out later in the year (once the detailed design has been carried out).

Midlothian treehouse

2010-04-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

Tree house construction completed in a woodland area of a Midlothian garden. Much loved by the children according to the client. Time to get the planting finished!

Wildflowers for Fife

2010-04-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

Dropped off some wildflower plugs to a site in Fife to be planted into an existing stretch of grassland. The contractor intends planting them on Friday so hope there's some rain over the weekend. As well as the wildflowers a small orchard area will be planted to include Blueberries and dwarf sweet Cherries.

Garden Design Guru: 10 Garden Books That Changed My Life

2010-04-06T11:57:00.000-07:00

Garden Design Guru: 10 Garden Books That Changed My Life

Garden Design Guru: Buying Wholesale Plants: Tips & Tricks

2010-04-06T11:51:00.000-07:00

Garden Design Guru: Buying Wholesale Plants: Tips & Tricks

Aberfeldy

2010-03-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

Visit in the rain to a Perthshire project. Additional purchase of a field means the 5 acre garden will be extended. So the first task is to get some windbreaks planted in time for the growing season. No pressure there then.

Visit to North Fife

2010-03-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

Went to look at a potential new project yesterday. House in brilliant position on the water's edge with great views but the current garden an uninviting mess full of concrete block walls and concrete paving. Interesting challenge!

Toe in the water

2010-03-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

Well here we go. I've joined the wonderful world of blogging. Now all I have to do is post thoughts of interest to others!