The brief for this irregularly-shaped, three-level town garden in Ashby de la Zouch was to bring it up-to-date and open up the space. Not only was the existing layout old-fashioned but the journey through the garden was badly laid out, and felt dark and claustrophobic. A set of overpowering concrete steps led up to an area which was difficult to get past, and there was far too much paving. We decided on a contemporary design with warm-coloured...

When I was a student doing my RHS certificates I kept a little notebook. Within were hundreds of plant names, drawings, photos and descriptions, and I used it daily to boost my plant ID knowledge. That knowledge eventually took root and it’s seen me through my exams and many years of garden design. So today it really bugs me when I spot a plant and am unable to put a name to it. On Saturday I visited a potential new client, and while...