Dear Green Space

02/10/2026

Renewal 🌿
The client hired a contractor to clear overgrown mature trees and shrubs from a large, shady, north-facing front garden.
This certainly allowed for more of the desired light into the space, but left very little to appreciate behind.

In the first phase of this large project, I was asked to create a simple, low-maintenance space. It’s a large area, and the project easily swallowed up 20 tonnes of topsoil, gravel, sand and hardcore!

The result: a large, curving, edged driveway and lawn, complemented by three beautiful, airy, multi-stemmed birch trees (Betula utilis Jacquemontii).
It’s a perfect time of year for tree planting and laying lawns. 🌳 The ground still holds some late-summer warmth, while autumn downpours help take care of much of the watering.
Bare-root hedging will be installed in early winter

24/09/2026

Welcome to your new home.
I'm sure you'll have many, many happy years here 🌳🌏

22/07/2026

Hi, High Summer

05/07/2026

Another very rewarding phased project.
This large green space is being redeveloped to follow the architect's plan.
Over the last year we've marked out and reclaimed some of this beautiful wild site.

We've planted 10 new trees, timber and corten edging installed, new turf and stepping stones laid and a matrix style planting scheme created.
Matrix planting is often defined as a naturalistic and sustainable design style where groundcover forms a base 'matrix' layer. Taller structural plants are interwoven to mimic natural ecosystems.
This style of planting often reduces maintenance by acting as a living mulch - suppressing weeds and retaining moisture.

05/07/2026

It's always special to work with clients on larger phased projects. This often suits capacity, budget and can simply be a more organic and mindful process.

Here we have a large garden where the lower levels have been a little less accessible and perhaps underused.

Creating wider steps, and more importantly, a reason to journey through the garden is key to opening up the space.
This phase includes the sleeper steps and a new mini orchard on the garden's mid-level 🌳

05/07/2026

Quick Wins.
A small, neat and uninteresting lawn with no planting and poor drainage.
What we see above the ground is usually just a symptom of what's going on below, and off-the-shelf products alone will rarely improve poor drainage.

A little graft to remove buried concrete and washing poles, while digging out saturated turf to create small softly curving planting beds will certainly aid future drainage and add year-round interest for the clients.

Once the planting establishes, these beds ( covering approx 10.m.sq) can lift anything from 10–20 litres of water on a cool spring or autumn day, and upto 40 - 60 litres on a warm, breezy summer day.

05/07/2026

Two years later - Glasgow Wood Planters installed June '24.
There's often a careful balance between giving clients instant appeal, and understanding how planting will mature into any given space over time 🌳

05/07/2026

Budget friendly Zero Waste Gardens.

Creating a softer green space by removing (and redistributing) excess paving to lay turf and extend and blend the existing lawn (that required some repair).
Sanded sleepers used to improve the safety and appearance of the existing dilapidated red brick raised bed.
Some new garage steps, reinvigorated paving, new planting and we're good to go

17/04/2026

It’s been a while since I’ve shared much in the way of ' before and after' garden transformation type posts - work has grown to include much more in recent years🌳
It's been a dry winter and wet spring in the West of Scotland, so here’s an update of what's been keeping me busy 🙂🌿

✔️ Horticulture classes delivered in Dumbarton, Paisley and Port Glasgow
✔️ Private workshops and consultations in Paisley, Lenzie and Calton.
✔️ Garden renovations in Hyndland
✔️ Planting schemes in Newton Mearns and Pollokshields
✔️ Garden designs for spaces in Old Kilpatrick, Dumbarton and Bearsden

More recently: Hedge planting in Govan and Helensburgh and new projects lined up in Govan, Gourock, Cranhill and Auldhouse.
I also attended the Scottish Horticultural Therapy Conference in Perthshire and continue volunteering to help care for green spaces locally in Stepps.

The industry continues to grow and evolve, and I’m happy to be evolving with it 🌍
If you’re thinking about a garden project, design, planting, workshop or some expert advice, feel free to get in touch.

21/02/2026