Gardeners get ahead of the game as experience tells them to remember earlier lessons.

A garden is for life not just Spring and Summer so you need to play a long game and plan ahead. Our top tips for 12 months time follow but you also need to think about the medium and longer term.
Trees will grow more rapidly once established like the Cupressus I have just had to cut back. Conifers may grow 10% a year and as these had grown to over 24 feet when the situation really needed a 10 foot maximum I had a problem and a lot of work to do.

Shrubs need space to spread and as you plant them think what they will be like in 3+ years. You do not want to be moving prize Camellias or Peonies once they are established.  Plant short lived  or less important plants near them that can be discarded as your prize shrub matures. Hedges get thicker and wider even with regular pruning so allot enough space when you set out. Do not let them get out of hand and block light, paths or  access.

Hard landscaping is even more permanent than most plants. Marry your landscaping to the key core trees and plants you want to build the garden around. Prepare in detail and put in long lasting foundations not quick fixes.

Top Tips for a Grand Garden Next Year

• Feed your bulbs and let them die down naturally. Order more bulbs now.
• Grow biennial plants from seed eg. sowing Wallflowers from June and pinching out the plants to make them bushy.

• It is useful to have a nursery bed for developing and growing on plants for next year. This can be used for seedlings and cuttings that need time to get established.
• Pelargoniums (Geraniums) grown from cuttings can be started in June or July for flowers next year. This gives the plants time to make good roots and for you to train the plant by pinching out to make an attractive framework and houseplant or specimen.
• Take cuttings of shrubs and herbaceous perennials. Delphiniums and Lupins will flower stronger next year if grown from root cuttings started now.
• Clear a space for a specimen plant that can be a real show stopper or look after your existing show stoppers.
• Make environmentally wise choices to encourage wild life for next year. Allow birds to hatch and fledge before trimming hedges or there wont be any birds to return next spring.
• Plan colour schemes, any current flowers that are misplaced need moving to maintain consistency
• Remove any totally weedy or weak plants and compost them. They are unlikely to catch up next year it is often better to start afresh