In the heart of London's vibrant neighbourhoods, the front entrance serves as a gateway to homes and a reflection of the residents within. Whether you have a grand entrance or a cosy corner to call your own, investing in the design of this vital space can truly enhance the character and charm of your property.
Designing a small garden requires just as much skill as a project that extends over several acres – and the talented team at Alaster Anderson are delighted to share our Top 10 Tips for small garden design.
Are you a professional landscaper looking to sharpen your skills or a gardening enthusiast eager to delve deeper into the art of garden maintenance? At Alaster Anderson, we are not just passionate about cultivating plants, but also about nurturing talent and sharing knowledge within our industry.
The quieter winter months are the perfect time to set us to work on designs, costing and ordering for your transformed garden. We’re experts at turning gardens into showstopping works of living art, with sculptural forms and astonishing colour palettes.
Valeria assists Joe, Head of Maintenance, to ensure our client’s gardens look beautiful year-round and are maintained to the highest of standards.
Last week we enjoyed an inspirational team day out visiting the expansive gardens at Gravetye Manor. Our team is growing rapidly now and with 3 people joining the team in the last couple of months, it was wonderful to get everyone together for a relaxed and informal day in beautiful surroundings.
This week celebrates British Flowers - a national celebration of seasonal, locally-grown flowers whilst supporting the incredible work of the nation’s florists, growers and wholesalers who put British flowers in the spotlight.
The sharp turnaround in the weather during June has seen our roses go from being slow to bloom to full-on flower, flower, flower in just a matter of days.
The first in a blog series on the re-design of my own garden , with sustainability and weather conditions key influences on my design and plant selection.
Floriferous repeat flowering roses that cope with part shade are a perfect solution for the Summer months, especially when trained in this unique way to create rose balls.
Lee assists Florent, the Operations Director, to ensure all jobs are completed on schedule and to a high standard. I'm always on site, making gardens from the ground up.
Too often overlooked, ferns can bring fantastic drama to a garden – from ferns with eye-catching wavy edges to those flushed with tones of silver and burgundy. They bring structure, grow well in areas that other plants can find challenging, and evergreen species provide interest all year round.
Growing your own flowers is hugely rewarding, helps wildlife, is more environmentally friendly, is cost effective… and allows you a justly satisfied smug smile when your friends ask who your florist is.
Clever use of garden lighting will give you more enjoyment – and more value – from your garden. You can use subtle lighting to create atmosphere and mood for summer nights, and revel in your garden year round through the windows of your home by having it well lit.
Nina joined Alaster Anderson full time after completing a two-year advanced technical extended diploma in horticulture at Sparsholt College – but she'd already impressed the company! She had been working with us part time during her studies.
We wish all our clients well this Christmas, whether enjoying Christmas indoors or venturing out to explore some inspirational gardens and trees.
Designing a small garden requires just as much skill as a project that extends over several acres – and the talented team at Alaster Anderson are delighted to share our Top 10 Tips for small garden design.
The quieter winter months are the perfect time to set us to work on designs, costing and ordering for your transformed garden. We’re experts at turning gardens into showstopping works of living art, with sculptural forms and astonishing colour palettes.
Adding a dash of winter dazzle to your garden will pay huge dividends when friends and neighbours marvel at the stunning colours you’ve achieved on the gloomiest of days.
We have been inspired by the astonishing selection at the gardens at the Hauser and Wirth art gallery in Somerset, created by Dutch designer Piet Oudolf.
Kris was a chef for a long time, showing creativity in the kitchen at the same time as enjoying growing his own vegetables and herbs to eat himself. This passion for gardening expanded until it became his profession – and for the last ten years he has been self-taught, acquiring ever more skills and knowledge as he has become an amazing asset to Alaster Anderson.
We are long standing fans of ornamental grasses and use them in many of our designs. As architectural plants they are wonderful at creating a visual statement with many ornamental grasses bearing flowers for months
Scented flowers, purple flowers, blue flowers and particular markings on flowers – of whatever colour – all attract bees’ attention. Here are some of our favourite plants to encourage pollinators:
Creating stunning London gardens is not for the faint-hearted. There can be so many challenges that it’s essential to call in garden design and planting experts with outstanding experience of top-end projects in the capital
Artificial grass was banned at this year's Chelsea Flower Show, but as scorching temperatures parch once-beautiful lawns, is fake turf the answer?
We were pleased to be featured in Chelsea Life and corresponding publications including Mayfair, St Johns Wood and Notting Hill titles. The full article can be read in this blog.
The Alaster Anderson team have returned from a day at the Chelsea Flower Show inspired and excited by a fabulous day out.
Joe has been in gardening for 22 years … and from day one knew he had found a job he loved! Joe is in charge of all the maintenance rounds to keep the gardens we have built up to a really high standard.
Hardwood or composite decking? It’s not a simple choice, and there are quite a few factors to consider before you buy. Here we outline the key considerations.
My experience means we can create not only an exceptional garden for clients, but guide them as to how best invest their money in their space so that when we have finished they have something truly exciting.
Soil has a critical role in tackling climate change, and at Alaster Anderson we’re helping our clients make sure their gardens play their part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
After the long haul of winter it can be tempting to look forward to a riot of spring colour but a different approach is to opt instead for the sophistication of glorious whites, with stunning displays of flowering plants, trees and shrubs.
When trees arrive and we open them up it’s amazing. I also love the reaction of our clients the first time they see their new garden, because at the scale we work and the changes we make it’s an extraordinary transformation.
Bare winter gardens are crying out for the structure, colour and even scent that evergreens can provide. As well as giving your garden plenty of rich winter interest, they can also be a dramatic backdrop to summer flowers.
Trees are often feature statements in exclusive gardens, showstoppers that bring drama and look great architecturally all year round.
Whether you’re seeking some inspiration for your own garden, want to revel in glorious vistas, investigate unusual planting or see landscapes adorned with sculpture, sculpted topiary or cosmology … we’ve put together a guide to seven sensational gardens that will entertain and amuse you.
Gardens in London may often be shaded by trees and buildings, and far from being a problem, shady spots can present plenty of opportunities for imaginative planting.
Think “winter white” and your thoughts probably turn to frosty mornings, a blanket of snow and shimmering ice particles. But how about white flowers and shrubs to give your garden some show-stopping seasonal sparkle?
More imaginative than new wellies or another trowel, our gardeners’ Christmas gift guide includes days out, inspiring reads and even garden-themed gin!
Having just joined the Alaster Anderson team at our Fishguard office, Project Administrator Mike tells us about his role at Alaster Anderson and his garden inspiration.
For those who have previously chosen bulbs from a seed catalogue or nipped along to the local garden centre to pick up some plants, It can be astonishing to discover all the time and effort that the team at Alaster Anderson put into selecting the very best specimens for our stunning gardens.
As Business Operations Director, Leanne’s role is to make sure the whole business runs smoothly. Read a Q&A with her, to see what inspires Leanne and makes her tick,
Autumn can spring a surprise in a showstopping garden if you opt for dazzling whites instead of the expected colours of ochres, oranges, golds and rusts.
Watering is always a challenge, but time-consuming summer watering can be minimised by carefully choosing plants that are drought resistant.
Functionality and styles traditionally used inside are now being brought to outside spaces, both to enhance quality of life and boost property values.
White gardens are a fantastic opportunity to bring elegant sophistication as well as romance to a garden project, proving that drama and interest can be created without a riot of colour.
Proper scheduling is vital when you are ordering and planting specimens. Our guide below will prevent the disappointment and wasted money that comes from failing to plan ahead.
Planning for unexpected events can make or break how successful a particular day or even a whole project is. Critical to overcoming logistical challenges is working with trusted, reputable companies who have a track record of delivering on time.
Plant Passports are a hot topic in the horticultural world - the good news is we are prepared and can continue to source the best specimens from Europe’s top nurseries.
When called in to rescue newly planted gardens blighted by plant failure and poor plant health, one culprit is surprisingly common.
The vital ingredient for a successful garden is healthy soil with natural soil organisms and good drainage. High-quality soil that includes helpful worms and no pollutants will help plants flourish and will be less at the mercy of pests and disease.
Poor drainage can be a devastating problem in London gardens, leading to compacted, airless soil that chokes plants and destroys your garden vision. Here are five common problems and more importantly solutions,
It’s a seasonal joy to go out collecting holly to decorate your home, but never chop down a whole tree. In 1861, the Duke of Argyle even diverted a road to avoid cutting down a holly tree.
Our Head Gardener Service allows clients to enjoy the best of both worlds, controlling costs with a monthly fee whilst bringing in our incredible specialist expertise to carry out highly skilled tasks essential to realising a garden’s long-term creative vision.
London gardens can present some vertiginous challenges. We will often be working at height over spiked railings or on balconies, and we can be shaping and sculpting topiary, trees and hedges that are 6m tall. We believe in setting the highest health and safety standards as an example to our sector.
In case you have ever wondered, the word yule comes from the Old Norse word jol meaning to have a good time. People have long known that the best way of getting through the dreary month December is to party, and to have a jolly time.
There is one garden tradition, however, that will be missed by many this year: bringing in the mistletoe for a Christmas kiss with friends and neighbours. Nevertheless, we can’t resist sharing the legends surrounding this sacred plant.
Japanese bonsai prices reflect the skill and time the nurseries invest over many years to create and craft individual specimen plants. As a result Japanese bonsai generally have more interesting trunks and stems with tightly clipped / pruned canopies, with the overall effect creating a smaller version of a much larger established characterful tree.
Soil quality is fundamental to a glorious garden, and proper soil preparation and management are real skills that we have honed over many years of experience.
If they are well conceived, hedges with an expert choice of plants and with quality clipping from a skilled maintenance service, they are things of beauty. The equivalent of any garden sculpture, unique to each client and setting a home apart from other properties to the delight of friends and family.
I love to design hedges to create architectural form in a garden. They are there because they are a beautiful piece of sculpture to divide and separate areas, to create rooms and to bring stability to a design.
In a London garden where space is paramount everything we use must do a precise job. Planting in a pot is a great technique for increasing height when access for a taller plant would cause problems
I believe in bonsai crafted to gloriously enhance the landscape rather than just producing functional form – it’s about taking a plant and creating something really special. Instead of a standard over-clipped ball of box.
Selecting plants by hand means we can choose specimens with a unique form, creating a special piece that feels exclusive to the owner and their property, rather than something seen all over London. Instead of the ubiquitous clipped bay or box we love to source different plants.
Pots do not need big specimens to impress, and keeping it simple can be highly effective. Read the second in our series of blogs about planting in pots to see which specimens work particularly well.
Planting in pots is an exciting option in London where buildings are ever-present and clients lack the space available in traditional out-of-town gardens. By planting in pots we can dramatically change the way people feel about their space.
Working with nature every day means that we see and feel the impact that we have on the environment, the team are therefore passionate about sustainability in their professional and personal lives.
As well as a horticulturalist, I am a passionate garden and planting designer and thoroughly enjoy working with other designers. Collaborating to develop a designer’s vision and develop high quality schemes that look great is immensely rewarding.
The key here is, less is more. Great quality plants and materials can create a fantastic instant and sophisticated look. Here we give 4 simple ideas for property developers to create a show garden.
Prompted by a conversation with the Senior Arboricultural Officer for Westminster Council who felt too many Amelanchier lamarkii have been planted in Westminster in recent years and that they would like to see a broader range.
