Rachel Gave Us a Blank Canvas

There’s something exciting about a completely blank garden.

There’s also something mildly terrifying about it!

When Claire and I first saw Rachel’s garden, the landscaping was all bar done, albeit from a planting point of view, we had lawn, fence, patio… and not much else.

Perfect?

From blank to blooming,…and there is more to come.

Starting from scratch meant we could design the planting properly.

We considered Rachel’s individual tastes, how the family would use the garden, where height and structure were needed, and how to soften all those new fences and hard landscaping.

Then came the easy bit…

Designing, sourcing, selecting, delivering, positioning, moving, repositioning, nutrients, watering and, oh, the plants!

Apparently plants don’t arrange themselves.

Planting in a VERY hot summer

We also had the small matter of one of the hottest, driest summers we’ve experienced, we pushed back the dates three times….

That influenced everything from plant selection and positioning to soil preparation, mulching and aftercare.

The lawn may look like it had given up on life, but established grass is surprisingly resilient. Our priority was getting the new planting established and thriving.

The result is a mixture of hydrangeas, colourful foliage, climbers, flowering perennials, structural planting and pots, creating different heights, textures and layers around the garden, and the use of colourful pots which are all easy to maintain.

And importantly, it still leaves plenty of usable space for Rachel, Tim, baby and dog.

Because gardens are for living in, not just looking at.

The exciting bit comes next…

What we particularly like about this garden is that this is only Day One.

As the climbers head up the fences, the hydrangeas bulk out and the borders knit together, the whole garden will become softer, fuller and more established. 

We don’t plant for today, we plant for the future.

That’s the lovely thing about planting design.

We finish planting. Then the garden takes over.

If you’ve got your own blank canvas and you’re wondering where on earth to start, that’s exactly the sort of project we love.

Garden planting • Planting design • Plant selection • Border design • Winnersh • Wokingham • Surrounding areas

You supply the blank canvas.

We’ll bring the passion, design and knowledge, you bring the tea and biscuits.

We think Rachel said it best…..

“We’re absolutely delighted with our new garden. Paul and Claire took what was essentially a blank canvas and completely transformed it.  

From the initial ideas through to choosing, sourcing and positioning the plants, the whole process was really easy and enjoyable. They listened to what we liked, adhered to the budget and timescales, offered plenty of advice.

They clearly put a lot of thought into how the garden would look both now and as it matures.   

Their planting knowledge was exceptional and the planting looks fantastic.

They’ve completely changed how the garden feels, and we couldn’t be happier with the finished result.

We’d certainly Paul, Claire and the Root & Bloom service.”

Are you thinking About Transforming Your Garden?

At Root & Bloom Gardens, we create bespoke planting plans and planting schemes for gardens across Winnersh, Wokingham, Woodley, Earley, Twyford and surrounding areas of Berkshire.

We can work alongside homeowners, landscapers and trusted independent contractors, helping to take a project from the muddy construction stage through to the bit everyone has been waiting for: the plants.

Whether you’ve completed a full garden redesign, have newly built raised beds or simply have a garden that needs more colour, structure and life, we’d love to help.

Good landscaping creates the space. Great planting changes how that space feels.