Notes on planning, planting, and building gardens that last.

Designing a garden that lasts: why the plan comes first

The single decision that separates a garden you keep from one you rebuild, and why it happens on paper long before anything is planted.

What a garden plan actually includes

A plain look at what you receive when you commission a master plan, from the site survey to the staged build order.

Planting for year-round structure in a Canterbury garden

How to choose the evergreen bones that keep a garden looking intentional through frost, wind, and a dry Canterbury summer.