the garden designer

adventures in gardendesignland
 

Butterflies at Wisley Gardens

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We're up early today to get down to RHS Wisley Gardens for the opening of the Butterflies in the Glasshouse. Its really fab! Loads of really cool butterflies to see including this Great Mormon. I was amazed at how quiet they were at this time of day among the tropical plants. Very few flying around and we were lucky to have a 4 year old to walk around with who actually knew what species they were and could spot them easier than us!

Don't miss this if you're in Surrey over the next few weeks. Its well worth the visit.

http://www.andrewfishertomlin.com/buckinghamshire/project_detail.html

http://www.rhs.org.uk

Posted January 14, 2012
 

Amazing life saving spiders

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My colleague Peter Thurman has just sent me these amazing images of trees in Pakistan. An unexpected side effect of the flooding of parts of the country led to millions of spiders climbing up into trees to escape the rising waters. The floods took so long to recede that the trees became cocooned in webs.

Its thought that the mosquitos which usually thrive in the stagnant water are getting caught in the tree webs and so the numbers of these are down reducing the risk of malaria.

 

http://www.andrewfishertomlin.com/tseri/project_detail.html

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Posted January 6, 2012
 

Most pointless landscape detail of 2011

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You know the old adage about keeping it simple? Well we always try to keep our designs stylish, definitely practical for our clients and sometimes glamorous (after all a swimming pool should be fabulous shouldn't it?).

Sometimes landscape architects go a bit too far and you get the feeling there was too much budget! Take these lights just outside Waitrose in SW20. A huge amount of thought has gone into these tiny tiny lights that do nothing, except light up in the day! For a moment we thought they were some sub conscious marketing ploy to pull you into the supermarket but no if that was the case on many occasions you'd walk into motorcycles. Why didn't they forget them and used the savings from the fittings and the wasted energy on a tree? Go figure. But they do get our most pointless design detail award for 2011!

http://www.andrewfishertomlin.com/swimming/project_detail.html

Posted December 31, 2011
 

More seasonal decorations we're liking this year

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Out in Mayfair this evening we've spotted some of the more unusual lighting choices to see. The colour morphing balls in the trees outside the Connaught in Mount Street are particularly cool but we also liked South Moulton Streets arches (even if they do remind you a little of Ronald Mc....).
http://www.andrewfishertomlin.com/underground/project_detail.html

Posted December 22, 2011
 

Favourite Seasonal Decorations

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Here are just a few of our favourite decorations for Christmas including a modern window box of Agave and baubles, a fabulous over sized wreath in Belgravia and an antler Christmas tree in one of our favourite tailors!

http://www.andrewfishertomlin.com/ice_garden/project_detail.html

Posted December 21, 2011
 

Very small Swedish sheds

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You know how customers ask you what size shed you should have and you say the smallest possible because you fill whatever size to the gills? This might be going to far?!
http://www.andrewfishertomlin.com/stockholm/project_detail.html

Posted December 10, 2011
 

Last trees of 2011 going in

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Final delivery of trees for this year going into the ground in Surrey. Great mix of Acer campestre, Prunus padus Waterii, Prunus shirotae, Prunus avium Plena, Sorbus aucuparia, Acer griseum plus some specials like Zelkova serrata and Pyrus calleryana Chanticleer. I love planting trees!!

http://www.andrewfishertomlin.com/horticulture.html

Posted December 6, 2011
 

Pickled vegetable specimens

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You never thought we'd say that did you! These are fab old horticultural specimen jars of old vegetable varieties in Dover Street Market. But you could make them at home .... And eat them later!

http://www.andrewfishertomlin.com/wimbledon_small/project_detail.html

Posted December 2, 2011
 

Bracket fungi on a cold morning

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I've spent much of this year fighting honey fungus in one garden and talking to whoever will listen about the threat from Phytothera species to our trees, especially Elms and Red Oaks. But this morning I spotted these in the verge of a track near to a Sussex garden design we have just completed and I had to stop and appreciate them!

http://www.andrewfishertomlin.co.uk/services.html

Posted December 1, 2011
 

Chihuly at Halcyon

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Now all I need is a great client with a great garden that we can install one of these in. The vessels are amazing as are the Waterford sconces and chandeliers. Although left slightly cold by the garden pieces I am sure we could work something out. I have a particular project in mind and ... they withstand hailstorms

http://www.andrewfishertomlin.com/inspiration.html

Posted December 1, 2011