When garden designer Joy Grey first visited this garden of a substantial Victorian Edinburgh terraced house, its main feature was sandbags. Now, it’s a beautiful, secluded, low maintenance garden which offers the owners a welcome respite from their busy working lives. Living next to a river may seem like a dream for many, but in…
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Garden designer Joy Grey shares the sources of gardening information she has found useful. Perfect for those of you who are new, or not so new, to gardening! As I write, it’s early May and we’re in the midst of the COVID-19 lock-down. Hopefully, by the time you read this issue of Local Life, life…
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Joy Grey tells us February is the time to get your garden properly prepared for springtime. February feels like a turning point in the garden. It’s still cold outside, but there are signs of spring’s imminent arrival. Bulbs slowly emerge, days begin to lengthen, and, with luck, temperatures begin to rise. 1. Tidying Give everything…
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Adorning your front door, staircase or mantelpiece with a Christmas wreath is the perfect festive way to welcome guests into your home. Making your own is as easy as wrapping presents – but it is no longer environmentally responsible to use florist’s foam. Garden designer Joy Grey shows us an alternative method of creating a…
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Garden designer Joy Grey tells us adding a water feature of any kind will change the whole appearance and feel of your garden adding another dimension and enhancing its ambience. Water has a sensory value and an ability to soothe and calm, plus it attracts a variety of wildlife. But with so much choice, it…
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Roses are among our favourite garden plants – and deservedly so. They are versatile, produce vibrant colour all summer long and well into autumn or even winter, and many are deliciously scented. Garden designer Joy Grey shares her favourites. The British have a long-time love affair with roses and this has been a bumper year…
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For thousands of years, the herbs we use regularly in the kitchen were also renowned for powerful medicinal properties – the herb garden was the medicine chest. And in North Berwick herbs are being grown to support mental and emotional well being too. Hidden away in the grounds of North Berwick’s Abbey Nursing Home is…
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Garden designer Joy Grey tells us climbers add an extra, vertical dimension to the garden, take up very little ground space and can be used in a variety of ways to transform even the smallest of gardens. Climbers can be used to disguise bare and ugly house walls, sheds, garages and eyesores. Train them on…
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Garden designer, Joy Grey tells us the early-flowering shrubs to plant this spring. February and March see the days beginning to lengthen, temperatures increasing and the sap beginning to rise. There is a feeling of anticipation for the new season ahead and the garden coming to life again. Make sure your garden has a few…
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