How does your garden make you feel? Many factors combine to create the ‘feel’ of a garden, and when garden designers in Glasgow think about this, the rules are of course the same wherever you are. The use of colour in a garden design is one of the key principles that garden designers are guided by. The appropriate combination of colours in a planting plan can make a garden design feel relaxing, striking, exotic, even hot or cold! Colour is created not just by flowers but also by foliage, as well as the non-living elements of your garden such as gravel, fences and walls.

The performance of plants in new garden design projects in Glasgow and beyond is key to the success of the project. Garden designers will always want to see every plant establishing and thriving - this comes down to three key things, good stock, correct planting, and effective aftercare (especially being watered in the days, weeks and months after planting). However, with the best care in the world, garden designers see every day how some plants do better than others, with no obvious reasons. Oftentimes, some plants just seem to take a bit longer to get into their stride.

Horticultural consultants in Glasgow and elsewhere, like garden designers, have a number of different roles within their job. Horticultural consultants will have areas of specialism which may be production or ornamental horticulture, and they will often advise fellow professionals - such as growers and nurseries - or members of the public about their private gardens. Horticultural consultancy may also include invasive weed surveys (such as for japanese knotweed), be that in Glasgow or further afield.

How are your garden plants looking at the moment? Garden designers and horticultural consultants in and around Glasgow are often asked about health issues and general performance of existing garden plants. During lockdown Glasgow enjoyed some sunny dry weather, but normal weather has since resumed, and we have been seeing the spring flush where grass and plants grow at a rapid rate. This doesn’t just apply to your desirable plants, but weeds including invasives like Japanese Knotweed all grow like crazy at this time of year.

Garden designers and landscape gardeners in Glasgow and beyond make a point of choosing the right plant for the right place when they are creating planting plans for their garden designs. One of the many factors that garden designers need to consider is the light conditions that particular plants need to survive or thrive - you will have seen the symbols on plant labels for full sun, part sun or full shade.

Everywhere you go, garden designers seem to be offering slightly differing advice about this, but if you focus on the seven key principles of garden design, it will help guide you in the direction of fulfilling your aspirations for your garden.

Tom Angel is based in Glasgow, Scotland, and works as a garden designer and landscape gardener. He is both a chartered horticulturist as well as a fully-qualified and award-winning garden designer.