My name is Graham Wright, and this is my website, where I post about garden design, gardening in general, and where I show the development of my own garden. I worked in horticulture for around fifteen years, first as a self-employed gardener, and then as a garden designer (having completed a postgraduate diploma in garden design). [1.] I recently retired, but retain a passion for plants and gardens.
My Design Ethos
As a designer, my emphasis was on plants, rather than an excess of hard-landscaping, though the clients’ preferences always take precedence, and I would design in any style, from cottage garden, to prairie, to modernist. For examples of my work, take a look at my portfolio pages, where you can see the design for my own garden.
I aimed to make my designs as sustainable as possible. Where appropriate, pristine lawns can be replaced with wildflower meadow that doesn’t demand applications of chemicals, and can be cut less frequently (saving on maintenance, and reducing energy usage). Plants can be chosen to provide habitat and food to bring in wildlife, adding another dimension; bringing the garden to life. These are choices that will not compromise the beauty and practicality of the design.
I worked to bring into my designs all the benefits that the plant world has to offer; to stimulate all of the senses, using form and texture, colour from foliage as well as from flowers, scent from foliage and flowers, plants that move in the breeze; and plants that are tactile. Gardens need not go to sleep in winter; it’s possible to ensure they have interest (including flowers) all year round.
The ‘Pulling Weeds’ domain name comes from my time as a jobbing gardener when, besides pruning, cutting grass, trimming hedges, and even doing some planting, I seemed to spend an awful lot of time on my hands and knees digging up or pulling out weeds.