Welcome to Gardening Clever.
I’ve been gardening for around 20 years, working with everything from small gardens to much larger spaces, including my own gardens, other people’s and community gardens.
But I certainly didn’t start out knowing what I was doing.
Like most new gardeners, I learnt by getting outside and giving things a go. Some plants thrived. Others weren’t quite so lucky!
Over the years I’ve learnt a huge amount about growing flowers, caring for plants and creating gardens that are both beautiful and enjoyable to spend time in.
Gardening Clever is where I share that experience.
My aim is to help you get more from your own garden. That might mean choosing the right flowers, figuring out why a plant isn’t looking particularly happy or finding ideas for designing and improving your outdoor space.
Gardening can occasionally be frustrating. But it should mostly be enjoyable. Hopefully Gardening Clever can help make it a little easier too.
My Gardening Story
I didn’t grow up knowing everything there was to know about plants. Far from it.
I started out as a novice with my own garden and learnt as I went along.
That meant trying different plants, figuring out what worked and, inevitably, getting quite a few things wrong. There’s nothing quite like watching a plant you’ve carefully looked after decide it wants absolutely nothing to do with you!
But that’s also one of the things I love about gardening. You’re always learning.
As the years went by I became more confident and experienced. I worked with small gardens and much larger ones, as well as helping with other people’s gardens and spending time working in community gardens.
Flowers have always been a big part of that.
I’ve grown and cared for many different types over the years and learnt how much of a difference the right conditions, care and location can make.
After around 20 years I’m still learning. Gardens have a habit of keeping you humble like that.
But the experience I’ve gained along the way has given me a much better understanding of what works, what doesn’t and how you can get more enjoyment from your own garden.
20 Years of Gardening Experience
Over the last 20 years I’ve had the opportunity to work with gardens of very different shapes and sizes.
Some have been my own. I’ve also worked in other people’s gardens and community gardens.
That’s given me experience with the different challenges a garden can throw at you.
A small garden can require some careful planning to make the most of the space you’ve got. A larger garden brings an entirely different set of challenges. And no two gardens ever seem to behave quite the same way.
Most of my knowledge has come from actually doing the work.
I’ve spent years planting, growing and caring for flowers and learning how different plants respond to their surroundings.
And I’ve made mistakes along the way.
Quite a few, in fact.
But those mistakes are useful. They’ve helped me understand why something hasn’t worked and what I could do differently next time.
It’s that practical experience I want to bring to Gardening Clever.
I don’t expect everyone reading the site to have years of gardening behind them. I certainly didn’t when I started.
So when I write about plants and gardening, my aim is to explain things in a straightforward and useful way that you can actually put into practice in your own garden.
Why I Started Gardening Clever
Gardening Clever grew out of a desire to share what I’ve learnt and hopefully help other gardeners along the way.
When I first started gardening I had a lot to learn.
Even seemingly simple things like choosing where to put a plant, understanding how much sun it needed or knowing when something wasn’t quite right could be confusing.
Twenty years later, I’ve got a lot more experience to draw on.
So I wanted Gardening Clever to be somewhere you can find practical gardening advice without feeling like you need to be an expert to understand it.
I want to help with the everyday questions that come up when you’re actually gardening.
That could be choosing flowers for a particular part of your garden. It might be working out why a favourite plant isn’t thriving. Or you may simply be looking for inspiration to make your garden look a little better.
There’s always something new to learn with gardening. I’m certainly still learning myself.
Gardening Clever is a place for me to share what I’ve picked up so far and hopefully help you enjoy your garden that little bit more.
What You’ll Find on Gardening Clever
Gardening Clever covers the things I’ve come to enjoy most about gardening, particularly flowers, plants and creating a garden you love spending time in.
You’ll find plenty of practical advice on growing and caring for different plants.
That includes everything from learning how to grow sunflowers to understanding the needs of particular plants and dealing with problems when something isn’t looking quite right.
Flowers are a big focus of the site.
I look at how to grow them successfully, where they’ll work best and which plants grow well together. You’ll also find ideas for choosing flowers that grow in shade and bringing more wildlife into your garden with flowers that attract butterflies.
There’s plenty beyond individual flowers too.
I want Gardening Clever to help with the bigger picture of gardening. That means planning, planting combinations, garden design and finding ways to make the space you’ve got work for you.
And you don’t need a huge garden.
I’ve worked with gardens of very different sizes over the years. A smaller space can be every bit as enjoyable as a sprawling garden. Sometimes having less room just means having to get a little more creative with it.
Ultimately, the aim is simple: to help you grow healthier plants, create a garden you enjoy and hopefully avoid a few of the mistakes I’ve made along the way.
Gardening Advice Based on Real Experience
The advice I share on Gardening Clever comes from years of actually gardening.
I’ve planted things in the wrong places. I’ve watched supposedly easy-to-grow flowers stubbornly refuse to cooperate. And I’ve had plants do brilliantly when I wasn’t entirely sure they would.
That’s all part of gardening.
After 20 years you certainly get better at understanding plants and recognising what they need. But you also realise there isn’t always one perfect answer.
Different gardens have different soil, light, weather and growing conditions. What works beautifully in one spot might be a complete disaster somewhere else.
That’s something I try to keep in mind when writing for Gardening Clever.
I want the advice you find here to be clear and practical. I’ll explain why something works rather than simply telling you what to do.
And when my own experience is relevant, I’ll share it.
I’m not interested in making gardening sound more complicated than it needs to be. Nor do I think you need decades of experience to create a beautiful garden.
I started as a novice myself.
If some of what I’ve learnt since then can help you grow better plants, solve a problem or simply feel a little more confident in your garden, then Gardening Clever is doing exactly what I hoped it would.
Keep in Touch
If you’ve made it this far, I hope you’ve got a better idea of what Gardening Clever is about and where the advice you find here comes from.
Gardening has been a big part of my life for around 20 years and I still get a huge amount of enjoyment from it.
There’s always another plant to grow, another idea to try and, occasionally, another gardening mistake to learn from!
That’s part of the fun.
I hope Gardening Clever can give you some inspiration, answer a few of your gardening questions and help you create an outdoor space you’re proud of.
And if you’re just getting started, don’t worry about knowing everything.
I certainly didn’t.
The best thing you can do is get outside, start growing and see where it takes you.
Thanks for visiting Gardening Clever.
