A lot of new customers ask me if they can look at gardens that I have designed. As most of my garden owners have often had their gardens constructed to create their own private little world, taking new customers to visit gardens that I have completed is not something that I generally do. Besides it is often hard to take credit for a garden that although initially my design and baby has become a joint project between the owners, the contractors and myself. So allowing you all to see something of my work via the photos on the website is actually quite important these days.

Last week I visited another one of my many special customers (see Southern Garden Project) where I had designed a garden incorporating some plants collected by the owner that I’d never really used in the past. I’ve always distrusted Angel’s Trumpets and Moonflowers (Datura and Brugsmansia). Never quite sure if the claim from some web sites that they are not terribly toxic is really true or not. Certainly I do not recommend them if there is any chance that there are pets or small people that might pick them up and eat any parts of them. But Oh they are beautiful…..Moira’s Moonflowers are a wonderful collection of pastels and ominous-looking purples. Some of them look like they come from a Gothic novel and in Moira’s garden there is no question of whether the plants are poisonous or not. They are safely tucked away behind walls and locked gates and nutured with regular pruning and loving care. The entry courtyard contains Cacti in pots with long spines and spectacular flowers – certainly not a garden for children – a rather wicked treat that I love to explore when I’m in the area.

I see that I can only add one photo into each post item so I’ll do another one on the Daturas as the Night-flowering Cactus (I think a Cereus species – I’m not an authority on Cacti) is just too spectacular to pass over. Thank you to Moira for the photo.