Country Gardens

01/11/2026

York is full of beautiful Victorian terraces, and many of them come with the same challenge: a narrow, walled courtyard that's hard to make the most of.

This project shows what's possible with a considered design and proper landscaping. A central path of natural granite setts, in warm golden and grey tones that sit perfectly against the old brick, splits the space into two areas: a seating spot by the house and a planted walk out to the back gate.

The result is a small garden that feels bigger, works harder and fits the character of the house.

It's the details you might not notice that make the difference:
✅ A linear drainage channel at the back door to carry rainwater away from the house
✅ Recessed inspection covers, infilled with setts so they almost disappear
✅ A clean edge course framing each planting bed

🌸 The planting

Courtyards like this can be shady, sheltered and dry against the walls, so every plant was chosen to suit those conditions. Silver-leaved shrubs, heucheras, variegated evergreens and hardy palms give colour and structure all year.

Terracotta pots planted with a standard olive and agapanthus bring height and soften the brickwork.

As BALI-registered landscapers, we bring together design, construction and plant knowledge.

Have a Victorian courtyard that needs some love? Get in touch to talk about your ideas.

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29/10/2026

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29/10/2026

🌬️ Fence panels down after the weekend's winds?

Country Gardens York's landscaping team can replace damaged panels, posts and whole runs of fencing, and we have a few slots available before Christmas.

✅ Posts set firmly so your fence is ready for the next storm
✅ Careful work around your borders, shrubs and climbers (we're horticulturists as well as landscapers)
✅ BALI accredited (British Association of Landscape Industries)
✅ 5-year warranty on our landscaping work, fencing included

📞 Call 01904 758743 or send us a message with a photo of the damage and we'll get back to you

28/10/2026

26/10/2026

🍂 A bird’s-eye view of autumn in this calm garden oasis full of colour and movement.

Soft waves of ornamental grasses glowing gold, drifts of purple verbena and asters still in flower, and deep red persicaria weaving through the borders.

At its heart, a wildlife pond with a pebble beach, where heron and duck sculptures sit at the water's edge. A circular stone patio and a timber swing seat make the perfect spot to take it all in.

Every plant has been chosen to work together through the seasons: grasses for structure and movement, late flowers for the pollinators, and seed heads left standing for the birds through winter. 🐝️

26/10/2026

🍂 The curves continue! 2 years ago we landscaped this Mediterranean sunken garden: curved, terracotta-coloured walls, a raised pond with a water feature, steps down into the sunken seating area, and paved terraces with clay brick inlays.

Last week we completed the next phase, carrying the paving on from the dining patio area. It now flows across to the house and around the brick pillars, with matching brick inlays, and a curving brick-edged path leads you on into the garden.

And look how good the sunken seating area is in autumn! Compare it with our summer photos: the blue skies are gone, but the golden leaves, silvery planting and warm terracotta walls look every bit as good. The curves, brickwork and paving give the garden a structure that works in every season, so it’s a space to enjoy all year round, not just in summer!

☀ Swipe to the end to see June 2025 photos. 👉

Plenty of our customers choose to do their garden in stages, and that’s absolutely fine with us. Enjoy one area first, then come back to the next when the time is right.

Planning a bigger project but not sure you want to do it all at once? We can plan the whole garden with you and build it in the order that suits you.

Get in touch for a free initial consultation:
📞 01904 758743

25/10/2026

October Jobs to Do 🌺 Lifting dahlias and begonias

If you want to enjoy them again next year, late October into November is the time to lift your dahlias and begonias. Clean them off, then store them somewhere dry and cool until spring.

Here’s how to do it:

✂️ Wait until the first frost has blackened the dahlia foliage, then cut the old stems down to about 5cm (2in)
🌱 Lift the tubers carefully with a fork, taking care not to cut or bruise them
🙃 Remove the soil by hand, then stand the tubers upside down in a cool place for a few weeks to dry off
📦 Label each variety and pack the tubers in trays or boxes of dry sand, soil or compost
🏠 Store somewhere cool but frost-free, like a shed or a garage attached to the house, and keep them dry and well ventilated

Begonia tubers can be lifted and stored in exactly the same way.

💡 No room to store them? In a sheltered, well-drained spot, you can cut the stems back and leave dahlias in the ground under a thick, dry mulch of straw, garden compost or chipped bark. They may just come into growth and flower a little later next year.

It’s a simple job that saves you buying new tubers next year. 🌱

19/10/2026

🦋 There are still pollinators about, so give them something to feed on!

Sedum is a brilliant late-season plant. Its flat flower heads are packed with nectar just when butterflies and bees need it most, and paired with ornamental grasses it gives you lovely autumn colour and movement.

Other late nectar plants to try:

💜 Verbena bonariensis: tall, airy and a real butterfly magnet
🧡 Heleniums: warm autumn colour that lasts for weeks
🌿 Clematis ‘Freckles’, winter-flowering honeysuckle and wild ivy to keep the nectar going into winter

💡 Don’t rush to cut back your sedums and grasses once they’ve finished. The seed heads and stems look beautiful in frost and give birds and insects food and shelter.

Beautiful for you, brilliant for wildlife. 💛

Want a wildlife-friendly garden? Get in touch for a free initial consultation: 01904 758743

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19/10/2026

✨ From a plain lawn to a romantic English country garden

This space was simply lawn running up to the yew hedge, and it didn’t flow with the formal garden further along. The brief was to create something romantic: old English country garden style, soft pinks, purples and pastels, and plenty of topiary.

Garden designer took on the design:

📐 The challenge: the plot isn’t a neat rectangle. It sits at an awkward angle.
🌸 The design idea: the curves are based on lines taken from the house, so the layout follows the house’s geometry. The soft curves bring the romantic, cottage-garden feel and contrast with the straight, geometric lines of the formal garden beyond.
🌳 The focal point: a lovely silver birch where the new area meets the formal garden, with the curves leading the eye towards it.

Our team dug out the beds and borders, prepared the ground, and worked alongside Lucy to get her planting scheme in. We can’t wait to see it fill out next summer! 📷🌸

🤝 We regularly work with garden designers as their landscaping partner, bringing their plans to life on the ground. Don’t have a designer? No problem: we offer garden design ourselves too, from first sketch to final planting.

Get in touch for a free initial consultation:

📞 01904 758743
🌐 countrygardensyork.co.uk

09/10/2026

✨ From a plain grassy bank to stone steps, a paved landing and a neat home for the bins. Practical, but still super stylish. 🪨

From tricky slopes to single patios, all our landscaping work comes with a 5-year warranty.

Book your free initial consultation:
📞 01904 758743

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