In depth articles
I believe that detailed knowledge and understanding provides an essential foundation for the work that I do in designing gardens for my clients; and that this is worth sharing with a wider audience. These articles are my own distillation of some of what I have learned over years of reading and study, and cover a range of topics in botany, soil science, design theory and many other areas of knowledge.
Where possible, I’ve attempted to explain my own understanding from first principles, meaning that some articles stray into core sciences such as chemistry and physics; and a few may be a little technical. I hope you find as much value in reading them as I did in writing them.
If you’re new to plant and soil science, you may want to read this article first.
To find a specific article, filter by category or use the search box.
Further reading
A list of resources used in researching articles for Getting Dirty, including books, pamphlets, newsletters, academic articles, websites and YouTube channels.
The basics: plants and soil
A simple introduction to plants and soil: the critical processes that allow plants to grow and thrive, and how these rely on the environment in which plants live.
Why write these articles?
An introduction to the philosophy of Getting Dirty: why it is important to dig deeper into issues in gardening and garden design.