Alitura - landscape and garden design

We often get asked what Alitura means. Alitura is Latin and translates as Nature; Nourish; Feed. We chose to name our partnership Alitura because of this meaning. We keep in touch with Nature through the design process. We aim to improve the biodiversity (through species and structural diversity) within the gardens we design. We Nourish your hopes  More

We recently had the pleasure of a sunrise visit to Parham House gardens. There is no better time to see a garden come to life then first thing in the morning. The peace and tranquility, the dew on the grass, the ebbing sound of the dawn chorus…                  More

Having a well designed garden can have a number of returns for your investment – and not all directly monetary. Gardens are good for your health. Having a considered design will provide you an exciting garden and one you will use more than you did before you had a design. Rather than look at the  More

A recent trip away from the office for a few days took us to Rovinj, Croatia. A beautiful old city dating back to 6th Century (or even earlier), it is a maze of cobbled streets where you can happily get lost in, stopping here and there for a gelato or cold beer in a small  More

As garden designers, we often visit gardens to take a look at other designers’ garden design details and planting combinations. This weekend we went to Holsworth Manor, North Chailey, who hosted an Open Day on behalf of The Bevern Trust, a home for young adults with severe learning disabilities. Sweet Chestnut pergola, sited a bit  More

We love to pop back and walk around the gardens we have designed to see how the landscaping is settling in, how the plants are maturing, how the client’s are enjoying their new gardens and if we can help guide them with any maintenance. Below are a few images from a Japanese garden design we  More

Gravel and timber steps are a low cost yet affective way to traverse a slope in the garden. We source land based gravels for their better environmental credentials than marine based gravels, and Oak is FSC certified and sourced from French sustainable forestry. The dimensions of the timber means we have a lot of flexibility  More

This week – being easter and all – the plant of the week is the daffodil. There aren’t many folks who don’t like a daffodil and all it symbolises; for some it is as simple as spring and easter eggs! Narcissus is a classical Green name and and originates from a story of young man who  More

Be prepared and buy all your annual seeds now for this years projects. Seed sowing starts from March, so don’t miss the boat! I find it is best to write down the sowing dates and put these in order- nothing like being organised! I suggest Sunflowers for competitiveness! Also Zinnias for amazing colours. Try Nasturtiums  More

Botanic name: Iris reticulata                  Common name: Netted Iris. Iris: Named after Iris the Greek goddess of the rainbow, and of the sea and the sky. Reticulatus/a/um: Netted; with a net like pattern Iris reticulata hails from Russia, the Caucasus, and northern Iran. They are small plants (up to 15cm)  More

Engaging children with the outdoors is so important. Getting off the sofa, switching off the TV, going outside, breathing in fresh air, and taking part in an outdoor activity are all great for the health and life wealth of the next generation (and ourselves!) The best time to get them involved is young. As early  More

June was the month when my garden seemed to explode into flower! While I was watching the beds become plumper and fuller through late May into Early June, the anticipation was almost unbearable…like we were all holding our breath waiting for the starting pistol in a 100m final! Then ‘POW’, and the borders were off!  More

Last month, as my borders billowed out with foliage of fresh greens and silvers, with dashes of bronzes and maroons, it became quite apparent where the gaps were. This meant that this month I could afford myself the pleasure of some weekend retail therapy in local specialist plant nurseries. I actually get tummy flutters when  More

We believe that garden design is a process. It can be a short process, or it can be a long process, but it none-the-less it is a process. How long it takes depends upon the size and complexity of the site, and how long you as the client need. It needs to be a process  More

Last month my garden started to come into its own. Lots of lush green mounds appeared where once there was bare earth. It was at this stage I moved a few plants around in the garden. And this is why. Plant Performance When we design planting plans for clients, and for our own borders, we  More

We entered a show garden competition recently for Jacksons Fencing, and the show garden was for Hampton Court Flower Show. We didn’t win, but we made the final five, and we are thrilled to have been placed. Apparently it was a tough call, and that makes it even better to have made it through the  More

We often think of bedding plants as either something carried out by maintenance contracts in our towns and cities, or a very dated type of planting our parents and grandparents still dutifully take part in a few times a year. History In fact, bedding has an important place in history. It marks the end of  More

Warning! Before you raze your garden to the ground, make sure you navigate around it with caution, and don’t come a cropper like I just did! Stepping up onto my timber edged lawn – in the wet – was not my finest moment. As I very well know as a garden designer, wood + wet = ice  More

As garden designers, we often include bulbs in our planting designs. Bulbs are a great and cost effective way to bring colour and interest into the border, lawns, on banks and beneath hedges. Galanthus – Snowdrop –is the bulb that once flowers, brings a sense of optimism as it heralds the beginning of the year  More

I am like every other garden designer – When it comes to other people’s gardens, I am really quite nosey! One thing I like to do is nosey into people’s front gardens when I am on foot. I may peer through a hedge on a country lane and admire someone’s huge front garden and parking for 4  More

After filling up on sherry and mince pies, it is hard to think about getting motivated again, particularly when it comes to the garden. The garden looks like it is feeling a little down in the dumps too! Its experienced a few frosts, and it seems the the final signs of life have been wiped  More

This series of blogs is about appointing a garden designer. You may have been considering your outside space and are wondering what your options are. And there are many!   So why appoint a garden designer? A garden needn’t be a deck with a rectangle lawn and borders round the outside Something that is banded  More

There are times when a wall can be planted in, creating a feature of an otherwise ordinary supporting or boundary defining structure. Walls can also house raised beds, allowing level planting on an otherwise sloping garden. So, plant in them, and plant behind them! Above is the award winning garden by Ian Kitson, where he  More

Today, as part of the National Garden Scheme, Ian Kitson’s award winning garden in Alfriston was open to the public. So, in our usual ‘don’t need an excuse’ manner, we tootled on down for a nosey about. First impressions? Crazy! Crazy paving! Made crazier by the fact no joints were mortared that exaggerated it’s craziness!  More

When I was at college learning plant identification, one thing I did that I found very useful was to find out what the plant names actually meant. I found it helped me understand the plant a little better, and to use its attributes as a way to remember its name. It also translates across to  More

As with most plants, you always find an article somewhere sighting it as a ‘must have’ plant. So why ‘must you have’ Hamamelis, or witch hazel as it is commonly known? According to the RHS ‘Its spicy fragrance and spidery flowers in yellow, orange and reds make it a must for the winter garden.’ Hmm…..sounds  More

Fantastic news…the Landport Community Allotment easy access area – that Alitura designed back in 2010 – has finally been granted the full £10,000 Lottery funding under Awards For All. The build officially begins on the 14th January and we will keep you up-to-date via our various social media. We will also post progress images up  More

Funny how often you see someone standing next to a feature plant and having their photo taken! So we thought we would join in the hords of visitors lined up for photo opportunities at Sheffield Park this past weekend! What do you think?! And yes, it was an educational trip, honest! Every year, thousands of  More

A rare sunny Saturday was maximised with a visit to Nymans, a National Trust garden located in Handcross, West Sussex. Nymans is an interesting garden with a fascinating history. Four generations of the Messel family have been involved with the evolution of the proprty and are still involved today. As with lots of large estates  More

My long suffering daughter joined me on a visit to a local stone quarry to collect samples for a client. Little did she know she would be donning a hi-vis jacket and scrambling over mountains of rocks to visit the quarry itself! As garden designers in Sussex, it is important we know our local materials  More

A road trip with my daughter found us at Denmans, a garden designed by John Brookes. A well known, influential garden designer, he has also written many books that form an important part of my reference library. Even the old dated 1970s ones often get pulled out and flicked through, releasing that wonderful, unique old  More

Furzey Gardens, sited in the heart of the New Forest was recommended to me by a friend as a fun garden to visit with children. My so-called child is verging on being an adult at the tender age of 13, but still, she completely immersed herself into the garden. The garden has a variety of  More

I used the request of some more grasses for a client’s garden as a good  excuse to travel down to Knoll Gardens in Dorset. Knoll is a specialist grass nursery and gardens, and is well worth a visit, not just for those in the business, but for the general visitor.  The gardens are spread informally  More

We would like to welcome you all to our brand new garden design website. Please feel free to browse through our pages and find out a little more about us. If you are thinking about having a design for your garden and don’t really know how it works, do call us on 07900 416679 and  More