We are in thoroughly enjoying are meetings with Thameslink to plan our design for greening up the platforms at Kentish Town station, a pioneer project which we hope can role out across all stations.

Under consideration firstly is an Overground Orchard, planted with a selection of heritage apple and pear cultivars and inter-planted with soft fruit and cherries. We are visualizing the particularly beautiful spring blossom that adorns fruit trees, turning to leaf and fruit for passengers to pick. But then we are equally inspired by the idea of planting a romantic cottage garden, in a complete contrast to the harsh urban surround: The vintage charm of foxgloves and hollyhocks, runner beans and roses scrambling up coppiced hazel tripods. Long flowering wallflowers inter-planted with evergreen rosemary. Water cans laying around for pottering passengers.

Another interesting project is the library garden we have been asked to design. We love our clients’ idea to install a library at the end of the garden. We are looking forward to coming up with a planting plan in the form of a literary trail! The term book-worm very much comes to mind.

Yes, our February is shaping up nicely.

Whilst on the subject of shaping, we have lots of ideas for hard landscaping. Early spring is often a time when folk start to think about their hard landscaping and giving their fencing and a fresh look. We urge you not to only think in straight lines, but outside the box. Consider new materials, for example coppiced hazel and chestnut. Shape your fences with undulating lines. Paint your trellis and decking a different colour, match with pots.

We have just been given a brief to design a bright small decked outside space. With limited room for planting, hardscape colour and shape is going to be a vital part of our design.

In terms of helping with our shaping up personally, we have just signed up to receive a wonderful weekly offering of organic veg and fruit from vexbox.org.uk. The weekly bag comes packed with seasonal recipes. We loved turning jerusalem artichokes last week into a yummy dip, and the crow garlic, which some may see as a pernicious weed, into a wild garlic bread and pesto.

If your garden needs a late winter shape and clear up, do give us a call. Sometimes we enjoy nothing more than spending a morn doing a good ol’ garden clearance.