This month we wanted to share a little behind the scenes of Magnolia the Florist life! Although we stayed busy bees during lockdown delivering flowers and gifts locally, it also gave us some time to relax and enjoy some gardening at home.

Our Founder and Creative Director Dean has always been green-fingered, as a child he loved exploring gardens and growing flowers from seeds; giant sunflowers, homemade ‘cress head’ pots, pansies – oh the childhood memories! So now Dean loves having his own garden and use his stylish eye to give the garden a beautifully oriental feel, a tranquil and calm space to enjoy after a day at work. 

Dean shares his top tips for creating your own Zen Den at home:

Garden tip 1 -  Bamboo Screens

Bamboo Screens are a quick, effective and low cost way to transform a garden or patio space. Bamboo screens add a tropical feel, and I find they are great way to divide the garden into different areas or hide plain walls. I used Bamboo Cane screens round my garden pond to help define the area in a natural way and the bamboo gives a great backdrop for growing plants against.

You can easily pick up some Bamboo Cane Screens from local garden centres and DIY shops at a good price.

Garden tip 2 - Garden Ornaments

I personally really appreciate garden ornaments, they are perfect for adding finishing style touches to an outside space. For my Oriental themed garden, I have added to my collection over time; keeping my eyes open at little garden centres in Northamptionshire or independent local shops for ornaments I had to take home with me! My laughing buddha is one of my favourites, and the red pagoda nestled in the grass round the pond adds a splash of colour, bringing the whole look together.

Don’t be afraid to mix and match materials in the garden when adding decorations. Concrete ornaments, metal bird feeders, glass sun catchers and cut logs all work well together, and add a modern feel to the garden.

Garden tip 3 - Pick your plants wisely

When I started planting the garden, I had in mind keeping it quite green but with lots of texture. When I was buying plants, I focused on shrubs and grasses that were hardy, perennial or evergreen so that the garden would be low maintenance and have colour all year round. I love using natural grasses for height, and ferns work really well. We also planted a Japanese Maple tree (Acer) which has vibrant burgundy leaves.

So my tip when choosing your Zen Garden plants is to do a bit of research for the type of plants you want, check the soil it grows best in and the amount of sun the plant needs vs the spot you want to plant it. Then when you are at your local garden centre you can focus on the right style of plant. I love using the RHS website for researching plants - it has tons of advice on planting, soil, flowering, sun and how to look after them.

Best plants great for a Japense inspired garden:

- Japanese Maple (Acer)

- Japanese Rush grass

- Aucuba Japonica

- Azelea Japonica

- Camellia Japonica

- Sago Palm

- Euonymus Japonicus

- Ilex Crenata

- Magnolia (our fave!)

- Cherry Blossom

- Golden Bamboo

- Black mondo grass

- Lilies

Garden tip 4 - Nature

I like to encourage natural wildlife in our garden. In the summer we often spot beautiful white butterflies, and in the cold winter months I keep our bird feeder topped up with fresh seeds for the little robins. I also read the labels of plants and flowers I buy, also some are extra butterfly