https://www.dedrab.com/notes Garden design and layout guidance from Dedrab. en-IE Dedrab https://www.dedrab.com/notes/your-own-british-vineyard https://www.dedrab.com/notes/your-own-british-vineyard English sparkling wine now beats champagne in blind tastings. Vineyards have spread from Sussex to the Midlands. What does the rise of British viticulture say about how the climate has shifted — and what does it mean for your own garden? Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT climate https://www.dedrab.com/notes/your-own-irish-vineyard https://www.dedrab.com/notes/your-own-irish-vineyard Grapes are being grown commercially in Ireland — really. What does the rise of Irish viticulture tell us about the way the climate has shifted, and what does it mean for what you can grow in your own back garden? Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT climate https://www.dedrab.com/notes/diy-garden-makeover-plan https://www.dedrab.com/notes/diy-garden-makeover-plan Most DIY garden makeovers fail because they're attempted in the wrong order, or all at once. This is a phased, honest plan for a homeowner who wants to renovate the garden themselves, over a series of weekends, without losing momentum in week three. Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT planning https://www.dedrab.com/notes/low-maintenance-garden-ideas-by-climate https://www.dedrab.com/notes/low-maintenance-garden-ideas-by-climate A low-maintenance garden is not a style, it's an outcome. And the route to that outcome depends almost entirely on climate. Here are the planting and structural choices that genuinely reduce upkeep in UK and Ireland, US, and Australian gardens. Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT planning https://www.dedrab.com/notes/garden-design-cost-breakdown-2026 https://www.dedrab.com/notes/garden-design-cost-breakdown-2026 Most cost articles are useless because they hedge. This is a proper breakdown of what a garden renovation actually costs in 2026, by element, with figures for UK and Ireland, the US, and Australia. Honest ranges, not marketing numbers. Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT planning https://www.dedrab.com/notes/plant-hardiness-zones-ireland-beginners-guide https://www.dedrab.com/notes/plant-hardiness-zones-ireland-beginners-guide RHS hardiness ratings explained for Irish, UK, and US gardeners — what H1 to H7 means, how Ireland and the UK map to those zones, how USDA zones translate, and why microclimate matters more than the label. Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT climate https://www.dedrab.com/notes/pollinator-haven-garden-features https://www.dedrab.com/notes/pollinator-haven-garden-features Most pollinator gardens underperform because they get one or two features right and miss the rest. Here are the eight we've found make the real difference — and the reasoning behind each. Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT wildlife https://www.dedrab.com/notes/garden-drab-to-fab-weekend https://www.dedrab.com/notes/garden-drab-to-fab-weekend Eight things we've found make a garden feel drab — and the small, weekend-doable moves that lift it. No grand redesign, no spending half your wages at the garden centre. Wed, 06 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT design https://www.dedrab.com/notes/before-you-hire-a-landscaper https://www.dedrab.com/notes/before-you-hire-a-landscaper Most homeowners walk into their first landscaper consultation underprepared. Here are the questions you should be able to answer before you ask a landscaper anything substantive, and why they matter. Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT planning https://www.dedrab.com/notes/small-irish-garden-design-guide https://www.dedrab.com/notes/small-irish-garden-design-guide A practical framework for designing small outdoor spaces in Ireland — from reading your site honestly, to choosing plants that earn their place across four seasons. Before you buy anything. Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT design https://www.dedrab.com/notes/hard-landscaping-vs-soft-landscaping https://www.dedrab.com/notes/hard-landscaping-vs-soft-landscaping Hard landscaping and soft landscaping are the two building blocks of every garden. Understanding the difference changes how you plan, budget, and sequence your project. Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT design https://www.dedrab.com/notes/making-small-gardens-feel-generous https://www.dedrab.com/notes/making-small-gardens-feel-generous A small garden doesn't have to feel small. The principles that make a compact space feel abundant are well established — and most of them cost nothing to apply. Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT design https://www.dedrab.com/notes/plants-that-earn-their-keep-temperate-garden https://www.dedrab.com/notes/plants-that-earn-their-keep-temperate-garden Not every plant that looks good in a catalogue will survive what your garden actually throws at it. Here's what we've found works in cool, wet, Atlantic-influenced climates. Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT plants https://www.dedrab.com/notes/real-cost-of-redoing-a-small-garden https://www.dedrab.com/notes/real-cost-of-redoing-a-small-garden Before you set a budget for your garden redesign, you need to understand what the cost is made of. Here's how we think about it. Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT how-to https://www.dedrab.com/notes/where-to-begin-garden-redesign https://www.dedrab.com/notes/where-to-begin-garden-redesign Most garden redesigns stall before they start. Here's the framework we've found helps people cut through the overwhelm and make a real start. Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT design https://www.dedrab.com/notes/landscape-paralysis-why-great-gardens-dont-happen https://www.dedrab.com/notes/landscape-paralysis-why-great-gardens-dont-happen There's a name for the gap between the garden you're pinning at midnight and the one staring back at you on a Sunday morning. We call it Landscape Paralysis — and it's more common than moss on a north-facing wall. Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT design