As we strategy the festive season, bespoke Backyard Designer Maxime Jones-Lloyd offers tips about ‘Evergreen’ Christmas gifting, urging customers to show their consideration to presents that can long-outlive the Christmas season.

Fatigued by festive frivolity, the established backyard designer primarily based in Petworth is encouraging ‘Evergreen’ gifting – by selling the longevity of presents for the backyard.
With concepts for all budgets and ages, the backyard proves itself as a worthy supply of inspiration this winter. From seeds to propagated crops, hedgehog homes to terracotta lanterns, ‘Evergreen’ presents will encourage all who want to reward consciously.
“There’s no higher place to see a gift flourish than within the backyard. As a wonderful various to short-lived, shortly forgotten presents, presents for the backyard have nice longevity and might be loved all yr spherical, irrespective of the dimensions of the backyard,” mentioned Maxime Jones-Lloyd of Maxime Jones-Lloyd Backyard Designs.
To mark the festive season, the Sussex primarily based designer who has over 20 years’ expertise of designing gardens for each city and nation properties, has launched a particular ‘New Yr Prelude’ reward voucher, to advertise the notion of sustainable gifting. The reward voucher can be utilized for an hour-long Zoom introductory session, an exploration into seasonal planting or to debate future landscaping and redesign initiatives.
Maxime Jones-Lloyd continued, “I used to be impressed by a rose Father Christmas introduced me as a baby and needed to encapsulate that feeling of permanence. We’re utilizing our gardens extra nowadays – Christmas is a perfect time to plan for the yr forward. I hope my ‘New Yr Prelude’ vouchers will unfold some festive cheer!”.
Maxime Jones-Lloyd Backyard Design’s ‘Evergreen’ Christmas Reward Strategies
House Grown: A slicing from a plant in your individual backyard offers a beautiful sense of continuity. Good crops for propagating in winter are Field Crops, Climbing Jasmine and Fuchsias, in addition to Geraniums and Camellias. I plan to share some cuttings from my prized Bay Timber this yr; they provide each decorative and culinary properties.
Kids: The backyard gives an incredible alternative to show your little one about our native birds and wildlife. I notably like gifting birdfeeders to kids – they provide an opportunity for the youthful era to play an lively position in conservation. Nationwide Belief has some nice choices of standalone, hanging and even window chook feeders and homes, in addition to distinctive bat containers and hedgehog refuges. Moreover, by buying by means of the Nationwide Belief you’ll in flip be supporting the nice work they do in caring for our nature and heritage.
Backyard seating: Vintage retailers and salvage yards might be fantastic locations to search out issues for the backyard. Only in the near past I bought a ravishing Victorian wrought iron Strapwork Bench for a consumer who needed to sit down and luxuriate in their view. For a considerable however long-lasting reward, a bench is a good concept. Wood benches are extra reasonably priced – Jo Alexander has a surprising vary.
Roses: You possibly can typically discover roses with sentimental names; they make fantastic presents. At the moment of yr, you can see naked root Roses which might be planted after Christmas prepared for the primary fledgling flowers to bloom subsequent yr. Peter Beales’ Roses are an incredible high quality, I really like the ‘Snow Bunny’ patio rose; David Austin additionally has an incredible choice.
Seeds: I really like gifting seeds all yr spherical – Higgledy Backyard is my go-to provider. Nice for younger and outdated, and a cost-conscious alternative too, why not theme a choice of seeds similar to greens for 4 seasons, or group a variety by color?
Gardening Instruments: Gardening might be extremely therapeutic. A superb pair of secateurs or a high-quality trowel could make excellent presents to encourage a love of the outside and inexperienced fingers. Niwaki promote superbly designed, wonderful high quality backyard instruments.
Equipment: In the identical manner we costume our home, I all the time urge purchasers to accessorise their backyard too. I’m notably keen on Pots and Pithoi’s Pelagia Olive Lantern which might be loved all yr spherical. They’ve a beautiful array of Cretan terracotta Pots too.
Backyard Design Session: A Zoom session could make a beautiful reward – assist your family and friends plan for the longer term with an hour-long on-line backyard session. I’m releasing 10 vouchers this yr, accessible on the Maxime Jones-Lloyd Backyard Design web site.