Semple Begg Landscapes and Gardens Navigation
  • About
  • Services
  • projects
  • Press and Awards
  • Instagram
  • Contact
  • Inspiration
  • FR
  • About
  • Services
  • projects
  • Press and Awards
  • Instagram
  • Contact
  • Inspiration
  • FR

Instagram

With Instagram, we have a place where we can share work in progress, inspiration, and anything else that catches our eye
Many of you will know @michael_guidi as the co-aut Many of you will know @michael_guidi as the co-author (with Kevin Philip Williams @timetamelt) of 'Shrouded in Light' - a fantastic book that speaks to our shrub loving, naturalistic instincts. What you may not know is that Michael, in his role as horticultural research manager at DBG @denverbotanic gets to experiment with native landscape restoration on a grand scale at DBG's @chatfieldfarms, a 700 acre farm in the foothills of the Rockies.
Again, as Michael showed us around, we were blown away by the progressive, well supported, deeply researched approach to native plants and landscape. 
Areas are first cleared of weed, tarped to kill existing unwanted plants and prevent them re-germinating, planted with native oaks, Quercus gambellii and Quercus buckelyi, then sown with a bespoke native/near native seed mix. 
Year 1 - ephemeral species such as Coreopsis and Eschscholzia dominate.
Year 2 - sees the perennials and graminoids taking hold.
Year 3+ - the oaks develop more presence, the dominance and distribution of plants according to competitive strategies and habitat preference becomes more legible. Cleome becomes visible only at the margins where it finds space and light to germinate and grow.
Seed mixes and sowing mulches are trialed with germination rates, plant community development and weed biomass rigorously monitored.
Ultimately the aim is to provide both professionals and amateurs with a best practice model for native landscape restoration.
Can't thank Michael enough for generously sharing his world. We left deeply impressed and inspired.
Pic 1. Nicola and Michael
Pic 2. Yr 1 - coreopsis and eschscholzia
Pic 3. and 4. Plants beginning to show habitat preference.
Pic 5. Prickly poppy, Argemone Polyanthemos
Pic 6. Cleome serrulata
Pic 7. Susan and Michael
Pic 8. Oak savanna establishment - clearing area of vegetation, oaks planted, not yet sown.
Pic 9. Trialling different mulches and seed mixes.
Pic 10. Trial beds, weeding and retaining the biomass to be weighed.
A serendipitous, chance meeting with Skyler Smith A serendipitous, chance meeting with Skyler Smith @skysmith303 at Lisa Negri’s and Kevin Philip William’s SummerHome garden @summerhome_garden nearby meant we were lucky enough to visit Big Garden in Washington Park in Denver.
 
Skyler, head gardener at Big Garden, interrupted his Sunday afternoon to gave us a tour – huge appreciation 🙏.
 
In only three years Sklyer has transformed three acres of high maintenance and resource-hungry annual borders into this immersive, joyful, near-native perennial. planting. It just goes to show what can be achieved with only a small budget, vision, creativity and no doubt a lot of hard graft.
 
Before irrigation was needed everday, now only once or twice a week. The perennials are doing their job covering the ground hugely reducing the need to weed. Skyler has spotted so many more birds, butteflies and insects. He’s developing it all the time, looking to reduce the amount of grass between the borders, replanting and tinkering and refining. I would LOVE to have this planting near me.
 
We’ve been really impressed with what appears to be an open-minded and experimental approach to planting in public spaces in the Denver area. They seem to have managed to loosen the tidy-gene unleashing learning through experimentation and generous collaboration and ultimately creating fabulous public spaces likes these.  
#habitatgarden #nativegarden #plantingdesign #pollinatorgarden #publicpark #denverparks #prairie #natureinthecity
We’re honoured, delighted and over-excited to re We’re honoured, delighted and over-excited to receive a Landscape Design Excellence Award at the PPA @perennialplantassociation symposium in Des Moines, for our work on the Dior Cruise 2025 Show at Drummond Castle 🙏
Working with Dior in such a spectacular, historic setting was a career high - the sort that makes you giddy if you think too hard about it. So best just get your head down and do the work...which there was plenty of.
Many months of iteration, careful plant selection and editing to arrive at a planting palate that echoed Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Scottish collection - a purple, punk homage to Vivienne Westwood and Mary Queen of Scots 👑 
10,000 plants in - 10,000 plants out. Each one rehomed to live on after the show. 🌿Historic gardens returned to their original state and open to the public a handful of days after the show. 
Huge thanks to all those who helped us achieve this ‘impossible’ feat, especially @bureaubetak - best collaborators you could ever hope for. Tags aplenty on this post!!! 🤩🙏
Link in bio to the full Dior Cruise 2025 Show and the Dior in Scotland, Making of the Cruise 2025 Show (we show up for a chat at about 44mins in).
Image credits Andrea Jones @andreajonesgardenphotography
#dior #diorscotland #diorgardens #drummondcaslte #perthshire #plantingdesign #historicgardens
West is Best - Gardens at Spring Creek, Fort Colli West is Best - Gardens at Spring Creek, Fort Collins, Colorado - worth every one of the 5,142 miles travelled. Much to say about this incredible space but currently jet lag getting the better of us…we’ll share more…
For now, huge thanks to Bryan Fischer for hosting us, and to Lauren Springer for joining in and sharing the Undaunted Garden with us.
Pic 1 Undaunted Garden - Lauren Springer
Pic 2 Rock Garden - Bryan Fischer
Pic 3 Susan, Bryan, Lauren and Nicola
#frontrange #xericgarden #resilientlandscapes #ecologicalgarden #ecologicalgardening
Proving that the sun shines in Glasgow, not just i Proving that the sun shines in Glasgow, not just in the faces of the gorgeous Glaswegians, this little film takes us elsewhere to the Royal Hospital for Children and the eventual home for our @rhschelsea gold medal winning ‘Teapot Trust Elsewhere Garden.’
 
The garden officially opened almost a year ago and this Sunday 8thJune, from 2-5pm, @teapottrust are hosting a celebration as part of @scotlandgardenscheme to mark Elsewhere’s first birthday. All welcome. 
 
We’ll have art activities for children and visitors can scan a QR code to hear the soundscapes designed by Michael Begg @omnempathy and Kathy Hinde @kathyhinde for the Chelsea show garden.
 
Bringing a Chelsea gold medal winning garden back to Glasgow is something we are immensely proud of. Leading a public project that is going to have a long-lasting impact is a huge privilege. 
 
But ultimately what we are most proud of and guarantees it will continue to have impact for the greatest number of people, is NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s commitment to invest in the garden’s future, ensuring it will be well cared for by Shiona Blackie, @moonrise.hort Elsewhere’s fantastic gardener, and her volunteers. 
 
If you can make it along on Sunday you’ll be helping support a very special project and a truly outstanding charity. Teapot Trust play a vital role in helping transform the lives of children and families living with long term, and often painful, health conditions through art therapy.
 
Thank you to @project.giving.back without your incredible support none of this would be possible.
#gardensforgoodcauses #scottishgardens #plantingdesign  #glasgow
Instagram post 18069488438501421 Instagram post 18069488438501421
It’s a wonderful thing when a designer whose wor It’s a wonderful thing when a designer whose work you admire @tomhoblyn turns out to be a thoroughly lovely person…
From behind the rope Tom’s Hospice UK Garden of Compassion looked utterly gorgeous in the glow of yesterday’s evening sun. Being invited by Tom (who doesn’t know us at all) ‘to come on in’ was sheer joy! 
This is Tom’s 10th and final garden at Chelsea and it was so generous of him to invite us to share his bench, his company (lovely friend Martha) and his fizz (we declined, he’d never get rid of us if we started on the 🥂)
It’s such a pleasure to hear first hand the stories behind the gardens. Such passion, energy and commitment, particularly moving to hear about Tom’s collaboration with his son to help grow many of the plants from seed. A process Tom clearly loved. 
We loved: the clay walls sumptuously pigmented and dappled with dimples; the Roman concrete tubs densely textured and filled by an elegantly fluted, hollow log; the drystone walls slouching into space and crawling over boulders. 
And then the planting…so perfectly conveying mood and place. The ‘field’ of ornamental barley (Hordeum jobatum) so tempting to touch giving way to sparsely planted (by Chelsea standards) rooms with lovely Arbutus hugging the walls. 
Bravo Tom!!! 👏👏👏
A real treat to be back at Chelsea FS - with no re A real treat to be back at Chelsea FS - with no responsibilities and time to explore. Hugely enjoyed the Karoo Succulent Garden from @babylonstoren and @thenewtinsomerset 
Have never seen anything like it at Chelsea. We learned so much about the plants and habitat of this vast semi-desert region from the wonderful @tiaan_combrink 
How the seeds of tiny Lithops (living stone) need only a single rain drop to germinate but they might sit for 10 years waiting for it. 
About the plight of the Conophytum, odd little succulents whose survival is threatened by illegal poaching. The @ft_weekend  did a great piece on the global craze for ‘green diamonds’ back in Jan ‘25. 
And the fantastically weird and wonderful Quiver tree (Aloidendron dichotomum) nesting habitat of Sociable weavers. These small birds build huge nests (there is one in the garden) which they share with Pygmy Falcons, who don’t bother to build their own nests. Instead they rock up at nests of the Sociable weavers offering protection from predation in exchange for a roof.
Also wonderful to see Amaryllis belladonna presented in its ‘natural’ habitat. And to meet a new friend equally enthused @bradtaub 
Truly inspiring and intriguing garden designed by Ernst Jaarsveld and Katie Lewis.
Has been a few years since I visited @jupiter.edit Has been a few years since I visited @jupiter.edit My first visit was on the summer solstice in 2009 during @peterliversidge Midsummer Snowstorm. Pic 2 is of Joel, my youngest, mesmerised as he walks into the snowstorm on a sunny day in June. 
I’ve been back many times since, watching the collection grow, visiting old favourites like the Andy Goldsworthy stone coppice (liked it better when the sycamore were younger, when the limbs looked like a hand cupping the stone). And meeting new works like Animatis by Christian Boltanski - just exquisite. 
I loved the @jonathan_baldock shows. WYRD had the edge for me - his toylike queer creatures with human bits and bobs were so captivating and curious. Beautifully made 💕
And of course there’s the gardens and landscape, we only get a sneaky peak at the garden that was the domain of @thomasunterdorfer until early 2025. 
If you haven’t been go. If you have been go again. Make the trip. Nicky And Robert Wilson have created a very special place and it was so wonderful to see it filled with people of all ages and all backgrounds. 
Pics
1. Joana Vasconcelos, Gateway 
2. Joel, Peter Liversidge, Midsummers Snowstorm, 2009
3. The Ballroom Garden
4. & 5. Jonathan Baldock, WYRD
6. Christian Boltanski, Animitas
7. Helen Chadwick, Piss Flower (first saw this at the Serpentine in 1994 with her poisoned chocolate fountain)
8. Andy Goldsworthy, Stone Coppice
9. Woodland - equal to the artworks! 
#jupiterartland #landart #scottishgardens #sculpturepark
Deciding on the best spot for dining and sitting i Deciding on the best spot for dining and sitting is a big part of almost every project we work on. For many the default option is to create a terrace linking house and garden with a table and chairs just a step or two into the garden. As tempting a convenience as this might be it often means a primary view into the garden is of a mostly empty table and chairs.
Instead we favour a strong visual connection between home and garden, prioritising the pleasure in tracing the ebb and flow of the season in layers of planting visible from within the home. Putting the dining terrace further into the garden and carrying the dishes a little further seems a small price to pay. 
Even in a small garden we aim to create seating and dining spots that are immersed in planting with their own distinct atmosphere and sense of place. Shining sun isn’t the only reason to sit or eat outdoors, there’s the possibility of a richer experience, one that is totally different from eating within four walls; grasses bobbing in the breeze, bees swooning into flowerheads, birds chirping and light playing on the foliage. 
Photography @andreajonesgardenphotography 
#outdoordining #outdoorliving #plantingdesign #scottishgardens #jardinsuisse #eatoutside #gardendesign #gardenideas #plantingforpollinators
Enea Tree Museum in Rapperswil-Jona near Zürich i Enea Tree Museum in Rapperswil-Jona near Zürich is the vision of landscape architect Enzo Enea to combine trees, landscape, sculpture, art and design. My photos are just a tiny weeny bit of what there is to see. It is a museum with imagination, flair, ambition and lots of care. I took more photos of trees than sculpture which perhaps shows where our interest lies but the sculpture was magnificent too. Lost among the acers I somehow managed to miss the most recent addition ‘Arena for a Tree’ but read about it - it’s all fascinating.
.
.
.
.
#treemuseum #landscapearchitecture #gardentrees #architectepaysagiste #feuillesdautomne #autumncolours #eneabaummuseum #gardendesign #swissgarden #swisslandscape #greenarchitecture #semplebegg  #gardeninspiration #acers #erable #outdoorliving
We’re taking a break from the pouring rain outsi We’re taking a break from the pouring rain outside to look back at the summer. This is one of our projects in Vaud, a family garden now in its second year. Tricky level changes between the house and garden were resolved to create a stronger connection between the house and the garden and the terrace softened with drought-resistant planting. The pool is discretely offset to the side ensuring it doesn’t dominate the garden view during the winter. 
.
.
.
.
#gardendesign  #familygarden #swissgardens #landscapearchitecture #architectpaysagiste #vaud #geneve #droughttolerantplants #swissgarden #plantingdesign
Dior Cruise 2025 🌿 Dior Cruise 2025 🌿
Shoreline Shoreline
We want as many folk as possible to benefit from t We want as many folk as possible to benefit from this garden at Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow. Thank you to The Scotsman and Helen Cross for getting the story out there about the relocation of the Teapot Trust Elsewhere Garden from RHS Chelsea ‘23. And also a little bit about what we are up to. 🙏🥳🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇭
#scottishgardens #gardendesign #gardensforgoodcauses #hospitalgardens #rhschelsea #teapotrust #projectgivingback #rhs
Yesterday was a very happy day 🎉. After more th Yesterday was a very happy day 🎉. After more than two-and-a-half years the relocated Teapot Trust Elsewhere Garden opened at Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow. We will share photos of the relocated garden in due course but for the moment we want to celebrate ALL the people, too numerous to mention here, who made it happen. A true team effort and we are so grateful to each of you. Despite it taking some time to reach this point, the garden is in its infancy. This is just the beginning and we hope it will bring pleasure to hospital patients, their families, visitors and staff for many years to come. 🌷💐🌺
@project.giving.back you made it possible, thank you 🙏
And thanks to Joshua Linnemann and Project Giving Back for the happy snaps.
Shout out to our planting team and Greens Team, wh Shout out to our planting team and Greens Team, who we collaborated with on @Dior Cruise 2025. We couldn’t have done it without you all. Thank you!
Here the two teams pass almost 1500 heathers down the castle steps. 💪
Huge honour and immense pleasure to do the plantin Huge honour and immense pleasure to do the planting design, courtyard dressing and photocall for #diorcruise 2025 at Drummond Castle. 
The @mariagraziachiuri collection was a deep dive into Scottish history, culture and textiles with a smattering of punk and undercurrent of Vivienne Westwood. A tribute to the Queen of Punk and Queen of Scots 👑 
Our planting design for the parterre/show space was pitched to echo the collection, including deep sultry tones, layers of texture and strong structural elements that anchored it within the formality of the Listed gardens at Drummond. A touch of teasel (think it’s pic 3) references its use by weavers to card the cloth, making the nap stand up. 
We’re hugely grateful to Edith Barnes, Head Gardener and her brilliant team. Thank you for trusting us. Allowing us to replant the gardens was no small thing. In fact it was immense!!!
Thank you also to our amazing planting team (more about this lot in another post…) And to @greens_team for helping us realise the courtyard elements and photocall. Thank you to @kelwaysplantslangport who once again stepped up and grew us all the beautiful plants for parterre, @craigmarlochnurseriesltd for our standout shrubs, with @kevockgarden and @macplants playing a strong supporting role in supplying all the gorgeous flowers and ferns for the VIP photocall that are currently splashed all over our screens. 
Finally to Picnic Productions and Bureau Betak. We loved working with you, always calm and ready with a Gallic shrug and wry smile to see us through the tough times.
All photos by 📸 maestra @andreajonesgardenphotography
I LOVE Kathy Hinde’s world. It’s a year since I LOVE Kathy Hinde’s world. It’s a year since we collaborated with @kathyhinde on Teapot Trust Elsewhere Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show so I was thrilled to be able to drop into her studio in Bristol earlier in the week. 
STILL chuckling…sheer joy, playfulness and brilliance. The world really is a much better place for having this wonderful woman in it. 🤩💚💚
M
Recent photos of Spring in a Vaud garden. Our clie Recent photos of Spring in a Vaud garden. Our client’s daughter said ‘I feel like I have been colour blind and then the garden came to life….´ 
.
.
.
.
#tulips #amelanchier #springbulbs #springblossoms #vaud #plantingdesign #gardensesign #architectepaysagiste #landscapearchitect #outdoorliving #suisse #geneva #swissgarden
Follow on Instagram

Semple Begg

studio@semplebegg.com

7, The Rowans,
Gullane,
EH31 2DU,
East Lothian.
United Kingdom

Chemin de Chantebise 16,
1291 Commugny,
Vaud,
Switzerland

Subscribe to our MailChimp newsletter and stay up to date with all our news and tips, delivered straight to your mailbox:

* Personal data will be encrypted, and we do not share your information

POWERED BY THE X THEME

  • Support
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
FacebookXInstagram