Acacia dealbata, also known as Mimosa, is about to burst into fragrant flower and provide one of the highlights of the winter/early spring garden. An elegant, vigorous tree, it can grow very quickly to about 12 metres in height and has wonderful feathery, blue-green leaves. The above picture was taken on the 17th February 2008.

Prunus x subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ bursts unexpectedly into flower in mid to late winter (the picture above was taken on the 14th February 2010). Pink buds open into semi-double, white flowers. Pictured here as a street tree, it is equally at home in a medium-sized garden.

Mahonia x media ‘Charity’ is a stalwart evergreen shrub for the mixed border, displaying its fragrant yellow flowers from the autumn through to early spring (the above picture was taken on the 5th February 2010). The large, spiny leaves are a glossy dark green and form a strong architectural presence in the garden. Mahonias thrive in moist shade and can become tall and leggy (up to 3 metres); in drier soils they grow more slowly. Pruning immediately after flowering each year will keep them shorter and more dense.

This town garden involved substantial excavation in order to make the basement lightwell large enough for secluded outdoor use – breakfast or mid-morning coffee at a cafe-style table, for example.

Further al fresco dining is possible on the next level which is itself about 75cm lower than the main body of the garden. An additional design challenge was to reconcile the access from the rear door of the house with this changed level.

As a result of this landscaping more light was allowed in through the newly upgraded patio doors. The paving is of Indian sandstone and the bricks are London stocks, carefully chosen to match the house. The planting was carried out by the client who is a keen gardener.

Roof gardens add a whole new dimension to urban living and even the smallest spaces can be exploited to advantage. This London penthouse has a larger area at the front which faces south and a smaller, narrower, north-facing one at the back.

It is really important to get the choice of plants right when you are creating gardens several floors up. Tough specimens are required to withstand the wind and it is a good idea, even when automatic irrigation is installed as it is here, to select plants that don’t dry out too easily.

Here the range of plants was chosen to provide colour and interest all year round and to have relatively low maintenance needs. The planters are of painted wood and galvanised steel .

The larger terrace, above, provides a wonderful space for outdoor entertaining and relaxing in the sun. The smaller, shadier, area (below) is perfect for a quiet breakfast or morning coffee – and, see the planters in the foreground, for growing salads and vegetables!

We are very experienced at designing, building and planting all kinds and very used to working in difficult conditions where access and movement are restricted.

John and Curtis & Curtis Landscapes won a bronze medal at the 2005 Chelsea Flower Show for a city garden called ‘Work, Rest and Play’. Built from traditional materials, it was designed to make the maximum use of every square centimetre of a tiny urban space.