Bob Flowerdew
Bob is an organic gardener and has designed his garden to produce lots of veg, fruit and cut fowers.
Kirsty Wilson
Kirsty gardens at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and is a presenter on Beechgrove Garden.
Matt Biggs
Matt trained at Kew and has been gardening professionally for more than 30 years.
Q Our first garden is south facing. What shall we grow?
Sharon Slatter, by email
A KIRSTY SAYS It looks like a wonderful blank canvas! When designing your garden it is best to test the soil and light levels in your garden first. It’s also a good idea to visit other gardens in your area to see what is growing well, and seek inspiration from magazines and gardens open to the public.
Think about things like washing lines, bins and areas to sit at different times of day. Also consider who will be using the space and how much time you want to spend maintaining it. You may also need to improve the soil with organic matter.
Bigger borders will have more impact and the plants will be happier. Try to include a wide diversity of plants including trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials and bulbs as this will benefit local wildlife and provide interest all year.
Adding a pond or water feature will encourage wildlife and will also make the space calm and tranquil.
