About

Select Garden Journal is an independent editorial publication about how gardens are designed and understood. It is for curious garden owners, design-minded readers and anyone who wants to look more closely at outdoor spaces, whether large or small.

A garden is more than its plants

We consider the relationships between layout, planting, materials and features. A path can direct the eye; a repeated texture can bring order; a change in level can divide one use from another. Our coverage starts with these visible choices and asks what they contribute to the whole.

For attentive readers

You do not need a design background to follow our writing. We explain terms in context, compare approaches without declaring one answer right for every garden, and focus on ideas readers can observe and consider in their own spaces.

Our point of view

Design is not a recipe. A garden’s scale, existing features and intended use matter, so we make room for trade-offs and different preferences. We favour specific descriptions over grand claims and distinguish general design ideas from advice that would require local expertise.