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Nicholas Jones has been a garden enthusiast since childhood, helping his grandfather in his North Balwyn garden (a Melbourne suburb). Although he pursued a career in business, he maintained his own garden and grew much of his own food.
To combine these passions, he studied horticulture in 2002 at Melbourne University’s Burnley School of Horticulture, a centre for urban horticulture teaching and research since 1891, is located within the beautiful, heritage-listed Burnley Gardens.
In 2003, Nicholas founded Gardenware, dedicated to sourcing high-quality garden tools and equipment worldwide. In 2008, he launched IOTA Australia under the banner of the UK-based IOTA Garden and Home.
While Nicholas now prefers shopping for fruits and vegetables at the Saturday market with his wife, children, and border collies rather than getting his hands dirty in the soil, he still draws on his extensive horticultural knowledge daily in sales calls with IOTA clients. His articles expand on these conversations, exploring client questions in detail, from the basics of planting in containers to drainage solutions and plant selection.
Here is the list of recent articles by Nicholas Jones:
The walkway is one area that is often ignored when designing or renovating. We say never underestimate the appeal of pathways. A great pathway can define the different areas of your landscape while also connecting and unifying them. Having a great walkway leading to...
Improper plant spacing is a common mistake in a lot of gardens. Beginners usually fall victim to this. They design their landscape with a lot of plants clumped together. The end result, the plants don’t grow healthy since they compete with each other for resources....
Ever heard of the term "sustainable landscaping"? Sustainable landscaping involves creating a landscape that helps to sustain local wildlife and conserve energy and resources like water. It helps to keep the air clean and leaves as little carbon footprint as possible....
Autumn is just around the corner. and it can be one of the most enjoyable times to get in the garden. Temperatures gradually decrease and days are getting shorter. Autumn is a great time for getting some garden tasks done like pruning, fertilising, and planting...
How was your garden for the first quarter of 2021? Did you make any design changes? Planning on doing some renovations? If you don't know what’s in style, read on below. 2020 wasn’t a great year for everyone. On the bright side, this pandemic helped some of us...
We are still in the midst of summer and here we are talking about wrapping up your summer garden. Being prepared is always a great thing. A good end-of-season cleanup is a great first step for the new season. Remove Dead Plants, Diseased Plants, and Weeds Not all...
A garden landscape is a perfect place to unwind. A place where we mostly spend our free time to connect with our environment. If you’re looking for some great inspirations and ideas, you should consider visiting some of these gardens. Adelaide Botanic Garden One of...
As a landscaper, our landscaping tools are our best weapons. Making sure that they are in their best condition is our responsibility so they will serve us well and never let us down. There are different types of landscaping tools being used in the garden. We would...
Summer, summer, summer! It may not always be the hottest summer you have experienced but your garden may still struggle. How often should you water your garden? Is deep watering required for every plant? Here are some tips. Water plants early morning or late in the...
Mulching is applying a layer of organic material to soil to benefit a plant. When done correctly, mulching is very beneficial for the plants when. Mulching provides a lot of nutrients for plants among other benefits., helps preserve moisture, aids in drainage, protect...
As summer goes by, an increase in temperature is expected. If you are having doubts the plants in your landscape can survive the heat, here are some ways of cooling off your garden soil. Mulch Mulch is one of the easiest ways to manage soil temperature. It can cool...
There are specific flowering plants that only flower during the summer months. If you want your garden to look good all year round, you should plant several varieties of plants that bloom in different seasons. Here’s what we recommend planting during the hot summer...
Have you ever seen an herb garden theme for a landscape? In general, herbs are any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers that can be used for flavoring, food, medicine, aroma, or even perfume. Herbs are compact and small in size compared to other plants. Incorporating...
Planning for a theme for your Garden? Having a theme for a garden is a great avenue to express your creativity. When choosing a theme for your garden, the only limit is your imagination. Do your best to make your garden unique. One great example of a themed garden is...
Due to this pandemic, everything seems to be somehow stressful. Everybody’s been affected and needs to adjust. For us who enjoy gardening, our garden is a sanctuary for this moment. A perfect place to find inner peace and calmness but to do this, we need to make sure...
With the pandemic happening around the world, everyone is looking for a productive hobby and gardening is one of the most common things that come to mind. However, not everybody has the space to start a garden. Here comes indoor gardening. It may sound easy but indoor...
Biophilic design is an approach to architecture that connects buildings more closely to nature. This type of design incorporates nature towards the architecture to create a smooth connection between modern buildings and nature itself. There are studies that show that...
Summer is around the corner! Don't let the heat hinder your summer gardening activities! An expected increase in temperature will be felt by our gardens and to help your plants survive the harsh effects of this dry season, good preparation will be important. Be aware...
Hardscaping is the process of adding man-made (non-living elements) to your landscape. Some examples of hardscaping are bricks, paths, walls, concrete, etc. Hardscape elements can be used to define the use of space such as driveways and walkways that can lead visitors...
In any design work, landscape, drawing, or even in canvas, there are important elements that you should never forget. These elements, when ignored, can have devastating effects on the outcome of your project. Line The line creates the flow of the landscape. It...
Can plants and planters affect architecture? The simple answer is yes! A glimpse of nature in architecture catches the eye. Plants added to a modern home or commercial building adds a special appeal. It makes you feel at ease. It affects your mood as well as your...
Landscaping with trees isn't that easy. It needs great effort and planning. Mature trees bring shade and beauty into your landscape. However, tree roots can draw up all the water and its branches can prevent sunlight from reaching the soil, making it tough for other...
Weed growth can be an issue in every landscape. They show up out of nowhere. Where do they come from? How do you get rid of these unwelcome visitors? There are different types of weeds and identifying them is important if you want to get rid of them. Check out our...
Pruning is an essential gardening skill. Proper pruning can encourage healthy growth and flowering of plants. For most shrubs and trees, it helps to prune at the right time. Some are best pruned in winter; some right after flowering. Must-Have Pruning Tools Pruning...
As container gardening becomes an effective way to utilize your limited space, it doesn't mean that you are only limited to small flowering plants. Shrubs are also an option! Shrubs for Small spaces Small shrubs might look "too" small if not organized. Small shrubs...
Colours can affect the ambience of your landscape. You can add accents or highlights in your project by enhancing the colours of your area. Adding colour to your landscape project is one of the main things that should be considered. There are different ways you can...
Making mistakes on landscaping is part of the learning process. You learn not to repeat the same mistakes. It sets you on the right track so you can develop. Even professionals make different mistakes as they were also once beginners. That's just how humans learn but...
Have you ever seen a garden and told yourself "I want to stay here for a while and relax..."? Creating an alluring garden can be a great way to relieve stress. It may be a small garden, a patio, a balcony, or even a large garden. Spending time in nature is a great way...
We aren’t all prepared for what's happening in the world today. Most of us are now quarantined in our homes to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. You may not be in the front lines but you are contributing by preventing the spread of the virus by staying home....
Plants in a container or potted plants are a common way of incorporating plants in an area where there is limited space. It is also an effective means of adding plants in urban areas where the soil is limited. Container gardening adds versatility to large and small...