Our vlog pick - The Garden Ninja
The Garden Ninja, aka Lee Burkhill, is a garden designer from the north of England whose YouTube videos give clear, practical advice on design and gardening, helping people avoid common mistakes and give things a go.
You get a real insight into how he works with, for example, the diary he’s kept of a project to turn a large empty plot into an ‘exploding atom garden’ with large concentric circles of planting borders. We follow the different stages of the design process, from measuring and the scale drawing, to marking out, and eventually planting barefoot trees, shrubs and plants through the seasons.
He also has a host of how-to videos on everything from planting a hedge, scarifying a lawn to making a compost bin or even a DIY fire pit. There are also some good videos involving road-testing equipment ranging from gardening tools and ladders to automatic mowers.
It’s no surprise that Burkhill’s useful and accessible gardening content made him a finalist in the Garden Media Guild’s Social Media Influencer of the Year Award in 2018.