We went back to maintain a border yesterday, that was planted 2 years ago.
This border has been creating conversations and admiring comments from neighbours, which, let's face it, is what you want for a front garden border really. - it's a bit of a change from the weedy patch left over by the builders which I found 2 summers ago.
Continue reading "Border planting - Front garden Colour and shape" »
I often get called into a garden when my clients are part way through a project. Sometimes, they are stuck with what to do next. - This was the case earlier in the year, when I was asked to devise a border plan for a great decking project.
In creating a fantastic open space that came out from the patio doors, they had also fashioned a large drop into the rest of the garden. They needed a planting plan that ensured their shy but energetic toddler could be seen in all the garden, and wasn't tempted to launch herself off the edge of the decking onto the lawn.
Continue reading "Border planting - garden border, or large container planting?" »
Sometimes when I get asked to do a planting scheme, my clients just want "some plants". Sometimes I get a list of requirements.
Today I went back in the rain to see a border I planted last Autumn.
There was a very detailed list of requirements that came with this border which included
A vision to have a stunning border with shrubs flowering at different times, the border has a prime spot at the top of the hill
Screening neighbours cars
Fast growing shrubs, trees and plants
Plants to deal with the slight slope, and the poor soil from the recently removed line of 40yr old conifers
Space for a small planting line of annuals next to our driveway
Easily maintainable from our side, although Neighbour is happy to have plants
Would like to buy maturer plants to start border +1m height.
Including one tall lime green conifer by the gate as a tall screen
I could have taken them at their word, but I always like to find out what's behind requests, so I went round to see their current back garden (amazing trees and foliage shapes including Liquidamber and Acers), and showed them my source folders to get opinions of which flowers, colours, style and shapes really took their fancy.
There was a difference of preferences about whether summer colour or all year round foliage colour was the most important, but the line of summer bedding has been replaced by colourful bulbs, and easy to look after perennials like Heuchera and Asters.
The conifer was to provide a permanent screen to hide the access to the back garden, - where the shed and bins are, - instead we've used variegated Pittosporums for evergreen cover, and Physocarpus for upright coloured foliage in summer. Because these and the shrubby honeysuckle that have been used as permanent evergreen plants, are fairly fast growing, we didn't need to buy large specimens, meaning that money was saved to ensure all the space was covered.
Before planting, the border looked a long bare strip, that was highly visible to everyone coming up the road, as the house is on a bend.
Initially when planted, although the autumn colours shone through, my clients wondered whether they had made a big mistake, ad should have gone for a hedge.
Now though with the shrubs filling out, and the bulbs and perennials adding a welcome splash of colour, the border is taking shape as it should.
Here's the view out to the road.
Today I finished one of my favourite types of projects. I brought a clients vision to life with plants to complete their design.
I love this kind of challenge where a client has had a patio, driveway or hardscape feature designed, and then needs a planting expert to finish off their vision. In this case a Mediterranean patio and urn water features with planting borders.
The 2nd set of patio doors is the Kitchen, so we wanted to make sure that as well as being beautiful, these borders are bountiful in providing the herbs for culinary use.
The 4 main border squares are each based (loosely I admit) on a herb type. - Fennel, Allium, Sage and Rosemary, with a central Stipa Gigantea grass to tie the borders together.
The area nearest to the kitchen is slightly more shady, and had been overshadowed by bushes. - These have now been removed, and we have rivers of different coloured mints and lemon balm, plus shapd bay, and Elder, to carry on the edible theme into the shade.
The end result is good looking, scented, and productive. - ideal for sitting out next to, when we get the summer.
Last year I created this mainly foliage colour border, to be viewed from my client's kitchen window.
(see the original post about it here)
I went back to see it this week, - and despite the cloudy rainy weather, everything has settled in rather well
What's the view like from your kitchen window? - Somthing you want to look out on?
Just over a year ago, My lovely builder Mick, finished my Kitchen. After 4 years of managing with a 70's monstrosity (that friends looked aghast at) I have a lovely open plan, properly designed space, that is easy to work in to turn my fruit and vegetables from the garden into delicious meals.
This week, I got the opportunity to help Mick turn his monstrosity of an overlooked outside space, into what will be a sheltered and colourful and interesting garden.
Not all of us can live in seclusion in the countryside, and that means that there are plenty of houses out there situated right next to busy roads, and in this case, Traffic lights
Last February when I went to look at the garden for the first time, - there wasn't a lot in it. - Lots of concrete, a big change in level, some scrappy grass, and the only decent tree, a large holly was slap bang in the middle of the garden. Plus there was a huge sickly hedge.
Initially this dieing hedge of Privet, ( probably a combination of traffic pollution and suspected Honey fungus) plus lots of ash saplings, was going to be replaced by another, - but after lots of discussion, between us (Mick and his partner Gill), and the council. The decision was reached to put up a fence, and plant on the inside.
The entrance to the garden was also changed, to move the driveway further from the traffic lights, and when all the hard landscaping was taking place last year, the garden looked awfully exposed.
Being a Builder, the hard landscaping side of this project didn't phase Mick and his team, - so this week I got the wonderful job of planting up beautifully prepared border areas
We're aiming for as much shelter from the traffic as possible here, without having a solid line of plants, - so first in were 5 different Trees. - 2 Prunus, Kanzan and Pissardii Purpurea, Amelanchier lamarkii, A multi stemmed birch, plus a wonderful evergreen Cotoneaster Frigidus.
I've then gone for some lovely large shrubs, - These won't need pruning, and as some will grow up to 3-4 metres in height will be tree like in their shelter qualities
Gill had wanted colour and scent, so I picked plenty of fragrance to ensure the garden was good for the sense of smell
And to hide the rising wall of the driveway, we've got a great selection of perennials, small shrubs and grasses.
I'm really looking forward to how this garden progresses, and whether the shops and traffic lights will be completly hidden from view in a couple of years time.
I'm in the business of Plants, and planting, and propagating, - So a lack of water, DROUGHT, when the water companies are forbidding you to use a hosepipe, that's a nightmare isn't it?
Well no, - not really.
You see my business is built on me knowing the right plant for the right place.
Advice that I give clients is always about plants that will thrive in the conditions thrown at them, not just survive. As a lot of my clients have very free draining chalk, that's pretty dry conditions anyway.
I've always told customers to install waterbutts, mulch soils, ensure water goes to the roots of the plants, not the leaves. Also water deeply, but not daily, and never bother wasting water on lawns
Even when planting borders, I've used drip irrigation, to prepare the soil, and hand watering rather than overhead sprinklers.
With below average rainfall in 19 of the last 24 months here in the Southeast, - it's not suprising that the water companies need to do something. Maybe this season will finally teach people in the 'burbs that you don't need to leave your overhead sprinkler running every night, and that a green lawn isn't that important.
The HTA and waterwise have been lobbying on gardeners behalf, and 3 water companies have given exemption for drip irrigation, and they are discussing whether newly planted borders can be exempt (read the whole article here)
In the meantime, - if you havn't already got waterbutts on every downpipe, greenhouse and shed, then now is the time to do it, and don't forget to raise them high enough to get a watering can under the tap.
We've been living in Horsley 4 years today.
The saying is - "we've been in our house", - but for me the garden was just as important when we moved, and it was the reason we'd overlooked this property several times in our search.I'd literally driven past it, and not noticed the house was there.
Our back garden isn't huge. 40ft by 60ft on the particulars, which i'd looked over and dismissed because of it. Not small, particularly by modern house sizes, but it's all visible from my office, and the chickens at the bottom of the garden are only about 12 metres away from me. (great for a spot of chicken tv, when i'm procrastinating over a planting plan)
The front garden is actually as big as the back, but when we arrived you couldn't tell.
This photo is taken from between the house and the garage, looking out to the road. The brick driveway goes to the entrance but is very narrow, and is only wide enough for one car, (and not wide enough for you to get out of it without stepping off the drive). - it widens out by the garage when you're past the evergreen magnolia, - but that meant that although we could park 3 cars, there was a shuffle to get anyone out. So our first priority was to get extra parking.
I also wanted to get more planting borders, - easier to maintain grass ( it was practically all moss when we got here) and easy parking and entrance and exit on to the road.
Like most people, I didn't have the budget to do it all at once, but knowing what I ultimately wanted has made it easier to do work in stages.
The "hedge" of overgrown shrubs was first to go, which gained us about 10 feet of garden, - enough to put in an in and out drive. Borders were created under the trees, and by the driveway.
The 2 magnolia trees are now the statements and focus of the garden, instead of hiding it. Plus as well as having room to park a hideous number of cars on the drive ( there have been 10 at a coffee morning) I have 5 big borders of plants.
As with all gardens, there are plenty of things to focus on for the future. I've loved some plant combinations, and others havn't worked. One of these days, I'll be able to afford to replace the brick driveway, but 4 years on, i'm quite pleased with my front garden. It ticks the boxs of framing the house, parking the cars, and having plenty of space for plants.
I know that this will provoke comments from my gardening peers oop north, and in Scotland where they have had waterproofs on for weeks, - BUT, here in my part of Surrey, we are dealing with drought conditions in October, and actually the only months this year when we've had a decent amount of rainfall have been July and August.
The plants are suffering, as can be seen from these plant pics taken in a garden on Friday.
We are on underlying free draining chalk here in Horsley, but even so, these are in borders that have been prepared and planted within the last 5 years, and where there is someone to water deeply at least once a month, so if your garden is suffering in the same way, - here are some suggestions for solutions
1) Mulch deeply - this only works if you do it while the ground is damp, so that it keeps the moisture in. - By deeply I mean at least 10cms. - If you use an organic matter such as leaf mould or homemade compost, then this will be taken into the soil by winter soil movement and worms.
2) Ensure that individual plants that need extra help (such as Hydrangeas) have a water pipe direct to the root system. -This doesn't have to be fancy, - a 2 litre soft drinks bottle, sunk into the ground upside down, with the bottom of the bottle cut off to receive the water, will ensure that you know that at least 2 litres has been directed to the plants roots each time you water. (and the plastic sticking out should remind you to water!)
3) Install soaker hose - this is great for empty patches before you plant, - or for areas where plants are in a line (like a hedge)
Unlike sprinkler systems, you will not have as much run off (water escaping from the beds). As it is dripping/dribbling out of the hose, it all goes into the ground directly around the hose line.
4) Make sure your garden hose is long enough to reach all the borders, has a lance or sprayer with easy to control spray patterns (think of the water pattern from a tap, or a shower, that is what is wanted) and is an easy to use type. If it takes 10 minutes to unwind and rewind your hose, you are less likely to water when needed.
5) When we've had a dry period, it is easy to think that a day of rain will remedy the situation, but if the ground is very dry, then there is no wicking ability to hold onto the rain when it comes, - so you may need to water over the coming weeks until we get back to normal water soil levels.
Sometimes a border isn't bad, it just isn't working all the year round.
That was the case with this front garden border, which was the focal point as you pulled on to the drive
It was originally planted up 4 years ago, and although some of the plants are working well, the soil has been compacted by workmen replacing windows, and hidden under scaffolding for 3 months, so it was time for a refresh of the plants and the soil.
The Pittosporum and Heuchera's are providing all year round colour, - but the spring bulbs had actually done too well, which meant that after they were finished, their foliage drowned out the growth of the summer flowering plants.
At the back of the border in the rainshadow of the house, the soil was bone dry and dusty. The prickly Hybrid tea roses, were making it very difficult to get to the back of the border to weed.
I've solved that issue by - taking out the roses, digging over the soil and removing weeds, watering deeply, adding organic matter, watering again, - then planting dry soil loving lavenders. These will fill all the space at the back of the border behind the roses, hopefully smothering any weeds. I've then planted Alliums underneath them, - the tatty bulb foliage will be hidden by the scented lavender foliage.
At the front, we've gone with more of what aleady works well, so more heucheras - This time Creme Brulee, and Alchemilla Mollis, - transplanted from the back garden where it looks fantastic all summer. Aster purple dome and Rudbeckia Hirta, will provide late summer colour, and the Hellebores which are hidden under the vine at this time of year will provide winter colour when the Vitus has lost all it's leaves
I removed lots of daffodil bulbs, from all through the border, and so I replanted some of them, but in groups, so that we get spring colour, but so that the foliage won't overwhelm new growth coming through.
This was the end result
