The planting is predominately evergreen, as a part of the low maintenance design of the garden. The standard shaped bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) and Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) situated in modern, square Aluzinc planters provide structure all year round. Shrubs and perennials make up most of the planting, although evergreen they all
provide interest be it flowers or fruit at some point in the year, so there is always something happening.
The three multi-stem trees are deciduous, and have been included as a balance to the large amount of evergreen planting. They require no maintenance after the first year, and will repay the client with masses of scented, snowdrop like flowers in spring. As multi stems they provide the opportunity for underplanting, and help make better use of the space.
The two climbers on the eastern wall are there to provide some summer interest,
C.montana is vigorous and flowers white/pink in summer followed quickly by the dark purple/blue flowers of C.H.F.Young.
Foliage shape/colour and overall plant structure are as important here as flower colour. The border is a mixture of long lasting perennials and grasses laid out in a fairly traditional manner with the taller plants at the back giving way to smaller filler plants near the front. Some tall, structurally sparse perennials have been introduced near the front to make the planting a little ‘looser’ as some mid sized plants are then obscured and not everything in the border is visible at the same time.
Modern herbaceous planting mixes grasses and perennials, for a naturalistic and are often longer lasting in appearance. Often native perennials are used giving a more natural, robust and much less contrived feel to the planting.
The colour scheme is made up from mainly pink, blue, and purple with some white highlights. I intentionally went for paler colours as the space is so large a ‘hot’ coloured border might appear quite intimidating if it covered such a large area (this is dependant on the surrounding space though).
It will be at its best from mid summer all the way through to autumn, when it will still be providing structural interest.
The planting is predominately evergreen, as a part of the low maintenance design of the garden. The standard shaped bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) and Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) situated in modern, square Aluzinc planters provide structure all year round. Shrubs and perennials make up most of the planting, although evergreen they all
