3 years later - Back Garden in Arborfield

I was asked to design a back garden in a newish development in Arborfield 3 years ago. I went back to see how it was looking.  Most plants had taken well, apart from one very dry shady area. I suggested to the customer perhaps some ferns would be the best option. Dryopteris Felix Mas is a reliable plant where other plants struggle.  (any  new planting in dry shade of course needs plenty of water until established).

May is still  quite early for many of the perennials of course, and over the next 6 weeks or so many more plants will join in with more colour through the summer season.

Geranium Brookside, adding lovely blue splashes amongst Alchemilla Mollis

Iceberg climbing Rose

Physocarpus Diablo. A great plant for dark foliage accents.

And nice chunky groups of  plants still to flower include Teucrium Lucidrys  (a good alternative to Box)

Sedum Autumn Fire . Give then a "Chelsea Chop" now, to keep them shorter and less likely to fall over.

Euphorbia palustrus just going over, but the bright green sword like leaves of Crocosmia Lucifer

will add a vibrant splash of red later in the season.

3 YEARS AGO, JUST AFTER PLANTING....

BEFORE....

Family Garden

This client had recently done some work to the back of the property. The patio area no longer worked. The garden was not at all inspiring.

THE  BRIEF

•  "Hide" the trampoline
• Provide a patio space large enough for their family table, where it would enjoy the evening sun
• Provide space for a water feature to be added later
• Keep plenty of lawn
• Plants to have interesting foliage
• Plants with big blousy flowers
• Plants to attract butterflies and bees 

The trampoline seemed to be in the right place, but on full show. Trellis was introduced and the entrance to the trampoline turned around to allow a small path leading off of the new patio, to access the steps to the trampoline. A new planting border in front of the trellis will screen the trampoline, with a mix of evergreeen shrubs, a tall Hydrangea, a fast growing Golden Hop, as well as a relocated Acer Palmatum.  The timber bed to the left will in time include the water feature.

On the south facing side of the garden, a existing vine now trained laterally, will clothe the fence. A Physocarpus Diablo adds height and echos the tones of the existing dark Acers in the garden. Clematis Montana will also clothe the fence. Sun loving Cistus Sunset,  Caryopteris, Lavender, Verbena, Rudbekia and Heleniums, Hemerocasllis and Alchemilla Mollis will ensure plenty of colour over the coming months, and Dianthus will tumble over edges and add plenty of scent.

In the border crossing the garden, Stipa Gigantea grass will add plenty of movement and is placed to be enhanced by the westerly evening sun. Sedums, Geraniums, Poppy, Oregano and Tymne will all flower and replace the early colour from Allium Christophii...... The first bee coming into land shortly after planting!

Cistus Sunset

Clematis Warsaw Nike

Papavier Bolero

Hakonechloa macra grasses will knit together under the Acer Palmatum. Primula and Pulomaria will come back
into flower next spring.

Astrantia Major. Top plant for months of interest

Actea Pink Spike. Beautiful foliage, with fabulous late season flower spike and scent.

Along a narrow shady border, big and blousy Fuchsia and inter planted with Tiarella Wherryi

 BEFORE PHOTOS

REVISIT 15 months later - Extra parking on front garden

GARDEN REVISIT

I had an email from this customer saying how much she has enjoyed the garden this spring, so I popped round today with my camera. It's looking great! The shrubs on the fence still have some growing to do, but all the perennials are knitting together nicely, provided good ground cover.

Geranium Macrorhyzum on the left hand corner now covering the ground
beneath the new Beech hedge

The golden Acer to the left, in time will stand above the perennials, but for now adds a lovely
golden splash amongst the green foliage

The  view from the front door. The low growing golden Euonymous shrub will soon spread
to fill in the space around it. 

Pretty blue Geranium Phaeum "Walkure" in flower. Best Geranium for shadier borders

Euphorbia Martinii now over, and the dark accents of Heuchera Obsidan now the stars. Hydrangea
Annabelle will follow in just a couple of few weeks.

The customer parks 

The customer normally parks on the blocks, but when  expecting company
parks over the circle where the low plants don't mind getting shaded occasionally without get in the way of the wheels

JUST AFTER PLANTING.....

(before photos at the end)
This lovely old property had parking for only one car, and the established hedges were rather too established, letting no light into the front lawn.

THE BRIEF

• Additional visitor parking space
• Remove existing hedge
• Design a space which gives Kerb Appeal
• An interesting outlook from the front Bay window

To allow for the much needed extra parking space, the hedge and all lawn were removed, and replaced with hardcore suitable for a vehicle. This was a combination of concrete blocks and gravel, with a block pathway leading to the front door. A paved pathway in a similar pale grey tone, leads through planting to give access to the waterbutt to the side of the window. The owner will normally park in the gravel drive, allowing the garden to be viewed as a garden, rather than a parking space, but for occasional use, much of the new garden doubles up as a parking area, with low planting in the gravel circle.

A new wall was required to the front, and a Beech Hedge planted to give screening from the street. The new hedge can be pruned to maintain the required height and width, so as not to dominate the space,  allowing light through.

A little morning sun, but then mostly in shade closer to the house, so the plant list includes many plants for shade or semi shade.

For structure and Evergreen interest

Beech Hedge, Box hedge, Euonymus, Cotoneaster Cornubia, Daphne Odora, Sarcoccoca, Liriope Muscari, Luzula Nivea Aureomarginata, Euphorbia Martinii

Climbers on fence

Hydrangea Petiolaris, Clematis Prince George, Honeysuckle

Deciduous Shrubs for bulk

Hydrangea Annabelle, Fuscia, Acer Jordan

Perennials for seasonal changes

Geranium Phaem, Aster Divaricatus, Alchemilla Mollis, Tricyrtis formosa, Ferns, Geranium macrorhyzum, Liriope Muscari, Heuchera Obsidan, Astrantia

BEFORE

Before

Before

Making the most of a south facing front garden - REVISIT 2 YEARS LATER

This customer kindly sent me a few shots from her mobile phone in late June. Her little front garden is looking fabulous, and quite a change from 2 years ago!

A reminder of the before..

Just one year on, and this HOT front garden is beginning to fill out. Scroll down further for the original brief and before photos.

Flat head of Acidi yellow Achillea Moonshine, contrast with the upright spires of Salvia Caradonna

Purple Penstemon just coming into flower. They will last for several weeks if deadheaded regularly. Plenty of
Geranium varieties will soon add to the show.

Penstemon Lady Alice Hindley

Allium Purple Sensation seedheadslook great even after the flowers fade

A lavender hedge around the railing will open in the next two weeks.
Tall Molinia Heidebraut grasses in two borders, will offer plenty of interest late season
together with Asters, Sedum adn Coreopsis

The existing plants in this customer's garden were all good evergreen shrubs, ones I use regularly. However used inappropriately, their scale had dominated this small south facing front garden.  I had recently finished the neighbour's garden, which prompted this client into action.

THE BRIEF

• Remove the unwanted shrubs, retaining a few along the boundary edge providing privacy from the road. Primarily Rosemary and Choisya Aztec Pearl
• No lawn
• Interesting planting, colour and textures
• Keep the existing front path

To have no lawn in a garden of this size made sense.  The lawn did not do well in the hot conditions, however to work with just the existing path would have meant that the planting areas would have been rather deep, and difficult to maintain.  I designed brick edged curved gravel pathways, either side of the main pathway, to provide a more interesting layout, and add textural interest and colour to the hard landscaping. Plants could now be enjoyed walking between the beds, and maintenance much easier reaching from both sides of the pathways.  A water butt in the corner had to be accessed too, so a wider gravel path allows good access. An evergreen Choisya White Dazzler was planted to screen the water butt, which will do its job in a couple of years time.

Mid November, and still Red flowers on the Callistemen (Bottlebrush). The customer requested a tall shrub in this location again, to provide some screening from a neighbouring house. It can easily be pruned to keep to a sensible height and width. It is underplanted with Geranium Sanguineum, Lamium and Origanum  Aurea.

Next to the house Evergreen Daphne Odora will provide exquisite winter scent. Tall Molinia Heidebraut grasses add movement and glow golden in the autumn sunshine. They are repeated near the gate.

Stipa Gigantea Grass in the central curved bed, will play a big part next year as the tall seed heads, up to 5', emerge adding movement.

Other plants used.

10 x Lavandula Hidcote as hedge around the railings

Sedum Autumn Joy

Molinia Heidebraut

Stachys Byzantine

Salvia Caradonna

Calamintha Nepeta blue cloud

Geranium Psilostemon

Geranium Sanguiniem Max Frei

Aster Frikartii

Coreopsis Moonbeam

Achillea Moonshine

BEFORE

The Photina, Pittosprorum and Conifers were dominant and dull, and not the best choice for a southfacing aspect, which should be vibrant with colour from spring to autumn