BRIEF:

The brief was for a border overhaul only. The main border that stands at the entrance to the house was lacking the drama and stature such a space demands. The clients gave me carte blanche to improve the area, with one proviso: they aren’t highly knowledgeable gardeners themselves so they desired a planting scheme that was not too complex to maintain.

The rose, peony and shrubs were to stay, but all remaining space was available for planting.

DESIGN:

There was little in the way of early to late summer or autumn flower (the rose and peony are both spring flowering), which was a key deficiency that needed addressing. The colour palette was also a key factor here as it had to increase the visual impact of the area, yet blend with the colour scheme already present, which largely comprised of spring blues from the Irises and pinks from the Bergenia, Rose and Peony, with a dash of white.

Whites (Thyme), Lime Green (Euphorbia) pale blues (Nepeta and Lavender), deep purples (Salvia and Verbena) lavender/pinks (Physostegia, Gaura and Salvia) were all added to the scheme to give it a much greater range. Fennel and grasses were included to add texture, height and movement.

The garden was planted in two phases, in late Summer/early Autumn 2017 and Spring 2018 in line with plant availability and seasonal rains.