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Category: Garden Design

Design, landscaping construction and layouts. Special types of garden and notable design features

Colour in a Garden Without Flowers

Colour in a Garden Without Flowers

Grasses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is an interesting photo because it shows a diverse range of colour in the garden without any flowers. This is an excellent way to design a garden because it provides year round interest. Flowers are then icing on the cake.

The colours in this garden shot also depend on the time of the day, the sun really brings to life some of the leaves and grasses.

The tall grasses also provide interest because of their swaying in the wind and gentle rustling sound.

Heuchera

Leaves of this Heuchera are now being bred in a range of colours and the textures that add additional variety.

Lettuce - Bijou & Freckles

Even in the vegetable garden you can grow some interesting colour schemes. These lettuce are just a couple of the varieties now available. I also like the ornamental cabbage giving colour throughout winter and the rows or savoy and purple cabbage can draw the eye. …

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Black Flowers and Foliage for Gardens

Black Flowers and Foliage for Gardens

‘Black is the new Black’
Black coral pea

As a child did you read ‘The Black Tulip’ or try to grow a black rose? Well here are some tips to help you grow black plants in your garden’. Most of my black plants unfortunately are black because they are dead but that still leaves lots of other varieties to choose from.

Foliage

  • Certain dark purple leaves look almost black including Cotinus Smoke Tree ‘Royal Purple’, Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ and Purple Beech Fagus Atropurpurea
  • New Zealand flax phormium tenax has various purple varieties. There are also black mondo grasses nigrescens.
  • If you want black in the fruit and vegetable garden try a grape vine ‘Purpurea’ or bronze fennel. If space permits the Black Walnut tree has black fissured bark.

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Shocking Colour Combinations

Shocking Colour Combinations

inspires

The soft pink and pale blue are a bit sugary for many gardeners but  the idea of tall spiky plants flowering together inspires other combinations. The Delphinium is perennial whilst the Foxglove is  biennial and has been placed just in front of the Delphinium to get the effect. The spikes inspire both in colour and architectural shape.

Pink & Blue Ideas

  • A Califonian Lilac Ceanothus impressus has bursting blue flowers and could be under planted with Bellis Perennis Pompomette a double daisy in shades of pink. Avoid the red  Bellis plants as they will clash.
  • Silene schafta is a magenta -pink and for low growing rockery plantings it can be mixed with the blue Campanula porteschlagiana.
  • Bearded Iris have many strong blue varieties and  pink Peony Sarah Bernhardt will make the blue and pink connection with mixed foliage shapes and textures.
  • In mid spring we are familiar with the Jan Boss and Delft Blue hyacinths but I find the contrast fails to inspire me and I would go for a different combination.

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Top 10 Small Gardens

Top 10 Small Gardens

Alpine Trough

You can grow an interesting garden in an old sink, trough or container that you have to hand. In the case of the photograph above all the plants chosen were small compact alpines. They include small varieties of normal garden favourites such as Asters, Pinks (Dianthus), Campanula, Gypsophilia, Primula, Sempervivum and Pelargonium (Geraniums).

Types of Small Garden

1. Container
A collection of plant pots on hard standing can look exceptional. The choice of plants is massive, fruit trees, trailing annuals, bulbs, conifers the list is endless. Hanging baskets also fit in this category of containers and as an idea try a herb garden in a basket near your kitchen door.

2. Window boxes
If you have ever seen Swiss Chalets in summer they will probably have been brimming with red geraniums and brilliant trailing flowers. Free window box plans are available for DIY experts to try and make their own.

3. Bonsai
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The Edible Yellow Garden

The Edible Yellow Garden

They are not called Lemons and Oranges for nothing. As a project I have been considering creating a colour themed garden. The thought of being able to eat the yellow produce has led me to a series of plant discoveries and fresh ideas.

pepper

Vegetables In Yellow

  • Tomatoes would be my first choice as there are many yellow or gold varieties to select from. Yellow Debut F1, Gold Nugget and Lemon Boy are cherry toms. Banana Legs is descriptive of the long, pointed, yellow, determinate tomato good for slicing on salads. Larger Yellow tomatoes include Golden Sunrise, Yellow Perfection and Garden Peach.
  • Yellow beans are available as Sonesta or Hildora varieties.
  • Courgette Gold Rush is a reliable FI hybrid and Sunburst Scallop is a favourite squash. Butternut squash is closer to light  brown than yellow in colour.
  • Hot peppers like Hungarian Yellow Wax matures to red but Sweet peppers like Early Sunrise and Golden Bell start and stay bright yellow.
  • Swiss Chard has some powerful yellows but the seeds are often sold in mixed colour packets but look for Leaf Beet Bright Yellow.
  • Sweetcorn minipop is harvested before pollination so doesn’t need to be sown in blocks. Other sweetcorn is a top yellow vegetable.
  • Carrots and Onions with the name yellow in the title haven’t appealed to me but you may wish to consider them.

Yellow Edible Flowers

  • Several garden flowers are edible including nasturtiums, pansy and  daylilies. They are useful as they can decorate a mixedsalad
  • Shungiku is the edible chrysanthemum with yellow flowers.

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Pak Choy Choice Salad

Pak Choy Choice Salad

Pack your plot with Pak Choy
pak-choy

Pak Choy was one of the vegetables most in view at Chelsea last year. The regular shape and decorative leaves help create a formal structure to vegetable planting. There are also new varieties coming on the market including one with long stems (not bolting stems) that can be eaten as pick and come again vegetables.

Growing Tips for Pak Choy

  • Green Pak Choy, Bok Choy, Chinese Mustard, Celery Mustard, Mustard Cabbage and other recommendations below are available from Nickys seeds or Thompson Morgan (50% seed sale till June)

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Get Ahead of the Garden Game

Get Ahead of the Garden Game

Gardeners get ahead of the game as experience tells them to remember earlier lessons.

mauve-garden

A garden is for life not just Spring and Summer so you need to play a long game and plan ahead. Our top tips for 12 months time follow but you also need to think about the medium and longer term.
Trees will grow more rapidly once established like the Cupressus I have just had to cut back. Conifers may grow 10% a year and as these had grown to over 24 feet when the situation really needed a 10 foot maximum I had a problem and a lot of work to do.

Shrubs need space to spread and as you plant them think what they will be like in 3+ years. You do not want to be moving prize Camellias or Peonies once they are established.  Plant short lived  or less important plants near them that can be discarded as your prize shrub matures. Hedges get thicker and wider even with regular pruning so allot enough space when you set out. Do not let them get out of hand and block light, paths or  access.

Hard landscaping is even more permanent than most plants. Marry your landscaping to the key core trees and plants you want to build the garden around. Prepare in detail and put in long lasting foundations not quick fixes.

Top Tips for a Grand Garden Next Year

  • Feed your bulbs and let them die down naturally. Order more bulbs now.
  • Grow biennial plants from seed eg. sowing Wallflowers from June and pinching out the plants to make them bushy.

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Green Roof Of Sedum or Grass

Green Roof Of Sedum or Grass

Bear the weight of wet soil in mind but enjoy the fun of a green roof. Try maintain easy access to make life simpler.

grass-roof

The Ecology Building Society as befits it’s brand values has a green roof on it’s HQ building. Green roofs can be a mixture of grasses or Sedums or both and all have similar benefits.

Benefits of Green Roofing

Golden Acre green roof

  • Improves energy efficiency with a natural thermal insulation.
  • Green roofs remove CO2 from the atmosphere to maintain the area of green plant growth.
  • Providing a natural and safe area for insects and a aesthetically pleasing wildlife habitat.
  • Good sound insulation is provided by the layers needed for a green roof.
  • Water and run off drainage control is increased.

Further Tips

  • The independent Green Roof organisation ‘livingroofs’ has more information.
  • Seed mixes are available containing plants able to withstand the rigours of a roof top environment species such as Chives, Oregano, Blue fax, White Stonecrop, Tunic flower and Ornamental grasses.
  • Sheffield University hosts the Green Roof Centre

Green roof

Sculptural Garden Angel

Sculptural Garden Angel

Harlow Carr has several sculptures best seen on a crisp winters day.

garden-angel

Harlow Carr has a garden guardian angel amongst the trees and rhododendrons in the RHS garden. The stainless steel works well in winter with the dark looming trees in the background. This sculpture is one of many that have been introduced into the garden since the RHS took over from the Northern Horticultural society and Matthew Wilson became curator.

An amusing giant wire mesh teapot acts is used for collecting fallen leaves. Woven sculptures made from willow and hazel also feature with large scale ships and fish ready to entertain summer visitors.

Gardeners Tips on Garden Sculpture

  • Give sculpture a chance in your garden but be selective about the pieces you choose and don’t cram in too much.
  • Aim for impact.

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Dogwood Colour Schemes

Dogwood Colour Schemes

Cornus are great for your garden and the colourful dogwoods are easy on the eye.
Green shoots cornus dogwood

What is looking  good in your winter garden or locally at the moment? Look around now because you can start on next years garden to create a sight to behold. Locally I saw several dog woods that would make an interesting winter feature in my garden if I can find the space. I am less sure about the chicken wire on my picture above but I guess it gets covered in greenery by spring.
Dog Wood Cornus

Tips on Cornus – Dog Woods

  • Dog woods are an extensive family including trees up to 10 feet tall. Planted now they can thrive in wet or dry soil

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