Planting
The garden is divided into different beds known as below:
The pink bed: a large border - pink, apricot/peach, white, blue and purple allowed with a dash of pale yellow
The hot bed: a large border - red, orange, yellow and deep purple allowed (plus verbena bonariensis which just seems to like it best in the gravel beside it) and white in spring
The veg bed: which was for veg but has become too shaded for them and now has changed use but still retains its name
The pond beds: actually two beds around the pond and in the pond itself
The terrace and side passage: a bed which extends from the sitting room French doors along the kitchen to the end of the West side of the terrace and a small bed on the East side
The wall beds: in the low, raised walls on the south side of the terrace
The back bed: the end of the garden and fence
And then there are lots of pots including two large planters on the south facing kitchen wall.
In a small space every plant has to work hard to retain its right to be there. Overall the brief for the plants was:
- Scented wherever possible
- Variety of foliage colours and textures
- Each delivering a long flowering season unless they have a very good excuse
- Colour (from foliage or flowers) and scent throughout the year
- Predominantly perennial and herbaceous backbone with bulbs, tubers and seed-based extras.
Obviously the planting has changed over time as I have experimented. For example I started with lots of lupins and delphiniums in the Pink bed but they don’t like me, the clay, the slugs or all three so I have stopped even trying. I also had a variety of poisonous plants, especially in the hot bed which were structural and dramatic such as Ricinus. I have got rid of since getting dogs. It’s just too much of a risk.
The things that seem to do really well are roses, clematis, dahlias and shrubs so I now have over 30 roses and over 30 clematis in the garden. I grow them all within the borders or in pots. There is no formal rose garden. I have also tried and thrown out a number of roses and clematis for not performing well enough (see plants) and I have experimented with growing veg like sweetcorn and chard through the flower beds to a limited extent.
I wasn’t sure whether it would be better here to describe the original planting scheme or how it is now. It was planted nine years ago and I have experimented a great deal, learned a lot and changed much in the time. But, when I look back at some of my photos, I think some of the beds looked better a few years ago than they do now which is very frustrating! This is partly because shrubs were smaller then and because some plants only survived a season but looked great whilst they did it. Anyway, I’ve decided to tell you what the planting is now and not worry too much about the past.
In the hot bed
So, as I write, this in anchored by the Cytisus Bantandieri which is now quite a well sized “small tree”. It is semi evergreen and its flowers are large, scented, yellow “pineapples” in the summer. I love this plant and think it should be recommended much more often as a great tree for a small garden. It is very happy to be pruned to shape, doesn’t cast too much shade, and it brings in all sorts of wildlife, especially bees.
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Along the fence runs a stunning white wisteria which was initially bought as a “ bush” wisteria with multi stems but which has decided it’s a “rambler” and now reaches along and over the side passage arch, across the back of the house and onto the neighbour’s house back (they requested it).
Clematis ‘Daniel Deronda’ shines its fabulous long purple petals and pale yellow anthers through it as it comes into flower.
The major shrubs in the bed are Pittosporum ‘Tandara Gold’, Choysia ternata ‘Sundance’, and Abutilon megapitamicum ‘Kentish Belle’.
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Through the season the roses up the fence are yellow ‘The Pilgrim’, orange ‘Esterland’, dark red ‘Dublin Bay’ and bright red rambling ‘Super Elfin’ up the pineapple tree and red ‘Rambling Rosie’ now starting up the Loire arch. The ones within the bed are yellow floribunda ‘Arthur Bell’, red floribunda ‘Remembrance’ and orange hybrid tea ‘Indian Summer’.
Major perennials in focus in spring are: Euphorbia x ‘Martini’ and ‘Golden Fusion’, Dicentra ‘Valentine’, Peonia ‘Blaze’, and the magnificent Aquilegia ‘Tequila Sunrise’.
These are followed in summer by the flashy but short lived beauty of an orange Hemerocalis and the long lasting Alstromerias ‘Golden Delight’, ‘Red Beauty’ and ‘Orange Supreme’, Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’, and Spigelia’ Wisley Jester’ while Clematis viticella ‘Madame J Correvon’ flowers through the pineapple tree. In late summer and autumn Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ and ‘Emily McKenzie’ shine alongside Helenium ‘Morrheim Beauty’ and ‘Waldraut plus Rudbeckias. There are also various coloured grasses.
In between all of this, there are the bulbs and tubers/rhizomes. In spring there are red, orange and yellow tulips and they are replaced by red, orange, yellow and dark purple dahlias and cannas (which I dig up each winter). They need to share the space between the perennials.
Self-seeded amongst all this (apart from the weeds) are Californian poppies, the stately Verbena bonariensis and Mimulus luteus which ran riot in the pond (where it was first planted and from which it is now banned) but which I have allowed a little space in the bed where it is more controllable.
The pink bed
The pink bed is anchored at the NE corner by the Rowan tree and a Ceanothus ‘Puget blue’ , plus a variegated Philadelhus, at the moment a Buddleja ‘Lochinch’ and a Berberis create the back of the bed. These are supplemented by white Clematis montana grandiflora and now pink Clematis montana ‘Mayleen’ – both of which have to be controlled every 3-5 years because they grow so large, take over the tree and swing seat etc.. There is also a beautiful Daphne bholua “Sir Peter Smithers” and a Ceratostigma willmottianum.
All the roses are repeaters. They are apricot/pink hydrid tea ‘Scentsation’ which grows very tall (and like a floribunda) and lives up to its name, floribunda pale peachy pink ‘Pretty Lady’ which has really spread, two darker pink ‘Gertrude Geykylls’ at the back, climbing ‘High Hopes’, pale pink ‘Eglantyne’, white ‘Susan Williams-Ellis’ and purple/white ‘Eyes for You’ and white ground cover rose ‘Avon’. ‘The Generous Gardener’ climbing and ‘Super Fairy’ rambler are starting up the Loire arch from the bed.
In winter and spring the bed is scented by the Daphne, and the Brunneras ‘Jack Frost’ and ‘Dawson’s White’ add pretty blue colour and fab foliage amongst pink and white tulips, pink and white Dicentra and lily of the valley and blue bells hidden under the roses. Clematis ‘Arabella’ starts to scramble her pretty purple/blue flowers through everything as the variegated Philapehus takes over the scenting role. The tulips are replaced by white, pink, peach and purple Dahlias and white Cosmos for later in the summer while Geranium clarkei ‘Kashmir pink’, Centauras, self-seeded Nigella and the roses start to flower. And then the Buddleia starts and Clematis ‘Prince Charles’ and ‘Caroline’ twine their way up the Daphne and onto the swing seat. If I’m lucky, the tree Peony ‘Haruno Akebono’ flowers. Later in the season Saponaria osea ‘flora plena opens and spreads beside the Dorycrinum ‘Little Boy Blue’. Astrantia ‘Roma’ and ‘Warren Hills’ also show up each year and the Dahlias, roses and Ceratostigma take the colour to the first frosts.
The veg bed
This is now incorrectly named because it no longer contains vegetables. It has a vast number of plants though for its tiny size. At the back is Pittosporum ‘Irene Patterson’ and Pittosporum ‘Garne Hii’. By the low trellis is a standard Aronia pru ‘Brilliant’ and Jasminium nudiflorum for winter colour, Rosa ‘Ghislaine de Feligonde’ up the gated arch and Clematis ‘Anna Louise’, C. ‘Venosa Violcaea’, and C. ‘Beauty of Worcester’. This is also my main daffodil site and home for the new Digitalis ‘Illumination Pink’ which is supposed to be perennial. We’ll see next year! The side by the swing seat holds light purple Wisteria sinensis ‘Caroline’, Lonicera periclymenum ‘Graham Thomas’, Rosa ‘Crown Princess Margareta’ and Clematis ‘Henrii’ and C. ‘Princess Diana’.
And in the middle a willow wigwam plays host to Clematis ‘Carnaby’, ‘Dawn’, ‘Special Occasion,’ ‘Ooh La La’ and ‘Bourbon’. Very pink all round! Under the wigwam are four sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) and at its front edges are Geranium ‘Rozanne’, Lamium ‘Ghost’, grape hyacinth ‘Armeniacum’ and Scilla plus plenty of self-seeded poppies and weed Viola labradorica which has jumped out of the pond beds and gone everywhere.
The pond beds
The pond beds from the gated arch to the “Family” statue hold Rosa ‘Phyllis Bide’ up the arch, Clematis ‘Prince Charles’, Primula veris, Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silver feather’, Rosa glauca with its fabulous hips, Acer palmatum “Sunset”, Astrantia, Gillenia trifoliatax, Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Lady in Red’, and Acer palmatum ‘Orange Dream’.
In the pond is a hardy white nymphaea which is probably ‘Candida’ and a variety of submerged and floating oxygenators. In submerged planters on the sill are Lobelia cardinalis, Myosotis paulstris, Iris ‘Ensata Hydrid’ and Iris pseudocorus, Lysimachia punctata, the dinosaur grass Equisetum hyemale, Ranunculus flammula, Caltha polypetala, and Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon’.
The side passage bed and terrace beds
On the west side of the terrace this bed Is anchored by climbing Rosa ‘Graham Thomas’ which now pretty much takes up eight feet of it horizontally and vertically and is smothered in blue Clematis macropetala. Also in there is Clematis ‘Warszawska Nike’, Euphorbia and Sarcococca confusa and a small tree, Albizia ‘Julibrissia Boubri Ombrellax’. Up the new arch are Rosa ‘Compassion’ and R. ‘Lord Byron’ with Wisteria bachytrotis ‘Schiro Kapitan Fuju’ and Lonicera americana.
In the part of the passage opposite the kitchen it is predominantly covered in different ivies and Hydrangea petiolaris with an unknown yellow rose and Anemone ‘Honorine Johbert’. Appearing through are Clematis texensis ‘Duchess of Albany’ and C. ‘Comtesse de Bouchaud’.
The East side of the terrace is supposed only to be home to an unknown scarlet climbing rose which I inherited and Trachelospermum jasminoides because there are only two gaps in the terrace. However, the Fremontadendron ‘California Glory’ that was in a pot burst through it, buried under one of the terrace flags and became planted there. It has now been removed (see blog) and replaced by an Amelanchier laevis ‘Snowflakes’.
The wall beds
The wall beds by the hot bed are home to Dianthus ‘Flashing lights’, Lotus corniculatus, Camomile, and an unrecorded blue Campanula.
The wall beds by the Pink bed are home to Mimulus ‘Andean Nymph’, Zaluzianskya ovate, Saxifrage ‘White Pixie’, Aubretia ‘ Hamburg Stadt Park’, and Armeia splendens.
The back bed
Is home to a flowering sweet cherry tree, a silver birch tree and a eucalyptus niphophila. The north facing back fence is covered in Clematis ‘Nelly Moser’ and C. ‘Miss Bateman’ which thrive there, and daffodils and snowdrops appear every spring through the gravel.
Pots
There are too many to detail them all and of course many change. However some are permanent features and these house the following:
Agapanthus – ‘Headbourne hybrids’, ‘Bressingham White’ and ‘Evening Star’
Rosa – ‘Make a Wish’, ‘Shining Light’ and another unrecorded
Skimmias
Geranium sanguinium ‘Max Frei’
An unknown pink mophead Hydrangea which is a potted out house present
Clematis- ‘Bourbon’, ‘Vivienne Beth Currie’, ‘Rebecca’, ‘Angelique’, ‘Parisienne’ and ‘Sieboldii’
Rhamnus alaternus ‘Argenteover’
Libertia ‘Taupo Blaze’
Hibiscus ‘Lavender Chiffon’
Lauris nobilis (for cooking purposes)
Mahonia japonica
Magnolia stellata
Vitus ‘Sauvignan Blanc’ – my favourite tipple but a very disappointing vine
Vibernum carlesii ‘Aurora’
Syringa – pubescens patula
Four Acers of different types
And lots of Nemesia and herbs and a bright orange cactus in the greenhouse which flowers every year.
A full list of the plants in the garden and personal comments on them can be found in the Plants section of the site. It also includes many I have grown and discarded for various reasons – wrong shape, too little scent, too big, wrong conditions, too aggressive/really a weed (eg physalis and mimulus), or because I just didn’t like it or it didn’t like me.