“Sarah suggested small but very effective adjustments that made an enormous difference.”
Max and Cynthia’s walled courtyard garden near Wallingford needed help. They felt that the existing planting was over-grown and dense, creating a really dark atmosphere and wanted a garden they would enjoy working on together but were finding it difficult to agree on a planting style.
She and Max opted for ‘A Year in your Garden’ with the addition of garden design at the appropriate moment and together we found plants they both liked. That was the key to discovering a style that would suit them both.
Clear, clarify and consolidate
We began by clearing and clarifying the layout - the edges of beds that had got lost, for instance before capturing a list of tasks to be done and deciding how they would be accomplished.
Heavy or skilled jobs were passed to a skilled landscaper I recommended - which was a great relief to Max and Cynthia.
We replaced a misshapen plum tree which was producing very little fruit. An important feature such as this, in a garden this size, should be gorgeous in at least three seasons and this small tree has pretty pink edged new foliage, flowers in spring, berries in summer and then autumn colour - so much value in such a small space, and so pretty in itself, that Max and Cynthia were delighted as soon as it was planted.
Use the Marie Kondo principle to decide if a plant should go - if it doesn’t spark joy in you, thank it for its contribution to your life and let it go.
BEFORE
Walled garden in Shillingford. We’ve marked out with blue paint the shape changes needed to create a more pleasing layout.
First stages of new planting design - the circles are to scale and represent one plant at 3 years old.
Finding common ground
Max likes a tidy garden and Cynthia likes lots of loose planting so it was tricky but the promise of topiaried balls balancing softer planting, and the inclusion of Verbena bonariensis - a plant Max loves - soon solved the dilemma of planting style.
The garden measures 10 metres square, give or take, and the criteria was that the new plants should be reasonably easy to maintain, offer interest throughout the year and not be ‘too messy.’ Good structure was crucial as the house is accessed year round through this, rear, garden.
Starting with a scaled plan of the borders we created a community of plants, each one represented on the plan by drawing a circle scaled to the space it can be expected to occupy at three years old.
The plants
The planting scheme has a mix of strong long-lasting elements that offer interest year round, as well as lots of seasonal perennial choices to give a regularly changing picture.
Yew balls are positioned along the main path and at the corners of the beds to create structure and offer repetition and create a sense of calm. In the past I’d have used box but the current box moth and blight issues preclude this. Yew is slow growing and expensive so we chose small ones that will bulk up over time.
The mediterranean Spurge (Euphorbia charachias ‘Wulfenii’ offers impact while the delicate Golden Oats grass (Stipa gigantea) adds movement and texture. The hardy blue-flowered Leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) offers late season interest with sweet red-edged leaves and vivid blue flowers and Geranium ‘Rozanne’ covers the ground well.
Crazy purple daisy Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Rubenstein’) is a delicious addition with little central cone seedheads, that come after flowering, associating well with the grasses.
Oh, and Verbena bonariensis stands tall and is see-through adding lovely interest.
Echinacea ‘Magnus” (coneflower) and Verbena bonarienesis
Planting day
There is always a wonderful change in atmosphere once the plants are in the garden, even before they are in the ground,, and this was no exception. We couldn’t wait to get them settled in their new homes and planting took place on a sunny day in late April 2018.
Sarah, a gardener colleague, came to help Max and Cynthia plant whilst I ‘laid out’, starting with the larger shrubs, yew balls and perennials, moving onto ground cover and filling in with lots of lovelies that add the interest change throughout the year.
Follow up visits…
Since developing the garden we have met seasonally to discuss general care, the addition of bulbs to extend the planting and more, and I am delighted to witness bow Cynthia and Max’s enjoyment and ownership of the garden has grown through the process.
On my most recent visit we discussed their front garden which they had been busy clearing and I’m off there again later this month (July 2019) to sit with them at the kitchen table and plan the planting.
The plants were chosen to give interest over the longest possible time and for contrast of texture, form and colour. Here you see Euphorbia characias, Geranium ‘Roxanne’, the leaves of Acer palmatum and Persicaria ‘Taurus’.
How can I help you?
If you feel in need of some support with your garden I’d love to help - please do get in touch.
I live in South Oxfordshire and offer my services mainly around Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and The Cotswolds. I can also travel to North West & West London.
“Sarah helped us see our garden through new eyes, think about the space differently and identify what really mattered to us.”
The key to your dream garden is you…
It’s hard to move things forward when you can’t imagine or visualise what you want, or you can but you don’t know what steps to take first, or whether your idea will work, or, or, or…
Designed to help you get clear on what you want, and how to achieve it, this inspiring video call will help you move forwards confidently and efficiently.
You, your vision and energy, are the key to creating a space you’ll love and I’ll help you unlock your garden’s potential through your own innate wisdom (and my specially created relaxing visualisation). We’ll explore what you discover and I’ll share my ideas and thoughts and answer your questions. We can discuss layout, planting, styling, boundaries and more; the idea is to get you excited at the possibilities of your precious outdoor space rather than hung up on the difficulties.
You’ll leave the session with a practical, achievable way forward, knowing what the small steps to start with, and a feeling of inspired excitement about what is possible in the longer term.
“Sarah helped me see the potential of what we do have rather than the limitations - which was what I’d focused on before. ”
How does it work?
Well, first, before we meet, my detailed questionnaire will get you thinking about what you’d like and what’s difficult at the moment.
I’ll invite you to share a video walk around your space and a simple layout plant if you’d like - though it’s not essential.
Then we’ll hop on video or phone and I’ll lead you through a visualisation designed to allow blue-sky thinking and feeling in a way that’s hard to access in day-to-day life.
We’ll discuss what currently exists out there and what you’re aiming at and I’ll make suggestions to bridge the gap.
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“Everything we talked about feels realistic and achievable but also utterly transformational. I’m so excited to get started bringing the vision to life now, slowly and surely! ”
What’s next?
You’ll leave the call feeling inspired and excited rather than despondent or depressed by your space as you see the possibilities. And how to get there.
The Clarity Call works beautifully as a starting point for working with me; a way of experiencing what it’s like and, if you’d like to continue, I’ll offer a proposal for how that could look and a £75 discount off the next service you buy.
Investment
£125 for a 75 minute session (includes pre-call questionnaire and invitation to send images, video and sketched garden plan beforehand to help us make the most of our time together).
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