Innholdsfortegnelse for Your Perfect Garden i Your Perfect Garden

After extending and renovating their home, which took around nine months, Caroline and Tim Norris decided to take a break for a couple of years before turning their attention to the garden. ‘We are both complete garden novices, so we really needed to think about what we wanted and do lots of research,’ says Caroline. The garden was a good size, stocked with mature shrubs and trees, but the couple rarely ventured past the patio seating area, which meant all that space was going to waste. ‘We went to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival as a starting point,’ says Caroline, ‘then we used Pinterest to find images to illustrate a wish list of what we had in mind for the garden. ‘Luckily, we knew a landscape gardener, Simon…

Top tip Smart furniture, oversized planters and white and cream flowers create this contemporary cottage garden. After spending six years renovating their cottage, Jane and Martin Smith turned their attention to the back garden – a rectangular plot that sloped upwards behind the house. As part of the renovation work, the couple had added a rear kitchen extension with bifold doors and a spacious patio area beyond them. Apart from that, Jane was unsure what to do with the rest of the space. ‘It was mainly lawn and there was a very large apple tree taking up lots of room and casting shade over everything,’ says Jane. ‘It needed a complete rethink. It had to be low-maintenance with some structure and privacy, and I knew I wanted white flowers only,…

We love Tree ferns They give height, privacy and dappled shade – they’re also hardy, low-maintenance and tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions. Tackling the garden came at the end of a two-year house renovation for Alasdair and Philippa Beaumont. ‘We’d left it until last so that we had a place to store all the building materials – it was a dumping ground,’ says Philippa. Overlooked by neighbours, the garden measured just 7.6mx4.6m (24.9x15.1ft) and had beds around the edges that made it seem even smaller. ‘It felt very uninviting, with damaged crazy paving, and was horribly overgrown,’ says Philippa. ‘Its only saving graces were the original redbrick Victorian walls and a tall hedge at the bottom.’ The couple set aside a budget of £5,000 ($6,950) for a…

Our plan was for the garden to link smoothly to the interior, so, working with design company Modular (modular.london) we dug down and outwards at the back. This made room for a kitchen extension that could open seamlessly onto a big patio, with steps leading up to the lawn,’ says Adam. Bushes and trees lend the garden a leafy, established feel, with ferns and climbers masking the boundary fencing. A beautiful native hornbeam acts as a focal point at the end of the grass, and planting has been planned to ensure the colour keeps coming from early spring through to autumn. ‘I tried to include long-lasting varieties like verbenas and salvias, plus ornamental grasses, to add a bit of height,’ says Adam. By day the garden is a place for…

Home renovations have a bad habit of stuffing up your holiday plans. Let’s face it – the minute you sign those mortgage papers, there’s always going to be something more sensible to blow your pay packet on than flights to the Maldives, or even Majorca. It’s possible that the last time you hit Ibiza, Zoe Ball and Norman Cook still ruled the It crowd. Happily, you needn’t sacrifice that long-awaited bathroom revamp to enjoy some alfresco chill-out time. By taking a ‘living room’ approach to your garden design, you can while away lazy Sundays outdoors in unprecedented comfort (once you’re done repainting the hallway, obvs). Admittedly, the concept of creating a living room in the garden still sounds a bit continental, a.k.a. ‘Not British’. And we do have to tread…

LEARN… Essential FAQs What is a garden room? It is a stand-alone garden building, also classed as an outbuilding. Garden rooms are built to less than 2.5m (8.2ft) in height as standard, meaning they generally don’t require planning permission. They can be a unique space solution for your home, and also offer a separate area from the main living space that gives privacy and room to focus and relax. They also tend to be a more cost-effective and easy alternative to more traditional home extensions like loft conversions or conservatories. What are the benefits of a garden room over other home-extension options? ● Planning permission is rarely required for a garden room. ● Building control sign off not required. ● Garden rooms can be installed in just one to five…

Take your planting up a notch with a selection of stylish planters you can update each season so you always have colour in your outdoor space, or fill with your favourite evergreens for a modern, structured look. They’re also a great way to start off a mini vegetable garden or to line a pathway with your favourite fragrant flowers. Plan your planting scheme throughout the year with colour-pop bulbs for spring interest, bright blooms for summer, warm golden shades for autumn and berry rich plants for winter (the birds will like these). Choose from a range of planters to suit your garden scheme, from treated timber frames that look better with age, to modern metal designs. Alternatively, take a trip to your local architectural salvage yard and look for reclaimed…

Learn… What are the essentials? Whatever your space, start with a barbecue with a work surface/countertop beside it. Choose between a gas or charcoal barbecue, bearing in mind that gas will be easier to keep clean and gives you the option of using it year round. If your budget allows, look for a design that features a rotisserie for slow-roasting meats – great for summer barbecues or Sunday lunches. Storage cabinets are always a handy extra for stashing utensils and cookware, while other optional add-ons can include pizza ovens, outdoor sinks with taps and even fridges. Where’s the best place to install one? As a rule, outdoor kitchens are best situated fairly close to the house and always on level decking or a patio. Look to position yours against a…

WOOD Wood is a very popular choice for creating atmosphere. It requires more maintenance – as you have to source the wood then continually tend to the fire to keep it going and clean out ashes afterwards. However fire pits and chimineas are a favourite, ultimately people love the nostalgia and ambiance of sitting by a real fire. A fire pit or chiminea may sometimes be trickier to ignite than your other heating options, especially on a windy day. Also, you’ll have less control over the level of heat than you would with something you can easily turn down or put on a specific temperature setting. For many, the look and feel of a wood fire makes the trade-offs worth it. BENEFITS • Provides great atmosphere. • Affordable to purchase…

Top tip For strong repeat flowering, it can be pruned back after blooms have faded. Top tip You can propagate new plants quite easily from from semi-woody cuttings. Care tip  Dighumus-rich compost in with the soil before planting.…

There’s nothing quite as lovely as a summer meadow – so it’s no wonder that meadow-style planting in domestic gardens has enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years. Thankfully, you don’t need acres of ground to grow native wildflowers – you can create a mini-meadow in a patch as small as 1sq m. For a successful meadow there are a couple of things to consider. Firstly, aim for diversity. Even in a tiny meadow you can attract a surprising number of different insects – the secret is to choose a mix with a large number of flowering plants. A ratio of around 80:20 grass to wildflowers is normal, but some mixes feature more blooms. Knowing when and how to cut it back is also important. If your meadow is…

Care tip Keep an eye out for aphids as they can sometimes appear. Top tip Try the compact variety ‘Royal Dreams’ from Thompson & Morgan for smaller spots. Care tip Deadhead these regularly to prolong flowering.…

Homegrown tastes better and is so easy to do. It’s also good for your wellbeing: growing your own produce gives you a sense of calm – and a regular supply to eat. From salad with extra crunch to heavenly scented tomatoes and fresh herbs, it’s all very doable. The trick is to grow small amounts of different crops that offer big rewards. Avoid anything needing elaborate preparation and cultivation and opt for easy produce such as cut-and-come-again salad leaves, perpetual spinach and dwarf kale, herbs, chillies, dwarf varieties of French beans and compact tomatoes. Edible flowers such as nasturtium, borage and calendula are another good choice, and add a pretty touch to the garden. Another idea is to plant mixed containers of herbs, tomatoes and chillies, for example, or large…

Ferns gained popularity in the Victorian age, when gardeners used them to mimic woodland spots under the shade of trees and shrubs. Stumperies – like rockeries, but made from tree trunks and logs – were the fashion, interplanted with ferns or combined with rocks and water to reflect a more craggy natural landscape. ALL SHAPES AND SIZES Ferns come in an amazing range of textures, colours, sizes and shapes, so do take the trouble to get to know them in all their splendid glory by visiting a specialist grower during summer months. As well as British native ferns that are ideal for planting in drifts in shady corners, tall tree ferns are good to dot around to create an exotic mood in a sheltered spot. These will thrive in dappled…

Flowers For tropical-looking blooms you can’t beat passiflora, the passion flower. Eccremocarpus (Chilean glory flower) is a mile-a-minute grower, with tubular orange flowers from late spring until autumn. Plant in sun. Climbers No exotic garden is complete without climbers: they enhance the ambience of abundance you want. You don’t need to hunt out rare species: many hardy climbers fit the look. Colour For pops of brilliant colour choose permanent plants that fit the exotic look with vivid flowers and bold foliage. Cape fuchsias (phygelius) are strong-growing evergreen shrubs with orange, deep pink or yellow flowers. Kniphofia, the red hot poker, has striking, colourful blooms and Verbena bonariensis adds purple accents. Scent Jasmine is semi-evergreen and scented too, with white flowers in summer. Akebia, the chocolate vine, looks tropical with its…

Cut down on weeding Choose materials such as slate and chippings to cover areas of bare soil that can quickly turn into weed beds. On planted areas, opt for a heavy duty weed control fabric that can be cut to fit around any planting and cover it with a thick layer of bark chippings to smarten up the space. As well as looking professional, it will save time and effort as it creates an effective barrier to weeds. Go faux You could even take it one step further and choose artificial plants. There are some realistic-looking ones around now that will look fab dotted in among your real plants. Low effort If you don’t have a lot of spare time, you’ll want to get the most out of your space…

Scented plants can really help set the scene. They let you create ambience with blooms in the same way you would use candles and diffusers to evoke a mood in the house. Early mornings and balmy evenings are all the better if you’ve filled your patio pots and flowerbeds with intoxicating fragrance to add to the feel-good factor of being out in the garden. Don’t hide these magical plants away in a corner though. Instead, make them the star of the show. ‘Scented plants help transform a space into something quite wonderful’ They are particularly welcoming positioned near the path leading up to your front door or planted around the entrance so you can enjoy the fragrance every time your pass. Or plant up a windowbox so you can make…

Visitors will be flying in from all over for the chance to stay in this welcoming establishment. The rustic decor provided by the use of natural materials will attract an array of potential residents. They may not leave reviews on Tripadvisor but they will certainly be grateful for the hospitality. What you’ll get in return is some first-class plant pollination. So it’s win-win for all! What you will need MATERIALS • 5ltr can of Cuprinol 5 Year Ducksback wood treatment • 1 rough-sawn wood pallet • 3 flat-head nails • Sandpaper/flexible sanding pad • Selection of natural materials, such as straw, pine cones, hessian, jute, natural dried grasses, cut bamboo etc. • Fine-mesh chicken wire • 8-10 metal pins and screws • Fixing bracket • Staples (DIY, not stationery) EQUIPMENT…

After summer blooms, when most plants have died down, you can truly appreciate what evergreens bring to the party. Bestowing character and structure, they make striking focal points, hide boundaries and create backdrops for plants with winter interest. On a grey day, their leaves stand out with attractive shapes, colours and textures. And the bonus is, most are low maintenance! Full coverage For vertical interest, opt for a climber that turns a bright shade in the cold months. The Virginia creeper (right) will turn a vibrant crimson when the weather cools down. It is self-clinging so will find its way up a wall or pergola with ease. It won’t damage your structures unless it finds its way into loose masonry or gutters. Amazing acers Also known as Japanese maples, these…

This is the perfect project for you to tackle over a weekend while the weather is still a bit on the chilly side. The wooden board will make it easy to mount this on a wall in your kitchen, or a garden fence if you’re using it outside. We’ve used herbs, but you could put in trailing plants to give a living wall effect. What you will need MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT • 20x42cm (8x16.5in) piece of pine/plywood • Tape measure • Set square • Pencil • Junior hacksaw • Sandpaper • Chalk paint • Paintbrush • Wax or varnish (optional) • Glass jars with 10cm (4in) diameter tops • Bradawl • Three wood screws (no longer than the depth of your wood) • Metal hose clips to fit 10cm (4in)…