Amateur Gardening – 24 August 2019

54 AMATEUR GARDENING 24 AUGUST 2019

Ideas for gorgeous gardens

Get the look

Soften hard landscaping, such as this flight of steps, with

shrubs and pots of flowers. Self-seeded Mexican fleabane

(Erigeron karvinskianus) adds extra interest

Createdifferentlevelstobringvaryingenvironments

tothegarden.Thissunnyspotnearthehouse

combinessquarepaversandstonechippingswith

plantssuchasherbsthataresuitedtodrierconditions

Train Clematis ‘Ville de

Lyon’ over a supporting

structure for a long-

lasting display of

purple-red flowers

colourful foliage that add to the overall
vibrancy of the garden. The combined
effect can be enjoyed from a variety of
seating areas, with a south-facing arbour
clad in honeysuckle and roses providing
the perfect spot to sit and enjoy the
sunshine. Previously, its position was
occupied by a Victorian summer house
that eventually fell apart.

Tough on upkeep
Daphne’s overall goal for the garden
was for it to be low maintenance,
although she says her best laid plans
haven’t quite achieved this.
“At times I wonder if I made a mistake
in creating banks and steps, which are
tricky to keep up, but the garden would
look boring if it was all flat,” she laughs.
“The garden sits in a pocket that gets
frost in the winter and really hot sun,
which means it can suffer during cold
winters and hot summers, but it’s also
quite sheltered.” In recent years, some
of the most difficult areas have been
modified, including a tricky spot made