10 AUGUST 2019 AMATEURGARDENING 53
Auniqueblendingof EastandWestmakesthemostof thesmallspacesbehind
andin frontof a recentlybuilthomenearBridportin Dorset,saysSueBradley
E
ASTandWesthavebeen
broughttogethertoturna
‘squashcourt’intoa tranquil
courtyardgarden.
JapanandItalycollidewithinthe
smallspacebehindSarahPorterand
MartynLock’sDorsethome,combining
boldlines,a limitedselectionof hard
landscapingmaterialsandrestricted
paletteof colours,withboxclipped
intoneatgeometricshapes providing
ahintof formality.
Stark18ft(5½m)retainingwalls
surroundingthebackgardenhave
been softened by climbers such as ivy,
clematis,evergreenjasmineand
wisteria,withonesection housing a
narrowwaterfeature.
Elsewhere,a largeoiltankis screened
fromviewbyfencinganda shed,bothof
which are painted black to merge into the
backgroundandcomplementthetimbers
laidbetweensectionsof stonechippings
thatcontributeto theoverallstructure
andmakethechanges in levels look
more subtle.
Linkingthemes
Severalof theideasfromtheback
gardenfollowthroughtothesmallarea
aroundthefrontof thecouple’ssemi-
detachedhome,includingtheuseof
boxtoestablisha senseof formalityand
morechippingsfora low-maintenance
groundcovering.Bothgardensfeature
black-edged rectangular flower beds,
Seekattractivesmalltreestodrawtheeyeupwards.
Thepink,creamandgreenfoliageofhisflamingo
willow(Salix integra) ‘Hakuro Nishiki’ is a winner
Ideas for gorgeous gardens
Get the look
A courtyard ‘fusion’ garden
“Itlookedlikea
squashcourt–a lot
of wall and patio”
Photographs by Peter Chatterton