Amateur Gardening – 20 July 2019

Increase habitats for wildlife by making

log piles from felled trees. Leaves and

garden refuse make it an even more

hospitable place

Owner:

David and Jo

Mottershead

Address:

Cheriton, 34

Congleton

Road, Alderley

Edge, Cheshire SK9 7AB

Garden size:

Approximately one acre

Month visited:May

Aspect:South-west facing

Soil:Heavy clay over sand, acid pH

Special features:Mature

rhododendron, magnolia and

free-standing wisteria with

herbaceous plants and specimen

trees. Unusual water channel

leading to a large pond.

20 JULY 2019AMATEUR GARDENING 53

Dare to be different: this water channel meanders around

already existing trees carrying water from a well. It is lined

with Indian black stone and dark granite and populated

with sculptures of children at play

Set sculptures among shrubs to provide

a natural-looking surround. This lifelike

owl is carved from a large log

Meet the gardeners

Use blocks of plants to accentuate a water

channel: here, geranium and Hakonechloa

macra provide layers of colour

Shaped branches
create a focal point

• this piece stands
  on epimedium
  under a pair of
  mature acers

Bluebells contrast beautifully with the

double late red blooms of the ‘Crown

Princess Mary’ tulip

Plant the peony-flowered tulip

‘Danceline’ for long-lasting and beautiful

pink-speckled, green-white blooms

atop healthy green leaves