Amateur Gardening – 29 June 2019

These Buddha

representations

bring a spiritual

sense to

Jacqueline’s plot

52 AmAteur GArDeNING 29 JUNE 2019

Site a table and chairs in the garden for alfresco meals.

The fence protects some of Jacqueline’s plants from

her dog. Choosing a dark shade enables structures

to disappear into the background

Ideas for gorgeous gardens

Get lookthe

Enjoy the beautiful pink-edged rosettes of Sedum

spathulifolium ‘Purpureum’, which is a great

choice for growing in rock with holes in it

Repurpose objects to add extra interest:

this ladder from a narrowboat makes

an excellent stand for pots of pinks

Saxifraga x arendsii is

ideal for rock gardens

Create an illusion of extra space by

placing a mirror on a wall to reflect the

garden beyond, but be mindful of birds

when installing this kind of feature

river running into the sea, using small
pieces of blue slate to represent the
water and large pieces of rock for
mountains. Round pavers within the
‘river’ are used as stepping stones.
Meanwhile, statues of a crane and
a tortoise take a tip from the famous
Kochiin Temple garden in Kyoto, Japan.
“This is very much an interpretation
of a Japanese garden,” explains
Jacqueline, whose interest in
horticulture dates back to her years at
the Birmingham Parks Department.

Adopting a Japanese theme
“I’ve included a lot of plants that come
from Japan or China, including acers,
magnolias, camellias and bamboos,”
she says. We were inspired to adopt a
Japanese theme after visiting Birmingham
Botanic Gardens. We also went to the
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, in Surrey, to
look at the Japanese gardens there.
“We decided to pave the garden
because I have a dog and was keen to
avoid muddy footprints in the house. We
stripped the garden and put down weed
control before laying the paving and
filling the raised beds.
“Along with the garden, I have an
allotment further up the road for growing
vegetables, so I spend a lot of time with
plants in one way or another.”
Come the evenings, solar lights
dotted around the garden cast a gentle
glow over the plot. “The garden is my
sanctuary,” says Jacqueline, who works
as a cleaner. “It’s full of colour throughout
the year and very private. Gardening has
always been a big part of my life.”