54 AmAteurGArDeNING11 MAY 2019

A couplefromLondonhaveundergonesomethingof a gardeningbaptismof fire

sincemovingtoWiltshirebutareenjoyingthechallenge,asSueBradleyexplains

M

ovingoutof Londonand

intoa villagein theWiltshire

countrysidehasbrought

manychangesforCharlie

andToryBarne.Thisincludeslooking

afterjustunderanacreof gardenwith

viewsovertheThamesvalley.

Fortunately,thebonesofa beautiful

gardenwerealreadyin placewhen

thecouplemovedin,includinga small

orchard,a vegetableplot,a long8ft

(2.4m)-deepborder,anestablished

shrubbery,a groupofstructuralbox

ballsanda pairoftunnelssmothered

in roses,leavingthemwiththetaskof

keepingeverythinglookingsmart.

Threeyearson,andwithhelpand

advicefromgreen-fingeredneighbours

in Hannington,nearSwindon,they’ve

quicklylearnedwhat’sneededto

ensuretheircollectionofrosesremains

healthyandflowersfreelythrough

regulardead-heading,occasionalfeeds

andcarefulpruningattheendofthe

summer.Theyalsomakea pointof

mowingthelawnsandclippinghedges

andevergreenstoensurecrispedges.

overtimethey’veevenfoundthe

confidencetostartmakingtheirown

markonsomeoftheborders.

“Wehadolivetreesandfakegrass in

London,sotakingonsomuchspace has

beena steeplearningcurveforus, but

somethingwe’veenjoyed,eventhough

wewerea bitnaïveastohowmuch

effortandtimeit wouldtake,”says Tory.

“Everybodywhocomeshereover

thesummerfallsin lovewithourrose

tunnels.Thesearecreatedfroma series

ofmetalarchesplantedwitha selection

ofclimbingandramblerrosesand

trainedpeartrees.

Brightena shrubberybychoosingplantswith

yellowleaves,suchasCotinuscoggygria

Ideas for gorgeous gardens

Get lookthe

A rose-tunnel garden

“Wehad olive

treesandfake

grassinLondon!”

Team a dark-pink climbing

rose with Alchemilla mollis

for a sumptuous colour

combination

Photographs by Peter Chatterton