The walled garden, sheltered partly by the ancient town wall, offers full sun to deep shade. The owners have embraced the microclimates within the garden creating a magical passage from the open sun with grass and hydrangeas into the cool woodland shade with ferns hosta and Bamboo!

Thankfully the owners have welcomed my trainee apprentice gardener—Georgina Morris from https://hortus-vitae-gardening.co.uk/ who is studying to be a garden designer with the RHS. Georgina loves this garden as it is certainly fertile ground for the imagination. 

All seasoned gardeners will remind you that “the garden is always in a state of transition.”

Wisely understood, the owners asked me to help with this transition. Adopting a refresh and renewal maintenance plan, re-pruning to promote young growth while keeping intact the established magic of the garden.

Rethinking and redesigning some areas as they have matured and now offer a different microclimate for exciting planting.

Benefits of good composting 

I particularly admire the owner’s resourceful organic approach to composting and mulching the beds, nothing wasted, feeding the beds and promoting mycorrhizal activity in the soil.

The benefits of this reflective practice are most evident in the health and vigour of the planting.