Garden projects are fun!
Projects vary and often offer the opportunity to work - in a synergy - with the garden owner.
In the above instance of work in progress, we had a 2m (square) area with a tree (Sycamore 'Brilliantissimum') eccentrically placed within it. The tree was originally surrounded by rather stiff-looking Honeysuckle hedging plants. As these didn't look very ornamental, we dug them out to expose an area of bare soil. The owner wanted to create a 'spare' Japanese feel to the space and so we decided to lay - upon landscaping fabric - a circular single layer of brown/blue/grey cobble stones (which are larger than pebbles) across the centre of the space. This was complementary in tone to the pink of the house drive. We then laid (not seen in above image) an outer, narrower, circle of grey slate chippings around the circle of cobbles. This colour was tonally in keeping with both the cobbles and the pink of the path. And, finally, we will place black/grey-painted round pots - taking up the curves of the stones - at the corners of the square. We haven't decided quite what to plant in them yet, but the black-leaved perennial Ophiopogon may well contribute a final oriental touch. Or else - equally - the very decorative (and unusual) dwarf conifer: Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Kosteri.' |
We felt that it wouldn't work to plant floppy plants, like hardy Geraniums, in the soil at the corners/edges of the spaces. We wanted low-growing plants with a discrete and flattened foliage structure, e.g. Saxifrage and Pachysandra - which wouldn't blow about in the wind! We thought evergreen plants would be best for this purpose.
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