Forest garden practicality & loose Georgian elegance
Set on a gently sloping, West-facing rear garden, Georgian presents a real opportunity to showcase native wild flowers and forest garden plants in an almost formal setting. The garden can be divided into four areas: the well-defined ‘Sunbowl’ of tapered vegetation forming a natural amphitheatre, the curved perennial vegetable beds to the West defined by the existing path, the orchard along the North boundary and the woodland fire pit to the East.
![CAD plan showing whole garden](https://res.cloudinary.com/growdigital/image/upload/f_auto,q_70,w_736/v1632142088/georgian/penparcau-cad-1.25-whole.png)
Complete CAD plan
The Sunbowl provides a natural suntrap, a place to demonstrate the diversity and crossover of native and forest garden plants, and also a way of providing discreet access across the garden, through the semi-circular beds.
![CAD plan showing circular beds](https://res.cloudinary.com/growdigital/image/upload/f_auto,q_70,w_736/v1631823816/georgian/penparcau-sunbowl-cad-169.png)
Detail of CAD design showing ‘Sunbowl’ planting plan
The suggested planting plan for the Sunbowl beds are a mix of deciduous and semi-evergreen shrubs, from the petite Aronia x prunifolia ‘Viking’ to the statuesque Saskatoon and Guelder Rose at the back, mixing in native Dogwood and Privet along the way.
![Spikey Globe Artichoke flower](https://res.cloudinary.com/growdigital/image/upload/f_auto,q_70,w_736/v1627423424/georgian/artichoke-rob-downes.jpg)
Globe Artichoke (Cynara scolymus) is gorgeously architectural and edimental
The second bed contains the architectural Globe Artichoke at the back, flanked by Meadowsweet and Ox-eye Daisy, with a bank of Knapweed and Ice Plant sedum tapering down to Sweet Cicely, Yarrow and Lamb’s Ear.
The third and lowest bed is home to English Lavender, a carpet of Maiden Pink and possibly Sea Holly.
A forest garden can readily incorporate ornamental elements that echo and complement the surroundings
There are half a dozen established apple trees in the rest of the garden, supplemented by Asian Pear, Apple Serviceberry, Medlar and Autumn Olive.
![White Medlar blossom and dark green leaves](https://res.cloudinary.com/growdigital/image/upload/f_auto,q_70,w_736/v1632144610/medlar-blossom-998951-crop.jpg)
The quietly ornamental Medlar (Mespilus germanica), with beautiful blossom & glossy green leaves
Across the mini-windbreak row of various currants and into the curved beds of the perennial veg area, low evergreen ground cover of Nepalese Raspberry and Taiwanese Bramble allow a variety of perennial vegetables to grow through, whilst suppressing weeds.
To the East of the garden, sheltered from the prevailing westerlies by the Sunbowl shrubs, there is a woodland area planted up around the existing circular firepit.