“A green room in which to lose ourselves”
The brief was to deliver a design that creates a sense of seclusion and enclosure with plants, whilst accomodating the existing garden structure and providing a range of habitats, features and food sources for wildlife.
Clumping bamboo Fargesia robusta 'Campbell' used as a screen on northern boundary
The West-facing garden is 18m x 6m and to minimise disruption I wanted to work with the existing structure of a seating area and a lawn.
The paved seating area at the end was extended by removing the overbearing Leylandii and then planted with an ornamental hawthorn Broad-leaved Cockspur Thorn ‘Prunifolia’, the north border screened with a non-invasive Fargesia robusta bamboo and the seating area sheltered by an Italian Alder with its crown raised.
Sketch of the entire rear garden, showing structural elements
The curved lawn is separated by an existing Fig tree and Irish Yew and is bordered on the south by a small English Lavender hedge, with shady herbaceous borders to the south and a miniature wildlife pond on the sunlit north fence beneath a Star Jasmine.
More dwarfing fruit trees Crabapple ‘Laura’, Damson on Pixy rootstock and an Apple on M9 rootstock are positioned in other aspects so as to maximise westerly and southerly light.
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a UK native, great for pollinators in a well-drained, sunny spot
Throughout the design, there is a push to include wildlife friendly species and habitat, including Fennel, Sweet Cicely, Lungwort, Wild Oregano, Wild Thyme and Wood Betony. And there are Dwarf Comfrey, Rubus and strawberry ground covers, plus a spiky Berberis buxifolia ‘Nana’ for shelter by the pond.
A green ’room‘ of fruit trees, where we can lose ourselves a little and forget we’re in London
Other wildlife features include the wildlife pond, the open compost heap, the green roof on the shed, hedgehog highways and various logpiles.
Sketch of wildlife pond, illustrating different features