The Daily Telegraph Garden

By Gabriella Pape and Isabelle Van Groeningen. This sunken garden is inspired by Karl Foerster's original garden in Potsdam-Bornim, Germany.

The planting in this sunken garden reflects this continental approach. Planting according to colour, shape and texture is combined with plant requirements; gardening with both heart and mind.

The garden includes three main herbaceous planting styles, including traditional herbaceous borders, drift planting and mingled matrix planting. Plants have been selected to reflect the habitat they grow in, including moisture-loving, drought- and shade-tolerant plants. The range of habitats and diverse plant selection, provide different habitats and food sources for insects, small mammals, amphibians and birds.

The narrow borders, based on more traditional English herbaceous border planting with strong German elements, include delphiniums - a favourite of Karl Foerster - campanulas and a variety of blue, white, silver and soft yellow flowers. The main bed is planted in a fused matrix, with dark blue and purple salvias such as S. nemerosa 'Ostfriesland' with orange Geum 'Prinses Juliana' and G. 'Fire Opal' and poppies.

Surrounding the pond are moisture-loving plants such as Rodgersia, Iris sibirica and hostas. The back of the garden is shaded by large plance trees and a Japanese maple. Here shade-tolerant herbaceous plants such as Aruncus, Solomon's seal, hostas and geraniums provide sumptuous foliage and flowers planted in drifts. An upper-level path is a carpet of sedums, Umbeliferae and Stipa tenuissima.

Plant list (click on any of the green links for more information):

Achillea millefolium 'Hella Glashof'
Alchemilla mollis
Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation'
Anthemis tinctoria 'Sauce Hollandaise'
Aquilegia chrysantha 'Yellow Queen'
Artemisia 'Powis Castle'
Aruncus dioicus 'Zweiweltenkind'
Astrantia 'Shaggy'
Bergenia 'Schneekoenigin'
Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foester'
Campanula carpatica 'Silberschale'
Campanula carpatica var. turbinata 'Foerster'
Campanula latifolia macrantha
Campanula latifolia macrantha 'Alba'
Centranthus ruber 'Alba'
Cimicifuga simplex Atropurpurea group 'Brunette'
Delphinium 'Berghimmel'
Delphinium 'Blaustrahl'
Delphinium 'Blauwal'
Delphinium 'Fruehschein'
Delphinium 'Gletshcerwasser'
Delphinium 'Morgenduft'
Delphinium 'Morgentau'
Delphinium 'Ouvertuere'
Delphinium 'Polarfuchs'
Delphinium 'Tempelgong'
Deschampsia caespitosa
Dianthus 'Mrs Sinkins'
Digitalis purpurea 'Alba'
Erigeron 'Dunkelste Aller'
Erigeron 'Sommerneuschnee'
Euphorbia palustris
Geranium magnificum
Geranium pratense 'Mrs Kendal Clark'
Geranium sylvaticum 'Album'
Geranium sylvaticum 'Mayflower'
Geum 'Fire Opal'
Geum 'Princess Juliana'
Hakonechloa macra
Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'
Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus
Hemerocallis 'Maikoenigin'
Hosta 'Krossa 'Regal'
Hosta lancifolia
Hosta 'Royal standard'
Hosta 'Sum & Substance'
Hosta 'Halcyon'
Iris sibirica 'Tropic Night'
Miscanthus sinensis 'Emanuel Lepage'
Nepeta 'Walker's Low'
Omphalodes verna
Paeonia 'Duchesse de Nemours'
Papaver orientale 'Marcus Perry'
Persicaria polymorpha
Polygonatum hybridum 'Weihenstephan'
Rodgersia 'Chocolate'
Rodgersia 'Herkules'
Rosa 'Bobby James'
Salvia nemorosa cvs
Salvia x sylvestris 'Mainacht'
Stachys bysanthinum
Stipa barbata
Veronica austriaca var. teucrium 'Knallblau'
Veronica gentianoides 'Robusta'
Veronicastrum virginicum 'Album'
Wisteria