By Buckinghamshire based garden designer Ruth Marshall. This garden in central Holloway is a truly tiny space, and needed to utilise that staple of London terraces - the narrow side return.
The client wanted to capture some of the spirit of the Spanish
Hacienda gardens. Visible from the kitchen windows and from above, the height
of the walls were used to utilise every possible centimeter for
planting and still allow space for informal dining outside. The
strong colours are typical of the spanish style and the blue insets
in the terracotta tiles pick up the theme.
The plants used here (from left to right) include: Lush day lillies (e.g. Daylily 'Pink Damask') and white love-lies-bleeding (Dicentra spectabilis alba) to the rear; Phormium tenax autropurureum (behind the rear pots); Hostas (e.g. Hosta undulata var. undulata); Fatsia japonica (in the more shady right hand side). The pillars have climbing clematis (e.g. Clematis 'Jackmanii') and the lime green golden hop (Humulus lupulus) yet to make their appearance.
This photo shows the extension of the lush planting and the addition of
a specimen acer tree (Acer palmatum
dissectum) which adds elegance, a layered effect effect in the
small space and provides a focal point from the kitchen doors which
are to the left of this image. Other planting includes (from the
left):Glossy Pittosporum
tobira, which has a wonderful scent; Variegated weigela
(Weigela florida
'Variegata'); The lower green foliage to the right is Lenten
rose (Helleborus
orientalis)
At night the lights twinkle inside the arches providing a romantic and exotic light.
Other gardens by this designer