A perfectly designed terrace

The Results - Butter's Garden

A Perfectly Designed Terrace

I like to make the most of every square inch of my garden, which includes utilising the table tops. I've arranged a number of small pots on our outdoor dining table, which I can see from the kitchen sink.

I've used a mixture of glazed green pots and metal pots here and considered leaf texture and form when choosing which plants to place in them. I've potted up rose-scented geranium cuttings, and then I've placed a large metal urn in the centre of the table, which I've filled with succulents which enjoy soaking up the sun.

My coffee table is also covered in pots, which I simply shift from the table when I am entertaining guests.

Framing a Door with Pots

Placing pots around a door is an easy way to create interest and also accentuate the door. This will also help to build up the view of the house from the bottom of the garden and give you a pretty view to admire.

This area is probably 3 metres wide by 1.5 metres deep, but I've managed to cram a lot of pots into it, including some yew trees that provide symmetry by framing the doorway. I've also used myrtle and sanguisorba here.

Symmetry and Asymmetry

I've got a great example of asymmetry on my terrace where I've placed two large pots with different multi-stemmed shrubs in each. In one I have the winter flowering deciduous Viburnum × bodnantense 'Charles Lamont' which I have underplanted with evergreen ferns, which gives the pot a very natural feel. This pot is happy in a shady spot too, so it's a good combination for a north-facing spot.

Asymmetrically across from this, I have another large terracotta pot containing a multistemmed Osmanthus x burkwoodii. This is an evergreen plant which has highly scented flowers in March and April, so it's a wonderful shrub to have by the back door.

I've underplanted it with mints, ferns and erigeron daisies. I've put little lights in the two large pots as I can see them from my kitchen window and the lights help to bring nature closer to me, which is especially important in winter.

Vertical Interest

As well as multi-stemmed shrubs and small pots, it's also great to have some vertical interest by the back door. I've done this by including a rusty metal support for some delicate climbers.

Materials

When you're working in a small garden, it's important to limit the number of materials that you use otherwise it can very quickly begin to look busy. On my terrace, I have metal furniture and some metal pots, while the other main material is terracotta. The maximum number of materials I'd recommend for a small space is three or four.

Zinnias

In two large vintage metal pots on my terrace, I've mixed together a number of different colour zinnia seeds to create a natural-looking blend when they begin to flower. When flowers are crammed together, I find that a mixture of colours creates a much better flow and a more natural tone.

I direct sowed the zinnia seeds onto raked and weeded soil, lightly covered them with a sprinkling of soil and then watered them once. They then germinated two to three days later.

Zinnias are great flowers to grow as they don't need much attention. What they do like however is a sunny aspect, so make sure to position them in full sun. Despite this, they don't like much water so be careful not to overwater them.

A week or so after your zinnia seeds have germinated, sow another round of seeds so that your zinnias will come in succession. This means that when the first flowers have started to die back, the next lot will begin to bloom.

Making Space for Wildness

Biodiversity is incredibly important in natural spaces, so make space for a wild patch in your garden. I do this under my magnolia tree, where I let nettles and other so-called weeds grow wild. Nettles are crucial for many species of butterflies and moths who lay their eggs or mate on them.

If your nettles start to get bigger and you feel at risk of a sting, simply cut them back and they'll grow again. Young nettle tops are also delicious and nutritious when made into tea, simply wash and then immerse in boiling water, which will remove the sting.

Alongside this, at the bottom of my garden, I also have a log pile and a space where I bag up all the leaf fall from my garden. I add to this, but I never move either of them as I don't want to disturb any creatures that may have made these spaces their home.