A wild city garden - part 1

A Wild City Garden - Part 1

It's May in my garden and the wildflower meadow is in full bloom. My meadow was created using wildflower turf, which is simply rolled out across the garden with very little preparation needed. Wildflowers thrive in poor soil, so don't add any extra nutrients or the grass will take over and suffocate the wildflowers.

The Plant Levels

Different planting levels are key to providing interest and excitement in any garden. In May, my magnolia tree is just about to come into bloom, and like the wildflower meadow, the flowers are great for pollinators.

Next, come the shrubs, including the clipped yew shapes and the slightly smaller hydrangeas. These shrubs are the backbone of the garden and mean that the plants and foliage in between can be tangled and messy because they are abutted by this solid structure.

The hydrangeas cope well with both the sunny and shady sides of the garden, which makes them a great shrub for those of us who have both sunny and shady spots in our space.

Above the shrubs, I have a garden centre trellis on top of the walls on both sides of my garden, through which I am encouraging climbing roses. These bring height to the garden and lead the eye upwards.

Shady Plants

• Japanese anemones
• Tellima grandiflora
• Polygonatum
• Alchemilla mollis
• Acanthus mollis

Climbing Roses

• Climbing rose 'Generous gardener'
• Climbing rose 'Madame Alfred Carriere'
• Climbing rose 'Blairii Number Two'

Below the shrubs and perennials is where you can find the shade-loving plants that cope well with or actively enjoy a shady environment.

Sun Loving Plants

• Geum 'Totally tangerine'
• Geranium 'Nodosum'

Because of the different aspects of the two borders, it would be impossible to grow the same plants on both sides. The shrubs and clipped shapes help to create unity throughout and bind the whole garden together.

A Light Reminder

To produce more drama, particularly in the dark winter months, each of the clipped pyramids is lit from the base with a spike light. The trees and the larger pots are also lit, but take care not to light everything in your garden as you want to aim for a subtle and romantic atmosphere, not a music festival.

Views Up and Down the Garden

When you begin the design process, remember to consider the views up and down the garden - so the view from the house to the bottom of the garden and the view from the end of the garden towards the house. This is the view you'll be looking at on a daily basis, so it's important to get it right and have something of interest at the very back of your garden.

This can be anything from a bench to a water feature to a large pot with a multi-stemmed shrub in it. Whatever works for you and your space.