May 23rd, 2015
Massive progress in the Magic Garden the last couple of weeks. Lots of the seedlings we brought on in the poly-tunnel are ready to plant out and with lots of manure to dig into our beds and plenty of volunteer help we’ve been getting them in the ground.
Elsewhere I’ve been enjoying the season and all that it brings both in the outside world and the gardens I tend. Cow parsley season always makes me happy, and this combination of Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Ravenswing’ – posh cow parsley with dark purple-black foliage planted in a Fiveways garden a couple of years ago – and self seeded forget-me-not is one I’ve been enjoying.
I love contrasting foliage, particularly in a shady spot where flowering plants struggle. The newly emerging heart shaped, red edged leaves of Epimedium rubra in particular has been getting me all a-flutter. Here on it’s own and combined with Helleborus x hybridus withand more cow parsley. There is some Dryopteris affinis fern just out of shot too.
15th May 2015
A couple of pictures of a very nearly finished recent design and build project. A very small, steeply sloped garden in Hove held lots of challenges for so small a space, but we have managed to achieve the clean lines and light, Mediterranean feel we were aiming for in the end. Here are some before shots:
And After:
Travertine tiles edged in marble mosaic tiles give a really warm feeling to the space, and climbers will soon cover the archway seat.