Garden Goddess - Tanwen's Garden: Project Diary

Design Brief:

No formal or written brief was provided for the design, however I can provide some quotes from the client which illustrate what he hoped the design would achieve.

" So what did I want from a garden? Well as I say, somewhere where I could relax, reasonably low maintenance, and colour all year round. I certainly didn't want a large area of grass to mow. Meandering paths was my vision, where you could walk through the garden and see something different at each turn. I love water features, and wanted something different and unusual. I also wanted something oriental in style, as I'm a big fan of Japanese gardens (I could have spent hours in the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, during my holiday to San Francisco a few years ago), and maybe that was where some of my inspiration was coming from...

I adore Acers, I think they are amazing trees, along with the various Japanese Maples and Cherries. So a design that incorporated those was a must.

I also wanted the garden lit in some fashion, maybe highlighting certain plants or the water feature perhaps.

Although living on my own, I could potentially have young nephews visiting, so as much as possible the garden had to be reasonably safe, though you can never make anything 100% safe. This meant no areas of water or sharp edged plants.

Finally, I wanted to bring wildlife to the garden, to create, if you like, its own eco-system.

A garden to escape the stresses of life was the aim, with the sound of splashing water and maybe the odd wind chime or two...but where to begin...time to call The Garden Goddess."

About the Design:

Theme:
Key points of the design brief were ‘low maintenance’ and ‘year round interest’. The client had some clear ideas on the plants he liked, and so I was left to concoct a low-maintenance garden that would include something to look at for twelve months of the year. A tall order! Other points to consider were the fact that children would be using the garden on occasion, and that I would have to incorporate a stone monolith water feature…

After much thought, inspiration finally struck and the result is a fairly ‘clean’ design, with a touch of modernity afforded by the inclusion of a lawn path – which form a bird’s eye view looks very much like a green man safeguarding the house. This path, meandering as it is, divides the garden into separate areas which are linked by common elements.

The water feature nestles in the shade provided by an existing tree, this area of the garden is cool and lush, with a blend of hostas and ferns, under-planted with a selection of bulbs to provide spring colour.

This versant tapestry is echoed at the opposite end of the garden, where a mound-forming Acer palmatum (var. dissectum‘Crimson Queen’) provides a centrepiece of colour, enhanced and emphasised by the surrounding ground-cover plants which are predominantly dark green. The vibrant colours of the Acer are picked up by the Lycoris radiata (Red Spider Lily) which will grow up through the other plants to add a slight seasonal variation in height as well as colour.

Two trees, chosen for their bark and foliage, stand either side of a bench in a sea of gravel, the whole of that area being a tranquil rockery. Large rocks are grouped around, with alpines planted both between the stones and directly into the gravel. This area of the garden affords a peaceful place from which to view the rest of the garden.

Opposite, along the other border of the garden, are large clumps of bamboo in front of which lies another bench. Again, this area is covered in gravel, providing a cool contrast to the other parts of the garden.

The final area in the garden is what’s loosely described as ‘the herb bed’ – although it may become home to other things as time goes by. Being situated directly off the patio, it’s an ideal site for growing herbs and vegetables as, whatever the weather, it’s just a few steps from the back door. The planting for this bed was left undefined so that the client might personally select herbs which they would be likely to use. There is also ample room to grow vegetables such as shallots, carrots, tomatoes and beans.

Inspiration:
Hmm, tough one that. There are so many different elements of the garden, and each has its own reasoning. I suspect a lot of people will ask about the lawn path – it is an unusual feature, but I think it will work very well. The lawn is such an integral part of the archetypal English garden, but they’re not low maintenance so I wanted to find some way to include some lawn, but not have it dominate all the time spent out there. Parts of the garden are almost a complete reversal of the norm, with gravel forming the beds, whilst the grass is confined to the path – it makes the garden a little kooky, and very unique. The grass will still have to be cut, but running a mower along the meandering curves should be more of a pleasure than a chore. Other materials which I considered using are artificial turf, and lawn chamomile.

Particular plants:
Why did I choose certain plants for use in this garden? Was the planting a random act or was there method behind the madness?... I have listed below some of the key plants used in the design.

Prunus serrula (Tibetan Cherry) – It is, without question, the bark of this tree that makes it such a stunning addition to any garden. I wanted to bring some height into the garden, and naturally a tree was the next logical step. Positioned as it is beside one of the benches, this specimen will be an eye-catching element of the garden whatever the season.

Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’ (Purple Plum) – Another tree intended to add height to the garden, but this time it’s the foliage rather than the bark which is the focal point. The new growth is bronze, which gradually darkens to (as the name suggests) a deep purple.

Polygonatum x hybridum (Solomon’s Seal) – A subtle part of the planting scheme, I chose this plant for two reasons: the foliage, and the flowers. Dotted amongst the ferns and hosts, the upright, arching stems of this plant add variety, whilst the beautiful pendulous flowers, so reminiscent of seals, will add interest in late spring and early summer.

Lycoris radiata (Red Spider Lily) – It’s the exotic looking flowers of L. radiata that caused me to choose it. Born on tall, slender stalks, the red flowers will rise above the dark greens of the other planting in this area of the garden and complement the foliage of the Acer.

Pachysandra terminalis (Japanese Spurge) – a basic description of this plant would be ‘dark green foliage, small white flowers, infinite spread.’ As this is a low maintenance garden, P. terminalis is an ideal choice for ground-cover as it will help to suppress weed growth, as well as provide a dark foil to the brighter colours around it. P. terminalis is also used in Japanese-style gardens, and as Tanwen’s Garden has turned out to be a bit of a blend of the East and West, this plant seemed more than apt.

Ophiopogon japonicus (Mondo Grass) – Many people are familiar with this plant’s black-leaved relative, O. planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’, which has been in vogue for a few years now. O. japonicus has the same thing, strap-like foliage, but the leaf colour is a dark green – far more fitting for this garden. This plant was chosen to provide variation in texture within the planting, and should do so nicely beside the Pachysandra terminalis.

Project Diary:

Day One (Saturday 31/07/2004):
Having arrived at the client’s house the previous night, we were primed to start on the garden this morning. However, the day got off to a slow start as the turf cutter was due to be delivered, and we were waiting for an electrician to install an outdoor power point (from which to run the fountain, a lawnmower and possible some exterior lights). As such, the morning was spent surveying the site, learning how to use the turf cutter when it was delivered, and making plans for the rest of the week. In the afternoon we visited a couple of garden centres, as well as the local B&Q in order to look at some plants and purchase a lawnmower and some additional bits and pieces. Whilst out, an idea occurred to me – instead of a regular trellis (to be used to add vertical interest, and also to help provide privacy from the overlooking houses), why not build our own out of bamboo? It would be very attractive, and tie in with the slightly eastern influence of the garden.

Day Two (Sunday 01/08/2004):
I started the day marking out the design with marking paint, then we get stuck in with the turf cutter. After a few teething problems, due to the fact that we were not warned that tipping the machine even slightly would cause the engine to flood, I got the first section cut out and then handed the cutter over to the client to carry on whilst I used some of the freshly lifted turves to complete one of the paths. The cutting and lifting of the turf continued for the rest of the day, which turned out to be a long and wearying process – yet strangely satisfying. The day ended with the client beginning to lay some of the weed-suppressing fabric along the path edges.

Day Three (Monday 02/08/2004):
Tidied up the path edges by hand (lifting recalcitrant bits of turf that we missed with the turf cutter), dug holes for the trellis posts and went to look at/order aggregate from a local builders merchants.

Day Four (Tuesday 03/08/2004):
The skip and the tonne of sand we ordered arrived later than expected, so hefted concrete like a maniac once the skip did arrive whilst the client finished off laying the weed suppressing fabric, then we shifted the rest of the old patio concrete and then struggled with the turves - which were, contrary to expectation, heavier than concrete. The skip was filled before we were finished, so ordering another one became a priority in order to dispose of the rest of the turves. Headed off to Bridgemere to purchase the majority of the plants – showing the client the wide variety of plants on offer was great fun, and hopefully the enthusiasm he showed is a sign that another gardener has been born!

Day Five (Wednesday 04/08/2004):
Sawed the trellis posts (2.5 inch diameter bamboo canes) to size and then concreted them in. Then started to clear the rest of the turves into the fresh skip that was delivered refreshingly early. Water feature proving to be a real conundrum as the metal grid reservoir lid purchased with it is not strong enough to take the weight of the fountain itself.

Day Six (Thursday 05/08/2004):
Up bright and early and rescued a baby bird that had tried to wander into the kitchen. Popped him atop a fence post and his mother escorted him home. Very cute. Placed the rocks in the alpine area and prepared the area for planting. Planted the top area of the garden (Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Crimson Queen', Pachysandra terminalis, Ophiopogon japonicus and Lycoris radiata). Also planted a selection of hostas and ferns. Solved the fountain problem - I am nothing if not a genius… The client had a metal mesh wastepaper basket in the lounge… emphasis on the past tense there. It turned out that the bin, once inverted (and with holes drilled in for the pipe and cable) made a very satisfactory support for the fountain. The bamboo trellis was finished off today, and very beautiful it looks too.

Day Seven (Friday 06/08/2004):
Technically the last day of the project, but as the week has drawn on I suspected it would run into tomorrow. Four tonnes of aggregate, together with the patio stones, arrived first thing in the morning. Shovelled 2 tonnes of aggregate into position today, with the rest having to wait until more of the planting has been completed. Planted more hostas, ferns, bamboo and bulbs, leaving those directly around the fountain for the client to do after he had finished covering the fountain reservoir grid with cobbles. At the end of a very long week, the client finished off the day by sowing grass seed onto the shabbier looking patches of the lawn path.

Day Eight (Saturday 07/08/2004):
Having run over the time calculated for the project, and with the main task of the day being the laying of patio (which was not originally part of the project – we had intended to lay it as an extra project if we had time, however the garden did look rather unfinished without it) I took on the role of overseer as my partner and the client tackled the work. The work on the patio wasn’t completed until early evening, so unfortunately we had to leave it at that. However, the rest of the aggregate was laid (with the exception of that around the edge of the herb bed and patio) and the climbers were planted alongside the trellis. Am slightly annoyed with myself that we didn't get everything finished, however the client was happy to finish off the remaining tasks after I left.

Post-Project Thoughts:

The Designer:
The garden looks fantastic, no doubts about that – it’s translated very well from being a design on paper to being a three-dimensional work of art. Do I have any regrets? The main one is that, because of problems with my schedule, we moved the project up a week when, in retrospect, I should have pushed it back instead. However, in my defence, if we had pushed the project back to fit in with both my schedule and that of my client then it wouldn’t have been possible until mid to late September, and knowing how fickle the English weather can be I opted to push it forwards instead. This left me in the awkward position of asking the client if he would be able to help source the plants and materials, which under normal circumstances would be unthinkable. I owe a debt of gratitude to the client for being so helpful and understanding. If there had been an extra week to prepare, then I would have been able to source all the plants and probably arranged to have them delivered to the site, which would have made life much easier all around. Likewise the materials, some extra preparation time would have meant that the aggregate (if not the patio stones) would also have been ordered in advance.

In other words, I was slightly unorganised; but, it has to be said, that the design itself worked exceedingly well – I wouldn’t change any of it. The various elements of the garden blend together seamlessly, providing a tranquil haven in which to hide from the rest of the world.

The Client:
During the design phase, I was kept informed on a regular basis on the progress of the design, along with several online and face to face meetings to discuss planting and landscaping ideas.

This was made tricky by me not being able to make accurate measurements of the garden initially and also forgetting to pass on accurate information with regards to the patio and forgetting to mention the path down the side of the house.

Thus the design was adjusted on several occasions. It also didn't help when I had to continually change the budget available due to the moving costs to Warrington escalating beyond what I was expecting.

During the weeks immediately prior to the start of the project, I was asked to research suppliers with regards to plant availability and landscaping products. This is something which a client would not normally be asked to do, as this project was not only based outside of her normal work area, but also because I am a friend of hers, and thus was quite happy to do the research work.

This proved extremely difficult, as I've only just moved to this area, so had to start from scratch, which is why this process was still ongoing after the start of the project. This meant that I was not available for much of the week to assist with the work. Initially the timescales had been calculated based on two people working, which ended up not being the case.

As for planning during the project. For the most part, the schedule was kept to during the week. The only stumbling points, were the unexpected requirements for an additional skip, problems in finding topsoil, the fact that I was still locating materials and the arrivals of aggregate being later in the day on Friday than expected. It must be noted that the patio was additional to the original design and was therefore not planned to be completed by Friday.

I found The Garden Goddess to be extremely knowledgeable in all aspects regarding plants and how they complement each other. She was very approachable in all meetings and during the project itself. In my opinion, the fact that the garden was not totally completed by the end of the week, was down to circumstances which could not have been foreseen, and the fact the project was based away from her normal catchment area, and in no way reflected on The Garden Goddess who put in work well in excess than was expected.

If you live within her catchment area in London, I would thoroughly recommend her for any garden work, both large and small.


Final Design Sketch (with plant names)