Monday, 21 December 2009
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Victorian Front Garden Design
I get a lot of hits on my Web site from people searching for information on Victorian front gardens. So here are some thoughts on designing a Victorian front garden.
At first sight it looks simple. The spaces are mostly small and so the formula is the same every time isn’t it? Well, on the surface, yes, but each garden is different. No matter how small the garden there’s always room for error and in small spaces precision is particularly important. Even the smallest garden can have strange quirks that don’t become apparent until you’ve carefully measured and drawn them up. It doesn’t matter if the garden is only a few square metres I always do a plan.
The front garden gives a vital first impression of the rest of the house; the detail and quality of the finishes are exposed to extra scrutiny because the garden is on constant public display. Particular attention is needed to get the important features, such as the tiled pathway, railings and gate absolutely right.
Laying a Victorian tiled pathway is not the same as laying normal paving slabs. You must source the tiles from a good quality supplier and get a specialist to lay them – there are contractors who specialize in laying Victorian mosaic tiles. The pathway is an important part of recreating the authentic Victorian look, so choose your pattern with care. Don’t copy exactly other gardens in your street; a little individuality will differentiate your house from its neighbours. Choose a different colour scheme or pattern and your house will stand out from the rest whilst still adhering to the Victorian aesthetic.
The railings are usually the most expensive part of the garden. If you can’t afford cast iron you can compromise and have the railings (bars) made up in mild steel, but source a really unusual finial (head) from the extensive catalogue at James Hoyle - they also have a massive range of urns which can be used on intermediate posts or gate posts. There are loads of companies who will weld and assemble and install the railings once you’ve chosen your bars, heads and urns.
Most Victorian houses only have enough space in their front gardens for a couple of pots and a standard tree. If you have a larger front garden and are going to include a bit more planting then keep it simple, for example, clipped topiary, box edging, standard evergreen trees, Lavender and Santolina for an easily maintained classic look. Don’t confuse the smart Victorian town house front garden with the Victorian cottage garden.
If you are re-building perimeter walls remember they are supporting your gorgeous new bespoke railings and shoddy brickwork and cheap bricks will ruin the finished garden. So, get a good contractor who can show you a portfolio of projects including brick walls and choose a good quality brick that matches the house brick. It is not necessary to go to the expense of using re-claimed bricks, although they do look fabulous, there are some really good copies – get a sample and look at it next to the house brick in daylight. The ratio of walls to railings that I think works best is around one third wall to two thirds railings – so, if your wall is 45cm high the railings should be 90cm high. Just scale this up or down if you want a higher finished height, although be careful not to make the walls and railings too high in a small garden or it will look out of scale with the house.
If the York stone threshold is being replaced it’s worth the extra expense of sourcing a piece of reclaimed York stone – it’s the small details like this that will really make the finished garden. The paving used for the rest of the garden is a matter of personal choice, but I’ve found that a dark slab such a black Slate, black Limestone, or black Basalt works best.
I will be completing the construction of another Victorian front garden in Chiswick, London early next year, so keep an eye on my Web site for the pictures.
At first sight it looks simple. The spaces are mostly small and so the formula is the same every time isn’t it? Well, on the surface, yes, but each garden is different. No matter how small the garden there’s always room for error and in small spaces precision is particularly important. Even the smallest garden can have strange quirks that don’t become apparent until you’ve carefully measured and drawn them up. It doesn’t matter if the garden is only a few square metres I always do a plan.
The front garden gives a vital first impression of the rest of the house; the detail and quality of the finishes are exposed to extra scrutiny because the garden is on constant public display. Particular attention is needed to get the important features, such as the tiled pathway, railings and gate absolutely right.
Laying a Victorian tiled pathway is not the same as laying normal paving slabs. You must source the tiles from a good quality supplier and get a specialist to lay them – there are contractors who specialize in laying Victorian mosaic tiles. The pathway is an important part of recreating the authentic Victorian look, so choose your pattern with care. Don’t copy exactly other gardens in your street; a little individuality will differentiate your house from its neighbours. Choose a different colour scheme or pattern and your house will stand out from the rest whilst still adhering to the Victorian aesthetic.
The railings are usually the most expensive part of the garden. If you can’t afford cast iron you can compromise and have the railings (bars) made up in mild steel, but source a really unusual finial (head) from the extensive catalogue at James Hoyle - they also have a massive range of urns which can be used on intermediate posts or gate posts. There are loads of companies who will weld and assemble and install the railings once you’ve chosen your bars, heads and urns.
Most Victorian houses only have enough space in their front gardens for a couple of pots and a standard tree. If you have a larger front garden and are going to include a bit more planting then keep it simple, for example, clipped topiary, box edging, standard evergreen trees, Lavender and Santolina for an easily maintained classic look. Don’t confuse the smart Victorian town house front garden with the Victorian cottage garden.
If you are re-building perimeter walls remember they are supporting your gorgeous new bespoke railings and shoddy brickwork and cheap bricks will ruin the finished garden. So, get a good contractor who can show you a portfolio of projects including brick walls and choose a good quality brick that matches the house brick. It is not necessary to go to the expense of using re-claimed bricks, although they do look fabulous, there are some really good copies – get a sample and look at it next to the house brick in daylight. The ratio of walls to railings that I think works best is around one third wall to two thirds railings – so, if your wall is 45cm high the railings should be 90cm high. Just scale this up or down if you want a higher finished height, although be careful not to make the walls and railings too high in a small garden or it will look out of scale with the house.
If the York stone threshold is being replaced it’s worth the extra expense of sourcing a piece of reclaimed York stone – it’s the small details like this that will really make the finished garden. The paving used for the rest of the garden is a matter of personal choice, but I’ve found that a dark slab such a black Slate, black Limestone, or black Basalt works best.
I will be completing the construction of another Victorian front garden in Chiswick, London early next year, so keep an eye on my Web site for the pictures.
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Winter Planting Inspiration
If you're looking for some inspiration for winter planting, Dunham Massey in Cheshire is the largest winter garden in the UK. It's seven acres of gardens contain almot 700 plant varieties that will create interest from autumn until spring.
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Hellebores
If you haven't already done this remove the old leaves of your Hellebores. Why would I want to do this, I hear you ask. Well, last year's leaves will start looking really tatty next year if they haven't already and will eventually die off leaving a nasty mess at the base of the plant. Hellebores can also get a fungal infection which shows as a black spot on the leaf and if you don't get rid of the infected foliage it can damage the whole plant. Also, if there is a thick canopy of old leaves you cannot see the new flowerheads. The plant will look a bit bald for a while, but you will be able to see and appreciate fully the flower buds as they emerge and open usually just after Christmas. You'll soon get a new crop of glossy, healthy leaves.
Hellebores, Epimedium, Brunnera and Euphorbia in my garden Spring 2009
Hellebores, Epimedium, Brunnera and Euphorbia in my garden Spring 2009
Whale art - yes, really!
I loved the Cow Parade concept - life size fibreglass cows painted by artists and architects and exhibited around cities as art. Each one was different and they are now being sold for thousands of pounds.
As I may have mentioned we've just returned from our holiday in Tenerife and the Loro Parque Foundation has adapted the cows as art concept for fundraising, resulting in these lovely decorated fibreglass whales. They are currently on display in Tenerife airport. I want one!
As I may have mentioned we've just returned from our holiday in Tenerife and the Loro Parque Foundation has adapted the cows as art concept for fundraising, resulting in these lovely decorated fibreglass whales. They are currently on display in Tenerife airport. I want one!
Monday, 23 November 2009
News flash - garden designer is fair weather gardener!
This horrible, wet weather is keeping me out of the garden at the moment and there's loads of tidying up to do - I hate looking out at it, it's depressing. I did manage to make a quick trip to the allotment over the weekend, my first since getting back from sunny Tenerife. I really went to pick the last of my Borlotti beans, which I make into a lovely warm salad with Avocado, sliced mushrooms (raw), soft goat's cheese and a simple lemon juice and Olive oil dressing - it's delicious. However, I was happy to see that my Broad Beans, planted a little earlier than specified in late October, are three inches high, and virtually all my garlic has come up.
I've never managed to get organised enough to plant crops that like to overwinter, although I did do garlic last year and found that I hadn't planted enough - we eat a lot of it and so this year I did about four times as much. I also had a horrible disappointment this year with my Broad Beans which I absolutely love, so I planted some in October to see what would happen. It's really great to see something happening on the plot at this time of year. I'll still do my Broad Beans in spring as well, but this means I'll have some to freeze as well - hopefully!
I've never managed to get organised enough to plant crops that like to overwinter, although I did do garlic last year and found that I hadn't planted enough - we eat a lot of it and so this year I did about four times as much. I also had a horrible disappointment this year with my Broad Beans which I absolutely love, so I planted some in October to see what would happen. It's really great to see something happening on the plot at this time of year. I'll still do my Broad Beans in spring as well, but this means I'll have some to freeze as well - hopefully!
Friday, 20 November 2009
Holiday at last ............
I’m delighted to report that although we’re in the midst of a massive recession I’ve had an amazing year for business – I think, my best to date. Although this is gratifying, it’s also worn me out so I headed off wearily on my annual pilgrimage to Tenerife. I got back a couple of days ago and I must say it didn’t disappoint.
I know Tenerife has a horrid reputation for cheap package holidays and all the tackiness that goes with them. There is that side to it, of course. However, judging Tenerife by what goes on in Playa de Las Americas is like coming here and only visiting Scunthorpe (haha, I’m allowed to say that as my other half is from there) and thinking that it represents the whole of the UK.
I love Tenerife and here’s why. It’s got great weather (I hate the cold) and you don’t have to travel far or pay a fortune to get some of this even during the Winter. It’s got some gorgeous scenery, although driving to see it can be terrifying. There’s enough to do, combined with a bit of general relaxing in the sunshine to easily fill up two weeks. Where we stay in Los Christianos if you're selective there are some really nice restaurants.
However, as a garden designer it’s the indigenous flora that interests me most. There is the obligatory effervescence of Bougainvillea, cascading in great clashing clumps over every vertical surface. I probably don’t even need to mention the ubiquitous feathery plumes of Phoenix Canariensis, one of many species of palm that grow in Tenerife. There are plants that we grow in the UK such as Hibiscus and some really unusual species of Euphorbia. I’m always delighted to see plants which we can only grow indoors such as Monstrera (cheese plants), Draceana, Ficus benjamina and Strelizia (Bird of Paradise plant) flourish in the perfect climate. I love Plumbago and it’s a real treat to see it running wild and adding its subtle sky blue blossoms to the gaudy palette. There are huge cacti and loads of interesting succulents perfectly suited to the hot, arid conditions of the South of the island.
Here’s a few images:-
Washingtonia Robusta
Phoenix dactilifera, Yucca, Phoenix Canariensis
Topiary Tenerife style
Bougainvillea
Acalypha, Yucca & Phoenix Canariensis
I know Tenerife has a horrid reputation for cheap package holidays and all the tackiness that goes with them. There is that side to it, of course. However, judging Tenerife by what goes on in Playa de Las Americas is like coming here and only visiting Scunthorpe (haha, I’m allowed to say that as my other half is from there) and thinking that it represents the whole of the UK.
I love Tenerife and here’s why. It’s got great weather (I hate the cold) and you don’t have to travel far or pay a fortune to get some of this even during the Winter. It’s got some gorgeous scenery, although driving to see it can be terrifying. There’s enough to do, combined with a bit of general relaxing in the sunshine to easily fill up two weeks. Where we stay in Los Christianos if you're selective there are some really nice restaurants.
However, as a garden designer it’s the indigenous flora that interests me most. There is the obligatory effervescence of Bougainvillea, cascading in great clashing clumps over every vertical surface. I probably don’t even need to mention the ubiquitous feathery plumes of Phoenix Canariensis, one of many species of palm that grow in Tenerife. There are plants that we grow in the UK such as Hibiscus and some really unusual species of Euphorbia. I’m always delighted to see plants which we can only grow indoors such as Monstrera (cheese plants), Draceana, Ficus benjamina and Strelizia (Bird of Paradise plant) flourish in the perfect climate. I love Plumbago and it’s a real treat to see it running wild and adding its subtle sky blue blossoms to the gaudy palette. There are huge cacti and loads of interesting succulents perfectly suited to the hot, arid conditions of the South of the island.
Here’s a few images:-
Washingtonia Robusta
Phoenix dactilifera, Yucca, Phoenix Canariensis
Topiary Tenerife style
Bougainvillea
Acalypha, Yucca & Phoenix Canariensis
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