Landscape & Urban Design Issue 42 2020 | Page 5

SGD AWARDS 2020 Plants include multi-stem birch trees underplanted with evergreen Ferns and spring flowering Crocus; beech balls with Erigeron daisies and Muehlenbeckia and shrubs and perennials including Syringa microphyllia ‘Red Pixie’, Euphorbia schillingii, Geranium pyrcenaicum ‘Bill Wallis’ & Cirsium rivulare ‘Blue Wonder’ HYDROPONIC LIVING WALLS Using walls for planting, whether you use a trellis or containers is a great way to make the most of your garden but for maximum drama a full living wall is unbeatable. Winner of the Grand Award at the SGD Awards, John Davies, incorporated hydroponic walls into the roof and basement gardens of this office building in London, featuring a mix of flowering shrubs and perennials, such as buddleia and fuschia, to complement an evergreen planting framework and create a year-round effect with seasonal colour. You can position a living wall anywhere but remember to choose the right plants for that part of the garden, just as you would with a border. And if you don’t want a full living wall, use climbing plants and wall shrubs such as clemetis, roses, honeysuckle or wisteria to add a vertical element to your outside space. where they can sit, set within a living wall to create a playful face. Mirrors are used to make the space feel bigger and a ‘ceiling’ created by the canopy of long-stemmed bamboos focus attention within the space and create a more intimate atmosphere. GIANT CONTAINERS If you have a patio garden and are looking for ways to encourage more wildlife into it, take inspiration from Butter Wakefield’s winning small garden where she uses oversize copper containers filled with a glorious mix of trees, shrubs and perennials to create an urban oasis. Follow us @ludmagazine www.landud.co.uk 5