GARDEN DESIGN
One particularly effective sensory concept that we have incorporated into our garden design is underplanting . For example , underneath one of our swing seats there is a bed of Sweet Woodruff ; when you swing on this seat , it brushes against the Sweet Woodruff and its heavenly scent is released .
Balance
Over time , the garden evolved with a strong emphasis on herbaceous perennials which we allowed to overwinter , set seed , and fill a lot of gaps . We only cut back in early spring . The results were huge swathes of naturalistic planting , which holds a rustic beauty .
I then introduced neat , clipped hedges and topiary to contrast and balance out the wild foliage . I planted a lot of Lonicera Nitida which strikes easily from hardwood cuttings . It ’ s easy to cut back and doesn ’ t suffer blight , but has to be clipped quite frequently .
This balance between the uncultivated wildness of the natural world and clean lines , make for a dynamic garden that is authentically charming without being cluttered or too busy .
Family- Orientated
The Sitting Spiritually garden is not just a public garden , but is also a garden that has been used by my family for over 20 years . As a result , despite numerous re-designs , the pathways through have always stayed the same . Just because this is an outside space , does not mean that it cannot be personal and hold a great deal of sentimentality .
Allowing Nature to Take Over
By having faith in the plants to self set and group themselves , nature has taken over and I love the way the garden has evolved . New plants crop up often , and this idea of regeneration is such a key one in the design of the Sitting Spiritually garden . www . sittingspiritually . co . uk
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