Much like many of the last thirty-six gardens projects developed to date it proved to be a great team effort, and everyone worked incredibly hard to create the different features of the garden. The aim was for the students to enjoy every moment of the project and to inspire them for the future. It was and is a brilliant garden concept. Highlights within the garden design included highly imaginative planting, relevant and effective structures and many more unique features, all of which brought something unique to the garden.
The garden was also designed by a student – Faye Geeson- and illustrated by another Chloe Ye.
Faye Geeson, commented:“ I had done the RHS Level 2 course at the college and having found about the Level 3 course, couldn’ t pass up the opportunity to get involved in building this garden. Having never done anything like this before, I was delighted that my design was selected. It’ s been fantastic preparing everything for the garden with the rest of the students. Everyone has different skills and interests to bring to the project. It’ s also been an excellent excuse to visit all the local garden centres and nurseries to source plants”
Harrowden’ s role was relatively straightforward supplying Meadowmat Cottage Garden wildflower turf to support the project. Cottage Garden Meadowmat ® creates flower beds and borders with the grace and charm of an old-fashioned English garden but with a lot less work. Cottage Garden is a beautiful combination of native wildflowers and grasses which can create a vibrant and bee-friendly cottage garden.
Cottage Garden is mainly created using perennial plant species. These are plants that will grow back year after year, if they enjoy the conditions in a garden.
The mix also includes some annual and bi-annual flowering species. Some give a pop of colour while the perennials are blooming and some are there just because of their sheer beauty.
The flowering time for Cottage Garden is late spring until early autumn. The images here just give you an idea of how Cottage Garden can look when in bloom, but it can be presented differently depending on the look of your garden and the level of maintenance. The balance of plant species and the flowering time will be different in every single garden giving endless possibilities!
GARDEN DESIGN
Maintaining Cottage Garden is easy and rewarding. Unlike many herbaceous flower borders, Cottage Garden doesn’ t want to be fed, mulched, staked or sprayed. Just leave it to grow unchecked between March and September. You may like to extend the flowering season by deadheading the plants, but this is not essential. At the end of summer, when all the flowers have faded, be ruthless and deadhead as much as you need. Cut your Cottage Garden back to a height of 10 – 15 cm and put all that unwanted vegetation on to the compost heap.
It’ s great in deep planters, raised beds, flower borders or as an alternative to your original lawn! The plants in this Meadowmat ® like a fairly neutral pH but can adapt to anything but the most acidic or alkaline soils.
The wildflower turf was sent early to the college to give it plenty of time to grow into the garden ahead of the show and we are really pleased to report that the Derby College“ Bonsall” garden won a platinum award, the highest in the professional category.
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