Design and construction

Gardens are all about the end result

It was so nice to see two of our new gardens being used last week. We were invited to two parties – one a barbecue and one a more formal event – and they were held in the gardens that we’d designed, built and planted. It was great to see people sitting around on walls, purpose-built seating and cushions, children running around on the grass and food being prepared and eaten outdoors.

When England gets the weather right, it’s the most perfect place to be. The sun went down and it was still warm. The night was as starry as I’ve seen for ages. Lanterns were lit, candles flickered, the sound of laughter drifted across the lawn. It was like being a boat builder and watching your boat go to sea for the first time.

We help ‘dress’ gardens as well as build and plant them. This week I went up to Ikea with a client to choose cushions and lanterns for their garden. We were going to the wholesale nursery in Banstead anyway, to choose all the trees and shrubs, so Ikea was just a hop along.

Their cushions, at £5.99 each, are so reasonable – you feel you can buy them and leave them out all summer and start again next year. After all, we buy and chuck out far more expensive bedding plants every year, and cushions make such a difference. We bought lanterns and candles and candelabras to hang from the pergola. We even bought a couple of throws to go over the outdoor sofa and chairs.

I do like gardens that become a proper outdoor living space. So many of our clients said that they never used the garden before – there was nothing to entice them out there. You have to be able to look out of the window and want to sit out there, or take your lunch out there. There has to be something beckoning you through the door. It’s not just the threat of rain that puts us off from venturing outside – often it can be windy when it’s still quite warm outside. If we create a sheltered spot for you, there are lots of days you can spend in the garden that would normally be spent indoors. The winter is long enough, so it’s good to be outdoors for as long as possible.

There are lots of doors going into properties at the moment. We have several new clients with huge fold-back doors leading straight out into the garden space. It’s good to try and create a seamless floor going from house to garden and using the same materials where possible. We have just finished an oak deck to match the oak floorboards inside. The colour match is exact, and the levels are just the same. It works perfectly.

We can match travertine, limestone and slate and create the same effect. The point of these doors is to open up the whole back of the house to create a much larger living space and live outside when we can. The clever bit happens when the room is also a living, wonderful garden with colour and scent. Think about getting us in before the kitchen floor is fitted, so we’re involved right from the start. Don’t let the garden be an afterthought. It’s the best room in the house!

Plants

Avoid pruning back for winter

Lots of gardens are finishing up for the summer. The early-flowering plants have ended and the leaves are starting to die back and turn brown. It’s tempting to go round and cut it all back, and I’m not sure that I won’t, but try and imagine some of the plants in the late autumn and winter.

If they have structure, or any kind of upright form, think about leaving them in to keep the space filled. If you have frosts in your garden, this is especially true as the plants can look magical with a white sparkling coat across them. We don’t tend to plant up our gardens for winter, and we should. There are so many gardens that are seen from the window all year round. Perhaps the sitting room doors open out, or the kitchen window looks across the garden.

With big, fold-back doors becoming more popular, you need to think carefully about your view in December. If the garden is going to be seen throughout the year, keep some vertical viewpoint going, and always keep your pots going all year round. Think of them like cushions – you only need a couple of really good ones to make an impact. Too many fussy things piled all around make you feel cluttered. Choose your two biggest and best pots and position them right by the window where you can see them the most. Fill them with lovely plants – at this time of the year choose ivy, cyclamen and pansies – and enjoy some late summer colour.

Things to do

Hyacinths for indoors

Plant hyacinth bulbs before 15 September 15. If you do, you can have hyacinths flowering indoors for Christmas. Find a couple of shallow, wide bowls. Fill them with bulb compost and plant a singlecolour layer of hyacinths. Position the bulbs so that they’re almost touching, but not quite and lay them out in a circle with one in the middle. Don’t cover them completely with soil, but leave their noses poking out of the top.

Choose deep blue hyacinths in pale blue bowls, or yellow hyacinths in pretty, floral bowls. They look and smell just wonderful. If you have a garden lover in the family these also make the most gorgeous Christmas presents, but you have to plan them now – I know you don’t want to even think about Christmas, but you must!

The bulbs aren’t expensive – about 50p each – and you need to buy ‘prepared’ ones. The nurseries sell them like this, so they’re all organised to flower early. When you’ve filled the bowl with bulbs and soil, give them a water and put them somewhere dark – under the stairs or out in the shed in a black sack. That’s it for now. Keep an eye on them and about November time, you’ll see that they have pushed up a pointy nose of leaves, all compact.

When the leaves are about an inch high, bring them into the light, but still keep them nice and cold somewhere. Too much warmth will make them all leggy. Finally, push in some small ribbon bows if they’re presents, or bring them into a warm room when you can see the flower heads poking right through. They will flower and scent your room. It’s the best present to give too!