My brief was a typical small London back Garden so here we are - a plot just 5m wide and 13metres in length. You have to imagine that at one end you have the classic rear kitchen extension of an “L” shaped end of terrace property.
The section of garden closest to the House comprises of a series of raised borders with a central circular paved area featuring a central specimen tree and surrounding circular seat. This is the part of the garden designated for leisure and peaceful rest and reflection.
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The connection between the House and the Garden is important because I wanted to make a strong point about the use of “Grey” water in gardening. So beside the back door is a water butt and water is pouring into it from an overflow pipe sticking out of the House wall. There is some poetic licence here as normally this would be a sealed system with waste water from your bath or washing machine being directed, filtered and stored in a larger tank! From here the water can be distributed in a variety of methods throughout the garden. These methods vary in efficiency from leaky pipe underground irrigation to gravity fed water pads. All can be seen in action around the garden.
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Fundamentally choice of drought tolerant plants is critical and these demand conditions that suit them. Free draining soil is a requirement for most so on the whole they thrive in raised beds. From a design point of view I take advantage of this and have created a small circular courtyard surrounded on all sides by raised beds. Each bed is themed with classic drought tolerant plants. The bed nearest the House has a cool calm atmosphere with varieties selected from the abundant blue and grey range of tough hairy seaside plants, all specially adapted to make the most of any available fresh water.
Rather than go for a Japanese dry garden I have had fun and created a “brown roof” type gravel garden area using freely available demolition material in combination with ornamental grasses (I have also acknowledged this gardening approach on the flat roof of the House where environmental advantages are to be gained!)
In another section I use striking warm coloured varieties from the Mediterranean and finally I have a “nature” garden section using the best examples of British native varieties. Assuming children would have most fun here with the wildlife it would attract I have included a Mini Beast Pond and “Tree Pod” House!
A range of mulches are on display in all the beds. Below them are sheets of weed suppressing geotextile which also help reduce evaporation
We have hanging baskets and troughs – normally features that result in obvious water loss but here we use water retentive “swell gell” in the compost, less watering and less waste.
Grassed Lawns are definitely out but I do include a band of artificial turf which increasingly becomes an option as an affordable recycled product that can look surprisingly lifelike!
Further information on Dry Gardening .
Press Release by Mayor of London