Garden Visit for Design Inspiration

We aim to get out to visit gardens as much as we can (around our work commitments). And even better is when we get to meet the garden designers involved in that particular garden. We can then find out more about their site issues and the client brief. We also get the opportunity to increase our palette of plants while exploring different plant combinations.

Today I went to see Nic Howard with a group of Sussex based garden designers. Nic runs a company called We Love Plants and he designs and builds gardens in the South East.

Below are some frames and details of his own garden, and that of his mother who lives next door.

FRAMES

The Office Garden - creating destinations and purpose to a small space

The Office Garden - clean lines and decor in harmony

Stock Plants - blending in with the garden

Small Courtyard Garden - using dark boundaries and mirrors to elevate the space

Collections of Antiques - creating visuals incidents to draw the eye

Mirrors and Foliage - lush greens and reflected light

Collection of Planters - making a scene

Grey Fences - making the plants the centre stage

Somewhere to Sit - benches are a mainstay for any garden

Steps and Walls - using natural materials with a vintage bench is a perfect match

The White Garden - froth, buttons, plumes and green foliage allowing each plants to stand out

Edging - using plants that spill over landscape edging to blur lines and soften the space

DETAILS

Pots - simple use of plant and material, keeping colours neutral

Foliage - ferns against muehlenbeckia

Juxtaposition - the marriage of materials with a corner of planting keeping things simple yet effective

Colour - the brick wall brings out the rust colour of the planter

Flowers - Digitalis plum gold has a wonderful architecture.

Focus - texture, lines and shadows creating a nice detail

Dots - the small leaf of the pittosporum creating dots of light against the shaded backdrop

Dimensions - using materials with similar dimensions makes the scene pleasing to the eye

White - astrantia flowers need appreciating up close

Proportion - The leaf and stone sizes are proportionate so marry well

Contrast - bold white rose flowers against the plumes of aruncus

Edging - the froth of the alchemilla spills over the drive edge