Themed gardens

My garden is a small walled and fenced rectangle of multicoloured profusion. I have counted over 70 separate plant types in this very tiny area. But you would have to be its owners to know some of the stories behind its planning.

Each part of the garden is a somewhat tongue in cheek nod to a style of garden or in one case to a man we met on holiday. This is one part of my life where things have to be – sadly – on a small scale.

We started playing with these ideas after joining the National Trust and visiting Hidcote Manor with its themed garden rooms once popular in garden programmes. First of all we picked up on the plethora of gardens with box hedges. I also wanted to remember my Aunt’s garden that we used to visit as children especially the smell of Box and to recall the excitement of looking for nests. I planted what I wanted to become a very low box hedge edging a wedge shaped border – and so far it works. Then we had a few Mediterranean holidays and decided to have a Mediterranean garden four feet by three! We created a gravelled area with pots, a low slow growing pine and an olive tree. Next to it a small decked  area was, of course, a must - just enough for a table and two chairs and on one side a bed with rose, lavender and mint to tantalise the nose. Had we done? Our inspiration next came from a gentleman on holiday in Andalucia. He was in our group as we went round the Generalife Gardens. He had already explained to me that he was the black sheep of his family as he was an architect – you get the drift – and then he turned to his wife and said “Oh that would look good in our woodland garden!” He won’t know what a profound impression he made! A few weeks after we got back we created a new central bed in the grass and planted a pine and some junipers -  our very own "woodland" garden had been born!