Calne-based garden designer, Alex Heath has joined forces with Calne News to bring you monthly garden news.
Alex is the owner of Sulis Design Ltd, a design-only service which focuses on low maintenance, climate resilient gardens and borders for his clients to enjoy and relax in. He also offers a garden lighting design service to create atmosphere, provide security and increase garden usage into the evenings in an environmentally conscious way.
by Alex Heath
As a garden designer I gain inspiration from multiple sources. Whether gardening is one of your keen interests or something you want to learn more about, there are plenty of ways to develop your own garden by borrowing ideas from elsewhere. Window boxes, house plants or, if you are lucky enough, larger outdoor areas, are dynamic spaces, and at some point, you may need to research new ideas e.g. your favourite plant may die and need replacing or a pot gets frost damage and breaks.
You may be inspired by books, garden periodicals, TV and social media, but one of my favourite methods of drawing inspiration is by getting out and visiting gardens. Seeing planting schemes, hardscaping ideas or other design features in reality, really shows whether they work or not.
Personally, I enjoy going round the local National Trust and other heritage properties. It might seem hard to take ideas from gardens the size of Dyrham, Stourhead, Westonbirt Arboretum and Bowood when your garden may be smaller in scale. However, these grand places feature elements such as planting combinations, colours and textures which can be adjusted to suit your space.
On a recent trip to visit a friend, I stopped at National Trust Hidcote; let’s be honest it is nicer than a service station and the cake and coffee are better. Here are some of the things I spotted which I may take inspiration from in future designs:
- A rectangular pond with a curve taken out of a corner to add interest and break away from a
regular shape. - Symmetry from tall Yew Taxus hedges framing a path.
- A pathway with a lime Tilia tree bower.
- A circular stepping stone made from a saddle stone top to bridge a little stream.
- Details on a bench using engraving and copper.
- The interface between machined and natural stone on a pathway.
If you aren’t able to travel to these gardens then Calne itself has some lovely green spaces. You could gain inspiration from the paving outside Sainsbury’s, carry on to the Pocket Park and look at the fantastic planting in the colourful planters, the bee palace they have built or the many colourful and well-maintained public planting around the town.
With the promise of some beautiful spring weather, it is a great opportunity to get out and get inspired.
Flower of the month – Narcisus
This national flower of Wales really comes into its own in March. With so many varieties to suit all tastes there is bound to be one suitable for your garden. Varieties to keep an eye out for are the Tete a Tete, a dwarf variety suitable for smaller spaces, Thalia, a pure white version with a great scent, or Dutch Master which is a large, more traditional pure yellow flower.
Jobs for March
- Prune dogwoods to the base of the plant to promote new vigorous growth.
- Feed your ericaceous shrubs and plants with an ericaceous feed: particularly important for
containerised plants. - Keep on top of weeding, ensuring that perennial weeds are kept at bay, although if you can, leave
dandelion flowers as an early source of nectar for pollinators. - Check young vegetable and ornamental plants for early signs of aphids and other pests.
- Prune bush and climbing roses.
- Plant out summer-flowering bulbs and tubers such as gladioli and dahlia once the late frosts have
passed. - Take a walk around the local area and draw on some inspiration for your garden.
