READER GARDEN " Do what's in your heart in your own garden"

A finalist in our 2021 Gardens of the Year competition, this vibrant oasis is a fusion of Thai and English styles - Nantawan Staples explains how and why she created it

- ADAM DUXBURY

In Kent, Nantawan Staples has mixed the garden styles of her Thai heritage with her love for English gardening. For the past 20 years she has shaped her plot into a place where friends and family can gather to eat, drink, play games - or just relax in the traditional Thai hut. Our judges loved how her garden is full of personality and charm, not least because Nantawan has added meaningful ornaments and plants that bring back special memories from over the years.

What was the garden like originally?

It was very bare and open when I moved here in 2003. But it was the size of the garden and the opportunity I could see that drew me to the house in the first place. The garden looked like it had potential and it was an opportunity for me to express my creativity. Originally there was a lot of open space, which didn't make it very cosy, and a harsh divide between the grass area and the hard paving. There was also a big pampas grass in the middle of the lawn, which dominated the garden and just had to go.

I had an extension built onto the property and as part of that I had some new paving laid at the back of the house leading onto the garden. My son built a decking area and a brick barbecue, so I had social areas in the garden to cook and entertain - something that is really important to me. He also built two traditional Thai-style huts (sala Thai) for relaxing in.

Did you have an interest in gardening when you moved here?