A traditional mixed border in its prime is a glorious sight, but the key phrase is ‘in its prime’. As time passes, shrubs become overmature, roses can lose their vigour, perennials need dividing and even the finest border can begin to look tired, possibly old-fashioned and in need of a major overhaul. Sometimes it never worked in the first place.
This was the problem that faced garden designer Kristina Clode when clients requested her help. The couple knew that the existing layout and planting wasn’t working, but didn’t know how to improve it. They wanted more colour and yearround interest, but also wanted to keep plenty of sunlight in the garden, so there were to be no tall trees. More unusually, all the existing plants were to be incorporated into the new planting – although they could be moved to different positions. For plant lover Kristina, having more than 600 square metres of borders to fill was a dream job. “The planting was very shrub dominated and congested,” she says, “with too many red, silver and variegated-leaved shrubs, and there was little in the way of flowers, or varied texture and movement. The challenge was to incorporate multiples of shrubs I wouldn’t normally include in my planting designs, such as various red berberis, Teucrium fruticans, Nandina domestica ‘Fire Power’ and Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Tom Thumb’, and disperse them through new borders in a way that did not dominate the planting.”
This story is from the August 2023 edition of Gardens Illustrated.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2023 edition of Gardens Illustrated.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
LAZY DAYS
Alice Vincent has had a hectic 2023, but for next year she's come up with a cunning plan to give herself more time and reduce her carbon footprint
SCULPTING THE LANDSCAPE
Charlotte Rowe's elegant design for a country garden in Hampshire fuses modern and traditional styles and captures the Zeitgeist for naturalism with a contemporary edge
Flavour of the seasons
Smallholder and former chef Julius Roberts suggests three easy, warming recipes for a winter feast with seasonal produce
JOINT ENTERPRISE
In southwest Germany, a couple have combined structural grasses and perennials with good seedheads in their garden to great effect, especially when touched by winter frost
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
There is a biodiversity loss crisis, but research into the wildlife found in gardens has made it clear just how important these spaces are as habitat. Discover how much you can learn, and gain, by identifying and documenting what you find beyond your back door
MATTHEW BIGGS
Horticulture's nicest practitioner on his journey from sweeping playgrounds to Gardeners' Question Time via offering gardening advice to insomniacs
YOUNG AT HEART
The garden of the late, great landscape architect Jacques Wirtz, which is more than 50 years old, is now being renewed by his children
PITTOSPORUM
These evergreen shrubs come in a multitude of sizes and shapes with shiny, often variegated or colourful leaves and small scented flowers
Festive flourishes
Entertain in style this Christmas with ideas for natural decorations from Swallows & Damsons
LUKE SENIOR
A former Ruth Borun scholar at Great Dixter, Luke is now one of the garden's full time gardeners