Be creative in the garden

11:10am Tuesday 19th August 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

INSTEAD of growing climbers up a wall, you could create a framework which will take low-growing plants to adorn a wall and make the most of what little urban space you have.

This allows you to use a variety of plants that will take both dry and wet soils.

Designer Mark Gregory, brainchild behind the gold medal-winning Children's Society urban garden at Chelsea this year, set out to make the most of the small plot by using vertical features. He says living walls could catch on in residential gardens. The plants are set into what looks like a bookcase, but with vertical as well as horizontal dividers.

He used western red cedar as it’s from a sustainable source, the wood is very sappy and won’t rot, but you could use plastic, metal or clay. You could even mount plants in CD/DVD racks or wine bottle racks.

The key is getting the planting right. You want dry-loving plants at the top and water-loving species at the bottom. You can put the in-betweeners in the middle.

Another good way to give your garden an instant makeover is to use garden lights.

Remember that a little light goes a long way at night, so don’t overlight the area, as extremely bright garden lighting often has a garish, unwelcoming look. Instead, decide what features to light and to what intensity. Use lighting selectively, making use of the darkness and enhancing the best elements.