The M&G Garden

By garden designer Bunny Guiness. A modern take on a traditional kitchen garden, the M&G Garden is one that you can both live from and live with, combining practical with aesthetic and innovative garden design elements. As well as being a working plot to produce bountiful fruit, herbs, vegetables and cut flowers.

The garden features raised beds built from willow and topped with cedar coping, planted out with vegetables and flowers for cutting. Cabbages and beans mingle with clematis and roses, whilst lavender and other herbs ensure the garden smells sweet and fragrant.

Large terracotta pots containing lemon, medlar and trees are placed throughout, lining the edge of a stone staircase alongside a glass platform. Traditional in spirit, the garden also embraces innovative features including an elegant glass platform, accessed by the stone staircase.

This ‘floating’ deck, a contemporary centrepiece to the garden, offers guests a different viewing dimension onto the garden’s near symmetrical paths and beds. Bunny has exploited the latest innovative glass technology in its construction to provide a covered area below, complete with fireplace, suitable for sheltering both plants and people.

The design is framed by a series of pleached trees, standing nearly three metres tall, which are strung together with ironwork that echoes the balustrade around the viewing deck.

The fruit theme continues in the planting against a far wall, reminiscent of a traditional kitchen garden wall. A large lead v bowl provides a dunking pool.

Plants list      

Trees
Ficus carica 
Laurus nobilis
Citrus limon
Malus domestica 
Mespilus germanica 
Pyrus communis 
Tilia cordata 

Shrubs
Buxus sempervirens
Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’
Clematis Akaishi
Erigeron karvinskianus
Euphorbia ‘Humpty Dumpty’ 
Hesperis matronalis 
Knautia macedonica
Lavandula angustifolia  
Lavandula Regal Splendour 
Taxus baccata 
Lysimachia Beaujolais 
Mathiasella
Nicotiana sanderae ‘Lime Green’ 
Pelargonium Black Butterfly
Pelargonium Voodoo
Purple Perilla
Rosmarinus officinalis 
Verbena ‘Lollipop’

Climbing Roses
Rosa Vielchenblau 
Rosa Wilsons Worcester 

Shrub roses
Rosa Tuscany Superb 

Vegetables
Black Forest – Courgette
Bulls Blood – Chard
Filius Blue – Chilli peppers
Frisee d’Austraila – Lettuce
Golden Frills – Mustard   
Golden Teepee – Dwarf French Bean   
Kalibos – Cabbage
Kiwano – Horned Melon
Little Gem – Squash
Malbar Spinach – Red
Masquerade – Chilli pepper
Peacock Tails – Kale
Perilla – Red
Purple Frills – Mustard
The Sutton – Broad Bean
Tromboncino – Squash
Red Drumhead – Cabbage   
Rob Splashed – Climbing French Bean
Ruby – Chard
Violette di Chioggia – Globe Artichoke
Virgo – Chard
White Lady – Runner Bean

Soft Fruit
Blackcurrant Titania
Gooseberry Invicta
Gooseberry Rokula
Red currant Jonkheer Van Tets
Strawberries - Fenella
Rhubarb – Timperley Early

Herbs
Allium schoenoprasum - Chives
Aloysia triphylla AGM - Lemon verbena
Anethum graveolens - Dill
Angelica archangelica - Angelica
Artemisia dracunculus - French Tarragon
Bupleurum rotundifolium – Thorow-Wax
Chamaemelum nobile ‘Treneague’ – Lawn Chamomile
Anthriscus cerefolium - Chervil
Foeniculum vulgare 'Purpureum' - Bronze Fennel
Mentha longifolia silver-leaved - Silver Mint
Mentha suaveolens 'Variegata' - Pineapple Mint
Ocimum kilimandscharicum 'African Blue'
Perilla frutescens varietas Purpurescens - Purple Shiso
Petroselinum crispum – Parsley
Salvia sclarea - Clary Sage

Bulbs
Tulipa Jan Reus 
Tulipa Zurel 
Tulipa Fringed Black Jewel 
Tulipa Greenwave 
Lilium 
Convallaria majalis