Timeless elegance - A courtyard garden
By London garden designer Charlotte Rowe. This elegant courtyard wraps around a new kitchen extension and complements the interior colour scheme using many of the same colours outside.
3 Dec 2006 | 1 min read
The paving is Indian sandstone paving with Scottish pebbles, raised beds painted to match the kitchen and specially designed trellis which acts as a visual screen to make the garden appear longer.
The planting palette is white, blue and pink, with a Rosa 'Gertrude Jekyll' and Rosa 'The Generous Gardener' trained up the trellis, Philadelphus 'Belle Etoile', Viburnum opulus 'Compactus', Lavendula angustifolia 'Little Lady' and three clipped pyramid bay trees (Laurus nobilis) are interplanted with the soft grass, Stipa tenuissima and perennials including Geranium 'Johnson's Blue' and Achillea 'Summer Wine'.
In the shady area, Helleborus argutifolius, the black stemmed bamboo, Phyllostachys nigra, and Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Tom Thumb' are interplanted with Gallium odoratum and Polystichum setiferum.
The eye is drawn down the garden from both the new kitchen and the original dining room by a row of Box balls (Buxus sempervirens) to a long water with an unusual 'keyhole' water spout. Three clear stemmed olive trees (Olea europeae) underplanted with Erigeron karvaniskanus and a row of pleached hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) screening the neighbour's garden to the rear, underplanted with clipped box are all uplit at night to great effect. An antique stone head on a plinth which is spotlit at night is placed at the centre of the garden.
Photos 1, 2 and 3 Marianne Majerus Garden Images http://www.mariannemajerus.com