* I was invited to this year’s Gardeners’ World Live preview and provided with a pair of tickets for the show, therefore all my posts will be marked as 'Ad’ though as usual my views and opinions are very much my own.
This was the last garden we saw at the preview event before heading into the marquee for the welcome and awards presentation, but even so the garden designers, Briony and Jonathan Dakic, were still generous with their time and answering our questions, despite us all needing to move into the marquee, and I’m very grateful for that.
I hadn’t expected to be quite so captivated by this garden, and it was great to see it close up and without the crowds that naturally flock to the show gardens on show days.
I loved the garden for its planting and because it was pretty much everything I’ve been trying to explain to MOH for one section of our garden. This garden focuses on the foliage, it’s shape, size, colour and texture and the planting is dense - both of these get a huge tick from me.
The bold pink architectural arches were a great way to lead us through the space, but surprisingly I was less taken with these than MOH. Who knew, he’s finally getting the pink vibe maybe?! It’s not that I didn’t like them, but I think my lens for this garden was how I could replicate it in a section of my own garden, and for me, that meant no pink arches.
But pink and orange plants, yes please.
But it’s the foliage that I love the most. I’ve already ‘collected’ a new variegated fatsia for the space, having fallen for their charm in our previous garden. It’s also a given that we’ll have cannas and maybe even a banana - I’ve seen how MOH eyes them lovingly. I hadn’t planned to add any Lords and Ladies (shown bottom right in the photo below) into the main part of the garden, as they do spread but the orange berries do look good, so maybe, who knows.
It’s uncanny though as even the garden furniture is similar to the set we bought last year.
What I also liked about this show garden was around the sides there was also the detailed planting, which perhaps not everyone would notice or even see, though I’m sure the judges did.
I also picked up some new ideas for plants to add into this potential space in our own garden. These arum lilies are definitely going on the list, I love the sculptural and dark element they bring.
But I think with MOH’s hayfever and general aversion to lilies I may be struggling to include the ones below.
The other thing I noticed was the pink on pink clash that really worked. Nature has a way doesn’t it of making colour combinations you think really wouldn’t, or shouldn’t work, go together brilliantly.
The lime tree would be another great addition to my space - just perfect for those G&Ts, and it looks great too.
But for me the plant showstopper was this white fatsia, isn’t it gorgeous?
* With thanks to Gardeners’ World for once again inviting me to Gardeners’ World Live, it was another great show! I’ll be sharing more from my visit to this year’s show throughout the year - I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.