Well, after one of the coldest winters for 20 years, it is great to see the sun again and feel that summer is on it’s way back. I know in my garden, some slightly tender plants that normally make it through the winter, are not looking too happy. This time of year is a great time to stand back and take stock of your garden and decide what is working and what needs changing ready for the summer both in the planting and the design.
While the perennials are just emerging, it makes it easier to assess the landscaping features. Did you feel that the patio was not big enough last summer when you had people around for an al fresco meal? Does the path to the end of the garden lead where you really need it to go and is the material it is made from tired and broken? Now is a good time to make any landscaping changes needed ready for the warm summer months to come! If you can’t decide how to move forward with your garden and need some help many Garden Designers offer a consultation service where they will come out and talk you through your options and give you advice.
It has been an interesting year for my business as a designer and it has been much quieter than normal, but now there is definitely an increase in the number of enquiries we are getting. People seem to be deciding to, rather than moving house, make improvements to their homes and this is filtering through to us as Garden Designers. A well designed and useable garden is a wonderful feature to have and, in the future, when the housing market hopefully picks up, will make the house more saleable.
As far as the plants to look out for this Spring go, I have had a look through the Hayloft Catalogue and fallen in love with quite a few beautiful plants! But, if I had to choose my favorite for Spring colour, it would be
Helleborus. They come in such sumptuous colours and makes a great feature in a spring bed when teamed with other spring flowering plants. Hellebores can liven up an area of damp shade where other plants struggle to flower. To enjoy the exquisite flowers indoors, pick a few flower-heads and float them face up in a shallow bowl of water.
One variety which I love is Helleborus Double Ellen ™ with it’s beautiful frilly, double flowers. They can be planted in tubs too so they can be moved into a key position while they are in flower. The cream variety with the pink speckles and edges is absolutely delicious.
In my next article I will be looking at seating in the garden and how to make the most of your garden during the summer months.
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