THE SECRET GARDEN
Creating a secret oasis of calm in your garden that provides a peaceful place to sit and relax or catch up with friends doesn’t have to be complicated or costly
By taking some simple garden planning ideas and adapting them to your own outside living space you can achieve a perfect hideaway without resorting to planting a huge conifer hedge.
If your existing fencing is unsightly give it a makeover by painting it or covering it in climbing plants. Climbers will add softness and greenery to a fence, encourage wildlife and provide fragrance. And, if you choose wisely, they can also be evergreen that gives a bit of structure to the garden in winter. Jasmine is a classic scented climber, whilst something like clematis armandii is semi-evergreen.
A covered seating area not only adds a bit of height, it allows you to have a secluded hideaway in which to enjoy your garden well into the late summer evenings. A corner of the garden can be a good place to build a structure with a solid roof – or an open roof decked in climbers. Clematis montana will cover a pergola in no time, or for repeat-flowering go for scented roses.
Evergreen screening is very effective at blocking out unsightly views whilst at the same time providing a sense of seclusion. For smaller gardens have a row of single trees or trained trees, whose branches become dense over time such as the evergreen magnolia grandiflora or acer platanoides for training. Alternatively you could plant hedging that provides shelter and acts as a sound barrier. Try a living wall with different species of herbaceous plants, including edibles, grown in pockets and fixed to a wall – great for adding interest to plain brickwork.
An arbour makes a delightful seating space and can be erected against a fence or the side of a house or be freestanding. Smothered in jasmine, wisteria, roses or evergreen climbers, it’s not only lovely to look at but a natural sanctuary and with the addition of a bench or garden seating, can be a go-to place for unwinding at the end of the day.
As dreams of sitting in a sunny spot in the garden get closer to becoming a reality as the days get longer, there are still things that need doing in the garden. As the RHS says, this month there are signs of the approaching spring, with bulbs appearing and wildlife waking up as light levels and temperatures increase. Outdoors, as the garden comes to life again, it’s time to prune shrubs and climbers, such as wisteria as well as evergreen hedges.
Jobs for this month should include:
• Prepare vegetable seed beds and sow vegetables under cover
• Chit potato tubers
• Protect blossom on apricots and peaches
• Net fruit and vegetables to keep the birds off
• Prune winter flowering shrubs that have finished
• Divide bulbs such as snowdrops
• Prune wisteria
• Prune hardy evergreen hedges
• Prune conservatory climbers
• Cut back deciduous grasses and remove dead grass from evergreen grasses
