Nursery Garden
Design Brief: Inner city, walled, courtyard garden with no existing planting beds. This design used raised planters so that a variety of low-maintenance plants could be introduced. The nursery staff wanted the children to enjoy the plants and also learn about the new wildlife visiting the garden.
This was a large courtyard garden with rubber crumb surface throughout, so there was very little bare soil available for planting. The staff wanted to include a diversity of plants to help encourage wildlife, which would then be used as educational opportunities for the kids.
The outside space benefited from large stone walls, which offered the perfect place to grow climbers for seasonal interest. As there was very little space for planting directly into the ground, Gemma recommended installing some self-watering planters, which would help minimise the need for watering in the hot summer months. The planting needed to be suitable for children aged 3 months to 5 years, and a special request was to ensure that the design excluded any highly toxic plants. A surprisingly tricky task!!
The planting scheme offered interest throughout the year, using plants to encourage pollinating insects, while also requiring minimal pruning or aftercare. Climbers and wall shrubs were used to envelop the space, including two varieties of Akebia quinata - commonly known as Chocolate Vines. These stunning, fast growing climbers are covered in maroon-chocolate coloured flowers during spring (April-May), with an exotic spicy fragrance and hint of vanilla. After a particularly warm summer, these vines can produce large edible sausage-shaped fruits. Seasonal interest was provided by a range of herbaceous perennials, for example, Alchemilla mollis, Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost', Dryopteris affinis ‘Cristata’, Geranium versicolor, Geranium macrorrhizum 'Album', and Tiarella 'Raspberry Sundae'
