My garden

Many websites have a self-indulgent bit, either with pictures of the family, dogs, fishing rods, private parts or stamp collection.  Well, here's my bit (er, garden, anyway) and if you don't feel like reading a pile of self-satisfied tosh then please feel free to move on !

It had constantly frustrated me over the last few years that my garden has been nothing more than a field with weeds.  However, over the course of 1999 I have been landscaping my plot here in Essex and have at long last begun the immensely enjoyable task of putting some plants in the ground and starting some hardiness trials in earnest.

Local climate

First of all, I suppose I should outline the climate in my  part of the country.  I live about half a mile from the River Thames estuary in the southeast corner of Essex, 5 miles from Southend (map), and this proximity to the sea still moderates the cold to some degree.  The average winter low temperature is -6°C, with the historical low in 1987 being just above -12°C.  Rainfall in this part of the country is very low, as it is all along this eastern strip, averaging around 500mm, or 20", annually.  In 1996 only 330mm or 13" of rainfall fell onto our parched gardens - so much for our 'Green and Pleasant Land'.

A welcome site 

The site here is about one third of an acre sloping fairly sharply (by Essex standards) in a 1:5 gradient to both the south and west.  There are mature ash trees around the perimeter to the north and east aspects, which serve both as wind breaks for the coldest winds and also an excellent established backdrop.  This slope had already been roughly terraced into different levels with small and large steep banks interspersed with small and large 'flat bits' which provide a variety of different microclimates within the garden.  Another interesting challenge was the presence of a WWII air raid shelter built into the largest of the banks.

A question of style

The overall planting style of the garden is unashamedly sub-tropical - no surprise there - with the range of different microclimates providing interesting planting opportunities.  Being so dry here, it made sense to try to grow exotic plants that can cope with this climate, which started me off on my crusade to try as many cacti and succulents as is practicable, and now a large part of the garden is devoted to these xerophytes.   There are a number of distinct areas of the garden the most obvious of which is a large pond which takes up the largest of the 'flat bits' with a small Flamingo Island (don't ask) and waterfall in one corner near to a small group of Dicksonia antarctica.  Built into the bank overlooking the pond is a 'jungle hut' on stilts which provides a shady retreat in which to relax, watch the dragonflies darting about and generally avoid doing any work. 

On the level

There are several steep banks, mainly south facing, forming a part of the terracing; the largest bisects the garden east-west and carries a range of xerophytic planting through cacti to succulents to Mediterranean.  I have constructed these areas with a sort of dark 'volcanic, lava-rock' effect, reminiscent of the Canary Islands and I believe very strongly suited to spikey and glaucous leaved plants such as yuccas, agaves, aloes and their kin.

The cactus patch is constructed of the same black 'lava-rock' and is an area of on-going experimentation to see precisely which cacti and succulents will, or won't, succeed in a British garden. 

Jutting out from the lava, and in stark contrast to it, a stainless steel water shoot directs cascade of water into a second smaller pond that is home to a colony of water lotus, Cyperus papyrus and Thalia dealbata.  Surrounding the pond is a range of cold hardy bromeliads.

Luscious leaves

The other distinct area of the garden is the 'Jungle' which encompasses the main access path running down the garden, plus a small 'trail' through the main planting. 

This area is home to a number of Trachycarpus fortunei, a venerable old Musa basjoo (with venerable old mother-in-law for scale), gingers, ferns, Tetrapanax papyrifera, Cordyline indivisa and other large leaved exotics.  Already this part of the garden has a cool, humid 'Lost World' feel about it and as the plants mature it should be quite magical to walk beneath a canopy of large palm and banana leaves whilst swishing though the understorey ferns and gingers.

Bamboos are very much in evidence, with species of phyllostachys and chusquea  punctuating the jungle and also providing the back-drop to the pond.  They will eventually form a living screen separating one part of the garden from another, so that you are forced to walk past the plants to see what lies beyond.

Going with the drift

The top part of the garden lies at the back of the house and serves two main purposes.  It is much more structured in it's layout, with large drifts of sedums and other ground covering plants in contrasting colours and heights accented by taller architectural specimens.  The colours here are glaucous blues, greys and purples and features plants such as a 2m high specimen Phoenix theophrastii, Yucca gloriosa, Sedum 'Ruby Glow', Sedum spectabile, Sedum telephium maximum 'Atropurpureum', Cordyline australis 'Purpureum', Melianthus major, Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple',  Phormium tenax 'Purpureum' - I think you would have the idea by now.  I look at this from my upstairs windows for the overall picture and it is the nearest I get to formality. 

In contrast to this, the retaining banks for these smaller upper terraces are filled with scores of little succulents and beg close scrutiny - echeverias, aloes, agaves, mesembryanthemums, sempervivums, sedums - anything, in fact, that I think may be worth trying.  It is a terribly self- indulgent bit of planting of experiments and favourites, but still presents a broader picture of textures and colours from upstairs.  Another experiment is a small lawn area of closely sown Festuca glauca - hopefully I will end up with a decorative, drought tolerant lawn that requires minimal cutting and gets bluer and prettier as the season progresses.

One corner of this area - the highest part of the garden and backed by  a brick wall - is particularly sheltered and provides a home for a number of aloes including Aloe arborescens, Aloe ferox, Aloe ciliaris and Aloe broomii.  Time will tell if it is possible to succeed with these plants long term, but in the meanwhile I will enjoy watching them grow.

So, this is an indication of what I am doing with my garden.  It is new but already developing something of the character I intend it to have, so I look to the future with immense anticipation and excitement.   Why not come along one day and have a look around ?  If you can't, click here for a link to a page of images taken throughout 2003.

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