GET THE LOOK
Modern style, but great for children and wildlife
AT first glance it’s not immediately obvious that Graham and Joanne Winn’s is a family garden. There is no scuffed grass, trampoline or climbing frame and the plants seem untouched by flyaway footballs. But closer inspection reveals a fairy-tale Wendy house on stilts tucked away in a shady corner beneath trees and hidden corners for children to play.
It’s more than a decade since Joanne redesigned the garden whilst studying for her Diploma in Garden Design. Alongside the needs of the children another major influence was Graham’s love of wildlife. “This meant that it had to be naturalistic,” says Joanne. “My previous work was linear and contemporary, but that wouldn’t have worked here as a total solution,” she adds. As a result, her design mixes contemporary elements such as the timber deck and prairie style planting, yet still manages to incorporate a feel for nature with areas like the mixed native boundary hedge of hawthorn, blackthorn, dog rose and hazel. “It’s very popular with birds and is always alive with house sparrows,” adds Joanne.
Today, with its hidden corners, trees and minimal use of chemicals, the garden has become a haven for countless insects, particularly bees and butterflies, attracted by the diverse range of plants and flowers. A major challenge is the dry soil surrounding the pool, which has been caused by the liner. “It means that we cannot grow moisture-loving marginals,” Graham notes. As a result, the pool is edged in yellow loosestrife, ferns, alchemilla, primulas and grasses. Here, safety is paramount. “Water is always a danger and young children should be constantly supervised,” Joanne advises. They also take care to secure lids on water butts, as well as avoiding poisonous plants, or those with irritating sap or sharp spines.
The hungriest part of the plot is the shady area along the north-eastern boundary, which eats up loads of leaf mould and homemade compost. “It’s good to do this as it also introduces children to concepts of recycling and sustainability,” Joanne adds. Receiving limited sun, this area is home to shadelovers such as hellebores, Euphorbia robbiae, ferns, aconites and tiarella. “Stinging nettles love it too, and there are some small piles of logs, so this area attracts a lot of beneficial insects, which help to control pests,” Graham says.
Keeping pests at bay is essential in the kitchen garden, a sunny, productive patch with raised beds of vegetables, soft fruit and a small greenhouse. This is Joanne’s favourite spot and where children Sebastian and Scarlet have learnt how to nurture plants themselves. “It’s my haven,” says Joanne. “I love its calm serenity and feeling of enclosure. I always feel very much in touch with nature here.”
“It’s a haven for countless insects, espcially bees”