Celebrate natural colour

This sumptuous garden view can be found at Wildside Nursery in Devon, where designer Keith Wiley is inspired by nature

Enjoy the sumptuous view at Wildside Nursery in Devon, where designer Keith Wiley is inspired by nature

THIS COLOURFUL valley of flowers has a wild and natural look, using painterly daubs of colour chosen from right across the colour spectrum. The winding path leads between gentle mounds of sun-loving plants, such as Salvia nemorosa and pink Linaria purpurea, plus daisies and the arching wands of Dierama pulcherrimum (angel’s fishing rod). Grasses and drifts of white and yellow anthemis provide continuity between pink Filipendula multijuga in the foreground, blue Campanula lactiflora, yellow hemerocallis ‘Ariadne’, orange-red hemerocallis ‘Sammy Russell’ and purple geraniums. Feathery Nassella tenuissima and bronze fennel help to emphasise the lightness. The effect is one of a vibrant Impressionist painting. Bolder accents of colour at the pathside draw the eye, anchor the frothy planting and invite you round the corner: red Geranium robertianum, Bowles’ golden sedge Carex elata ‘Aurea’ and purple Salvia nemorosa. Rather than use lots of grasses and typical ‘prairie-style’ perennials, the garden’s creator Keith Wiley has gone for a more complex planting matrix, using a wide variety of plant forms and colours in small clumps rather than vast blocks. This means it’s possible to get the same vibrant effect on a smaller scale: it’s ideal for a sunny garden slope. Wildside Nursery in Devon is open 11-15 and 27-31 July, 11am-5pm, admission £6. Contact 01822 855755; www.wileyatwildside.com