“Our garden is full of surprises – and a hot tub!”

Hidden behind these dazzling cottage-garden flowers is a lush and vibrant tropical paradise... Owners Alex Redfern and Joe Shannon explain their approach

GARDEN SIZE Alex Redfern and Joe Shannon

AT Conisborough Crescent, Catford, south east London

Front 8.5x5.5m (28 x back 21x5.5m (69x16ft)

VISIT

To avoid being overlooked, we planted clumps of bamboo at strategic points

Bloom. We both love gardening and being active; we’re not the types to just sit. It’s much more relaxing to be doing.”

When Alex and Joe moved in, the house was crying out for a new kitchen. “As we were much more interested in starting on the garden, we lived with just a sink and a microwave for more than a year,” says Alex.

Working out where to build the patio was their first priority. “The garden faces north-west, so we knew the patio had to go at the far end of the garden, its highest point, as it got the best of the sun throughout the day,” says Alex.

Because the long, narrow garden slopes up by 2.5m (8ft) away from the house, Alex and Joe decided to build terraces

YIN & YANG

(clockwise from above) Tree ferns, trachycarpus and bamboo hide the hot tub, with purple amaranthus and red begonia ‘Santa Cruz Sunset’; tagetes, sweet Williams and red impatiens, all grown from seed; the garden heater, with purple cordyline; Buddha meditates on sleeper steps Dahlia ‘Apache’ INSET

using stepped brick walls, then laid their patio on top. “To avoid being overlooked by all the surrounding houses, we planted clumps of mature bamboo at strategic points along the garden to block their sightlines. People warn against planting bamboo because it’s so invasive, but in our case it makes the perfect screen. We’ve even been able to put our hot tub right in the middle of the garden, nestling among the plants. Most of the neighbours don’t even know it’s there.”

Next, the couple decided the top and bottom lawns had to go. “We asked ourselves: what tropical paradise has a manicured lawn at either end?” says Alex.

“Also, we didn’t have a shed so we were borrowing my parents’ lawn mower every week or so. Getting rid of the lawns made lots more room for plants.”

With a kitchen still to buy, the couple had to be resourceful. “For instance, I took inspiration from festival lighting and used shade sails and festoon lights for a really effective display. When the garden lights are on, it looks lovely,” says Alex.

Pre-cast concrete pavers and untreated railway sleepers helped keep costs down too. “I’m always totting up in my head,” says Alex. “Luckily I only tot up as we’re going along; if we’d known the final sum beforehand, I doubt we’d have done it!”

Both Alex and Joe love to propagate new plants and so have created two temporary polytunnels that they store in their loft when not in use. “Each spring we unpack them from the loft, plus all the pots and other equipment, and build the tunnels, only to pack them up again at the end of the season. It’s not much fun, but the result is worth the effort – our front garden is a real sea of colour every year.

“Last year we won a gold award in Ruxley in Bloom; when judge Jim Buttress visited us he was shocked to find the back garden was so different in style.

FEAST OF FOLIAGE

(above) The architectural foliage of tree ferns, bamboo, purple cordyline and giant yucca tower above the visitor, with flashes of red begonia, ferns and silvery lamium leading the way up sleeper steps (L-R) Salvia farinacea ‘Seascape’ and tagetes; climbing Ipomoea lobata (Spanish flag); Amaranthus caudatus (love-lies-bleeding)

We’re always drawn to the more architectural, bigger-leaved plants

BELOW

“I’m not sure where our love of tropical plants came from,” says Alex. “When we lived in Bermondsey we bought plants at Columbia Road Market almost every week. We were always drawn to the more architectural, bigger-leaved plants. Then, around 11 years ago Joe bought me a tree fern for my birthday. It’s still thriving in the garden today, but now we have 15 of them! All the plants are watered using our drip-feed irrigation system, and because the garden is so sheltered by the bamboo, it doesn’t suffer cold winds or frost.”

Joe and Alex grow a staggering 4,000 new plants each year. “We don’t use them all; we share them with friends, family and neighbours. That’s what it’s all about really, sharing. We both volunteer at my grandmother’s care home too, leading exciting activites for those with dementia. We hope she’ll find comfort in gardening, and enjoy her new home more.” ✿