Topiary and ceramics
Sculptural topiary and homemade ceramics give a personal touch to this DIY garden. Owner Malcolm Simm tells its story
This exciting country garden is a shining example of how to create interest and intrigue in a garden. Topiary shapes act as dramatic sculptures, while homemade ceramics and DIY garden structures give the plot its unique character and personality.
“When we moved here 35 years ago, the garden was very neglected and full of nettles and brambles,” says owner Malcolm Simm, a former art teacher and ceramicist who lives here with his partner Tim. “Nature was beginning to take over and it was obvious it needed taking in hand. But this blank canvas gave us the opportunity to create a garden all our own.”
The garden drops 7m (23ft) from top to bottom, so the couple hired contractors to
SPRING IN FULL SWING
(clockwise from above left) Tulips ‘Rem’s Favourite’ and ‘Burgundy’ with purple pansies for a splash of colour; contrasting shapes and textures include buxus and yew topiary, shuttlecock ferns, marsh marigolds, beech hedging, chamaecyparis and pine trees; the ‘onion’ domes in box, with splayed yew topiary behind; rhododendron ‘Kathleen Richards’; choisya and pine with honesty, ‘Ballerina’ tulips and forget-me-nots
create three level terraces, then seeded the whole garden with grass while they came up with their new design and planting plans.
“The soil is naturally very heavy clay and the initial earthworks destroyed any natural drainage,” says Malcolm. “So, we started by creating a large wildlife pond at the bottom of the garden, connected to the stream that runs through it, so any surplus rainwater would safely drain away down the slope.”
The new pond has worked really well, framed by colourful marginal plants such as Caltha palustris (marsh marigolds) and dainty white Dierama pulcherrimum album
The blank canvas gave us the opportunity to create a garden all our own