Readers’ gardens
Secret door area is enchanting
One of my favourite parts of the garden at the moment is the area around the secret door on the left-hand side. It’s much commented on by visitors and is a real eye-catcher – it gives the feel of a much bigger garden, with lots more behind. The stunning eucomis, on its left and right, really set it off this year. At the back, the fuchsia ‘Icing Sugar’ looks amazing with a cosmos in front.
A ll the gladioli I planted last summer seem to have grown even better this summer, rising some 1½m (5ft) from both pots and raised beds. The only problem was they appeared just as the strong winds kicked in and had to be staked for safety. As you walk up the central path a real talking point is the stunning Sanguisorba hakusanensis ‘Lilac Squirrel’, which has reached the lofty height of 1m (3¼ft). It has attractive, pinnate leaves and branched stems which bear terminal spikes of small, fluffy flowers with conspicuous stamens. It makes quite a centrepiece! I’ve got two lovely phygelius in the garden, one in a large terracotta pot at the back of the house and one by the pond. This year they’ve produced the most striking flowers I’ve ever seen on them – so perfectly formed. I’m dreading the water bill this year as it’ll be the first one following the installation of a water meter at the start of the year. We’ve had quite an amazing summer. At a recent opening for the National Garden Scheme, one of our visitors gave us the £1 that took our garden fundraising for charity over £100,000. We’ll probably end the year having raised a grand total of £115,000. Not bad for a little garden on the south coast! l Read more about Geoff’s garden at www. driftwoodbysea.co.uk.