Garden of the Week
This peaceful garden near Liverpool offers and a 'nod to the Orient', even though its owners have never travelled further than Spain!
Houses rarely offer clues to the sort of garden they conceal, and in the village of Woolton, near Liverpool, hidden behind their 1930s home, Maureen and John Davies have created a very personal horticultural confection with a distinct element of surprise. But as is so often the case, when they arrived over 30 years ago, the space was nothing special. The house backed onto a rectangle of grass, with a veg patch at the end and a path down the side. An old shed had sycamore growing around it, and the only really notable features were two apple trees – which they kept – and a large rosemary – which Maureen took an instant dislike to.
“We bought the house because we liked the garden, but our previous garden was only 9m (30ft) long and this was a big step up,” explains Maureen. “One of the first things we did was cut the flower beds out of the lawn. It was a bit scary as we didn’t quite know what we were doing and I’ve never been an expert,” she says modestly.
The garden evolved bit by bit and, as the couple dug and planted, a symmetrical sort of shape emerged, which was gradually followed by a growing appreciation of big leaves and a taste for evergreen ferns. At the very back of the garden they
installed a decent-sized shed. “First of all, we kept budgies there,” says Maureen, “but it’s now a home gym!”
One of the biggest missions was digging the pond out of the rather clayey soil. “We didn’t want it to freeze, so we kept digging and it’s over two feet deep! It needs some attention now, though. The water level keeps dropping and we think there might be a hole in the liner so we might have to dig it out and replace it.”
Now in its comfortable maturity, the garden is orderly and highly habitable, with distinctly Asian overtones and the sort of lush and lavish foliage that comes with a suggestion of warmer climes.
Pared back containers are filled with palm trees and dahlias, while a theme of mirrors reflects back the coloured foliage and creates a sense of size and mystery. “It's a tropical
Japanese fusion, with a bit of cottage garden thrown in!” says Maureen. "I like the idea of a Japanese garden; I love that sort of feel. So, this is a nod to the Orient, although we’ve never been further than Spain!”
This is a garden that's far from static. “We usually change things every year,” says Maureen. “I like to change the bedding: it’s possible to get bored of geraniums! And there's usually something you want to be different. Some of the plants have got quite big now, so every now and again we have to chop bits off.”
Their simple gardening philosophy also makes for a very tidy space. “When a bit needs doing, you do it,” she says. And the rewards of this are clear. The scheme is bold and verges on the minimalist. The brick wall is painted white and a theme of purple-grey slate chippings is picked up by charcoal planters. Yet the plants themselves are dramatic, a symphony of green; leaves that are sword-shaped, spreading or ferny. The simplicity is an effective foil for the collection of acers.
There are other splashes of unexpected colour, too. Inky Sambucus nigra and blackleaved dahlias, with hot orange crocosmia and bold hits of pink from pelargoniums and cosmos.
Extra detail, meanwhile, is added by an eclectic taste in sculpture, from Asian-style busts and contemporary silver butterflies, to reflective silver baubles clustered in the top of the containers.
Yet despite all this control and order, the garden still throws up unexpected challenges and opportunities. “We had a lilac that split in half unexpectedly recently. It was just before an open day, and it was too late to do anything so we got a rope and tied it together – which did for the day.” When the tree was finally removed, the gaping hole was promptly plugged with a new arbour seat.
But Maureen’s favourite thing about the garden is its sense of peace and tranquility. “You go down the steps and it's quite private; it’s nice and green, and you can hear the birds singing,” she says. Although she does enjoy having visitors, too. “I like watching visitors take pleasure in the garden, it’s a very good feeling when you make people happy.”
“It’s nice to have a garden, particularly when it’s a sunny day, of course, but even in winter when it’s frosty I like it. John and I complement each other well: and between us we get all the gardening jobs done,” she says.