Nick Bailey gives his tips on quick ways to divide up your garden
These easy ideas will make your plot feel bigger and exciting to explore
It might feel counter-intuitive, but dividing up a small space can actually make it feel bigger. I’ve done it in countless small gardens and even my own. By not revealing the whole garden at once you create a sense of discovery and journey. I always think of gardens as a series of flirtations and revelations – create a glimpse of something in the distance and you’re drawn to the mystery and want to discover what lies beyond, even in a garden you know well.
Dividing up a space can, of course, be easily achieved with fences, walls, pergolas and the like, but these can be expensive and time-consuming to build, so how about doing the job with plants? If you’re looking for an instant result, then there are plenty of pre-grown hedges that can be slo ed in at this time of year, but they’re also pre y pricey. So, what are the other alternatives? Well, there are plenty, so read on...
Giant cuttings
Species of both willow and poplar are ideal for creating 3m (10ft) plus hardwood cu ings. They can be simply pushed into the soil before the onset of spring and will break bud in a ma er of months, growing away as if they’d always been there. For u er simplicity push the cu ings 30-50cm (11¾ft) into the ground at 15-20cm (6-8in) centres. If you want to get a fancier look push them in at a 45 degree angle and repeat in the other direction, creating a trellis look in the process. Willow stems can be bought online from many different suppliers; poplar is more likely sourced from friends, neighbours or your local friendly farmer or landowner.
Screens from seed
A 1.8m (6ft) screen in a single season from seeds might seem a bit far fetched but I’ve done it lots of times. The easiest plant to use is Atriplex purpurea. You can direct sow it any time from early spring in a row and two months later you’ll have a 1.5-1.8m (5-6ft) screen. Sorghum bicolor is also easy, but this tropical grass needs sowing indoors in early spring.
Plant at 15cm (6in) centres after frosts have passed for a dense, multi-coloured screen. For a more quirky look grow Leonotis leonurus in the same way but plant at 30cm (1ft) centres for a 1.8M (6ft) screen, adorned with whorls of furry, orange flowers!
Luscious and lofty
Several inexpensive herbaceous perennials also make useful seasonal screens. Miscanthus is an obvious choice, with forms such as M. sacchariflorus and ‘Kaskade’ capable of reaching 1.8m (6ft) in months. American prairie daisies can be useful, too. Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’, H. tuberosus (artichoke) and Bidens aurea will reach 1.2 (4ft) in their first year and 1.8m (6ft) by year two.