From major to minor In part two of a series of four, we discover how the strong structure of Mary Keen’s winter garden underpins the new season’s gentler planting
In the second of our four visits to the garden of writer and designer Mary Keen, we see how the broad strokes of winter structure make way for planting in a more delicate key
Spring is the gentlest, greenest moment of the year. Town gardens have golden forsythia and shocking-pink cherry blossom to brighten grey streets, but if you live in the country everything is so beautiful, it seems pointless to compete. I love cow parsley ( Anthriscus sylvestris), but try not to let it take the place over. I refer to it as Queen Anne’s lace and cut it as soon as it sets seed. On the house there is a yellow Banksian rose ( Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’). The white version is scented and I wish I could grow it, but only warmer gardens are that lucky. Our south-facing wall is much too crowded, the windows are only four feet apart, which is tricky for expansive climbers. I tried a Magnolia grandiflora in the corner next to the hedge but it ran out of room very quickly. By July the house looks like Miss Havisham’s hall in Great Expectations. I like the shady greenery hanging round the windows so that in summer, you can only see out through a curtain of leaves. If I were tidier, I might stick to well-trained roses and clematis, with clipped myrtles. But we inherited the wisteria, which is the beautiful longracemed form W. floribunda f. multijuga. Wisterias can take so long to flower when you buy them, that one as floriferous as this is worth keeping. If you do want to plant a wisteria, buy one that already has flowers, or you could wait years for your plant to perform.
The Buddleja agathosma, to the left of the front door, tangles with the Banksia and has tiny, scented, mauve flowers in April. It is not bone hardy so in some years there are no flowers, but the giant silver leaves are spectacular all summer. All these climbers are late spring features, but later on, the yellow rose ‘Leverkusen’ and Clematis ‘Perle d’Azur’ weave through the wisteria. If I were starting again, I would choose C. ‘Prince Charles’, which is also blue and flowers for longer, sometimes until August. To the left of the Banksia, Rosa ‘Alchymist’ grabs a space. Far too many things I know, and the deadheading on high is no fun at all. As I get older, I dislike being on ladders, but a sturdy, tripod topiary ladder feels as safe as firm ground.
It was interesting moving from a brick Berkshire rectory to a stone one. Yellow never looked right against red brick but it is perfect on stone, where white and pale pink can look washed out. Dark-red roses can work on both but my favourite ‘Guinée’ failed, as it often does. ‘Étoile de Hollande’ is lovely but a bit heavy headed.
Climbers, especially vigorous ones, are work. Having a structure of vine eyes and wires to tie plants in firmly is vital. Some people use trellis, but that can be very conspicuous when the leaves are down and it quickly looks dilapidated. We did use a custom-made, wire-framed trellis for one client, which was beautiful.
Turn the page for Mary’s advice on natural planting for spring