“There are flowers every day of the year”
These voluptuous borders are bursting with colour in summer. Owner Diane Berger explains how she created this elegant north London garden
Perennial blooms burst from voluptuous summer borders in this north London garden
This smart cottage garden in London’s Hampstead Garden Suburb is ablaze with vibrant summer perennials. From the roses and hops that festoon the wroughtiron arbour to the exotic cannas and zantedeschias by the pond, there’s something in flower every day of the year. “In winter there is the wonderful scent of sarcococca, chimonanthus and witch hazel,” says owner Diane Berger. “Then, in January and February, the snowdrops and hellebores start to flower. But the garden really reaches its peak in July, August and September, when the herbaceous borders come into bloom.” On the sunny left-hand side of the garden, Diane tends a sizzling hot border of crocosmia, hemerocallis and heleniums for a riot of red, yellow and orange flowers. “I’ve also popped in some purple spires of liatris, which helps to lift things,” she says. HOT COLOURS (clockwise from top left) Fiery crocosmia with white leucanthemums, yellow solidago and blue aconitum; pink eupatorium towers over white Persicaria polymorpha, phlox, veronicastrum and liatris; crocosmia with persicaria; pink echinacea ‘Gum Drop’ with sidalcea ‘Elsie Heugh’; in front of the gazebo are darmera and the grass Molinia caerulea ‘Bergfreund’
“The border was inspired by Christopher Lloyd at Great Dixter. He was such a tropical trendsetter who loved hot colours.” In contrast, Diane’s main oval-shaped border is a swathe of soothing lilac and pink from June into July, with pink hydrangeas that shine on into August. “I like to pop in a few grasses too, such as Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’,” she says. “I tend to plunge them into gaps, keeping them in their pots. They’re such good fillers.” Diane moved to her listed Arts and Crafts-style house 44 years ago. “Back then, the design was quite traditional – just lawn and borders,” she says. “Sorting out the garden was a top priority for me but it
“I tend to plunge grasses into gaps, keeping them in their pots. They’re such good fillers”
was only about 25 years ago that I began to become more discerning in my plant choices. I did it all wrong at first and it looked awful! I poked plants in here and there, so it all looked very bitty and didn’t hang together. “Creating a sense of continuity in garden design is so important,” she says. “For instance, I like to make sure all the plants are easy on the eye and flow through the garden. I tend to plant in threes, repeat plants in different places and drift them through borders for better cohesion.” Eventually Diane decided to reduce the lawn. “When I stood back and assessed the garden, I realised that we didn’t actually need a lawn,” she says. “I dug most of it up and gave the space over to billowing beds of perennials instead. There’s now just one winding grass path for access. Then I realised that a lot of the shrubs and blooms I’d planted weren’t especially visible, so I added a section of decking with seats at the far end of the garden so you can see the whole area from a fresh perspective.” Diane put in an arbour for added height and structure. “It’s nice to sit there and see the garden from a different angle. I don’t like a garden that you can see all in one hit. It’s nice to be led round by paths, wondering ‘Where on earth does this go?’” Today, the garden is a thriving mass of colour. It’s open and sunny, with mature birch and oak trees that provide shade and a framework around which to work. “Creating a garden is a steep learning curve,” says Diane. “I’ve listened to a great deal of advice over the years. Inspiration has come from all sides – but especially Christopher Lloyd’s garden at Great Dixter. His planting prompted me to stop planting humdrum bedding and perennials and made me lean towards more unusual specimens.” Diane also cites Dutch designer Piet Oudolf’s ‘wispy’ naturalistic style as another influence. “A gardening friend taught me about using grasses and now I wouldn’t be without them. My favourites are Calamagrostis acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ and Miscanthus sinensis, which are wonderful for texture and movement. I’ve also got a fantastic bank of Stipa tenuissima that shimmers in the sun and breeze.
“Over the years, I think you tend to get a little wiser about gardening, choosing better plant cultivars. Now I look for those that fit the garden better, grow better or stand on their own two feet without too much cosseting. “For example, I don’t grow gladioli now, because I got fed up with staking them. And instead of helenium ‘Moerheim’s Beauty’ I use a lot of ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’, which performs much better. If a plant or feature doesn’t work, I just remove it and give it away to friends.” As a member of her local horticultural society, Diane organises coach trips to gardens to gather ideas. “I still get excited and think ‘I can do that!’,” she says. “Our chairman says I paint with plant colour – it’s a lovely compliment and I hope he’s right.”
“Continuity is so important... I like to make sure all the plants are easy on the eye”