Design Solutions
Q Use trees and shrubs to create a small woodland garden, says Louisa Gilhooly How can I make my garden more private?
WE ALL enjoy relaxing outdoors at the end of a busy day, but many suburban gardens in built-up areas are overlooked by neighbouring houses, which also cast shade for most of the day. To combat both problems, this woodland design features tall, leafy shade-loving plants. A simple group of trees, or a multistemmed specimen, underplanted with shade-tolerant shrubs, herbaceous plants and bulbs, can create a woodland effect in any size garden. Choose naturally airy trees with an open canopy, so plenty of light reaches the planting underneath without having to prune. I’ve used three Betula utilis jacquemontii ‘Grayswood Ghost’, a cultivar with the purest, most luminescent white bark. Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Frisia’ is another good choice – its rich goldenyellow leaves create a brilliant splash of colour from spring to autumn. Snake-bark maples, such as the striking Acer davidii, have fabulous autumn colour and attractive winter bark too. As a focal point, Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ is a bright and eye-catching specimen, with its coral-red bark, graceful habit and dazzling gold autumn foliage. For the most overlooked areas, evergreen ilex ‘Nellie R Stevens’ is a good-looking berry-bearing female holly with glossy, emerald-green foliage. Birds love its reliable, long-lasting crop of orange-red berries. Foxgloves thrive in dappled shade at the back of the garden, their tall spires looking striking against the dark fence in summer. Elegant Japanese anemones follow, flowering from August well into autumn, lighting up shady spots as the days shorten. Shade-loving geraniums provide a delicate display of f lowers as they colonise the ground beneath trees. Attractive G. phaeum has dark markings on the foliage matching the dramatic f lowers. The bold forms of Dicksonia antarctica tree ferns add an architectural element to this naturalistic planting scheme, their shape echoed by native evergreen Polystichum setiferum, the soft shield fern. Woodland gardens have a relaxed and natural look and, as a bonus, many of these carefree plants are low maintenance too. Keep the area mulched to retain moisture and reduce weed growth; the only other tending your garden should need is occasional pruning as required.
Woodland gardens have a relaxed and natural look