NARROW WINNER: MAKING THE MOST OF A LONG THIN GARDEN
Hidden corners and a borrowed backdrop of shrubs and trees make this long thin garden feel as though it goes on forever
It’s hard to believe that this garden, filled with mature specimen plants and hidden alcoves, is just 3.7 metres wide. ‘It appears narrow at the outset, but as you walk along the path and discover surprises at each twist and turn, it seems wider because you don’t see it all at once,’ says owner Liz Wells, who together with her husband Will created the garden at their home in Cookham, Berkshire.
When they started work on it, the garden was a 25-metre-long lawned plot that was totally exposed to its neighbours and the elements,
apart from a large sycamore overshadowing the far end. ‘I had this idea of creating different patios in various spots, linked by a decked path so that places were slightly hidden, but easily accessible,’ says Liz.
The plot is north-facing, so she carefully noted where the sun fell at different times of the day, before settling on three separate seating areas – sofas near the kitchen for the morning sun and, to catch the evening rays, a paved patio with a dining table at the far end, partly obscured from view by a large phormium. ‘Once summer’s here, we always
eat outside and the patio heater gives us another month once the weather turns cooler.’ There’s a third seating area in the middle, situated beneath a pergola that, clad in ivy and clematis, casts shade throughout the day.
As Liz sketched out various ideas, Will, a retired chartered engineer and trained draughtsman, drew each to scale to check it would work. ‘Although I’ve a reasonable eye for measurements, I’m not precise, and where space is limited, there’s little margin for error,’ explains Liz. They also took care choosing the hard landscaping materials, sticking to the generally accepted maximum of only three different surfaces. After the final design was drawn, Will built all the structures, including the pergola and planked path that sidesteps down the garden.
Once the path was laid in full, the focus shifted to planting the borders either side. They chose specimens such as Magnolia grandiflora, clumps of bamboo, a Chusan palm, spiky New Zealand flax, a miniature pine tree and box balls. Initially, they lost several prize specimens to harsh frosts, but as the plants have become better established, they seem hardier, surviving winter without need of protective fleeces. Some did not settle in their first position – the prunus has so far been moved three times. ‘A garden should never be static, and you shouldn’t be afraid to move things around, and if something is obviously unhappy, just replace it,’ Liz says. Other plants are grown in pots, adding flexible solutions. ‘For instance, when a bare patch developed on a fence because the ivy had not grown, we simply moved a potted camellia in front.’
With its mature evergreens, decked walkway and borders that are mulched to
suppress weeds, this garden is relatively low-maintenance. ‘I wanted to keep it as easy as possible,’ says Liz. And she has succeeded, starting with a decked patio immediately outside the kitchen which, at first glance, appears to be lawn, but on closer inspection is revealed to be Astroturf. ‘It doesn’t need scarifying, feeding or mowing – we simply vacuum up any debris.’
In addition, there is a leaky pipe watering system. Otherwise, maintenance is restricted to regularly snipping back any wayward branches to prevent plants overcrowding the path, deadheading and removing any yellowing leaves. ‘And the path has to be painted each year,’ Liz adds.
While there is much about this beautiful garden to enjoy, several aspects stand out. ‘It’s lovely just wandering through it, appreciating how well it has all come to fruition, especially in spring when the azaleas are a blaze of colour,’ says Liz.
Best of all, though, is sitting at the far end and looking back towards the house framed by the arch and pergola. ‘It’s like waking up and finding yourself in a different room.’