INTERVIEW
Karen Roos, owner of The Newt
When planning a garden, start by looking at the existing space and take some time to create a design to structure your garden for different experiences. Take time with the groundwork – the layout of paths and preparing planting beds. Think about how you will access and move through the space, where the sun falls, work out the type of soil and local climate to find the plants that will thrive. Plant with care and nurture your garden.
For a garden geared towards entertainment,
comfortable and beautiful seating areas and cosy nooks are a necessity. Transform your space into a vibrant alfresco dining area that has shaded seating for guests. Leave the wow factor for the garden.
When hosting a garden party,
let your environment be the main decorator. You are in nature and want your guests to feel relaxed. Harvest seasonal vegetables, flora and fauna to us as decor.
Not only should it have visual appeal in terms of colour or special features – but it should also include plants that lure birds, moving water, delightful textures to touch and feel, as well as fragrant plants to trigger memories and delight. It should offer the opportunity to taste. Essentially it needs to ground you.
A garden should engage all the senses. Include variety to follow the seasons, summer to winter
– ensuring that there is year-round interest. Head gardener at Prieuré d’orsan, Gilles Guillot, has this beautiful saying that a garden is like someone you love – there is something beautiful about them in every season. At my other hotel, Babylonstoren in South Africa, there are blossoms in August, clivias in September, blooming rose towers in November or berries, plums and lotus flowers in December.
When planting I like to include something romantic and lovely,
such as the old-fashioned scented rose. Vegetables, to serve seasonal food. Sweet scents that fill the air, such as lavender and herbs. Trees, to add character and structure. Let your garden do double-duty with citrus or a fig tree that looks as good as it tastes.
It may require a little more thought than a larger space,
but you can bring a small space to life with carefully chosen furniture, by creating a living green wall to add lush foliage, or by adding perspective with different levels, perhaps by using a hanging chair to create the illusion of more f loor space.
Be brave enough to reflect your own personality.
Essentially that is the thing that will make your garden unique. Create a space that allows visitors to slow down and take a look around.
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