A little slide show featuring my own garden (well, it is only fair) from 2009 through to last autumn.
Set behind a red brick Victorian (1895) house in Teddington, near to the Lock and River Thames. Richmond and Kingston are a short walk away.
North west-facing, the sun lights up the end of the garden from about 8am and then moves round, up and over the house to set behind the horse chestnut tree after 7pm in high summer. Neighbours to left and right and looking onto garden for house(s) in the road beyond.
The garden: A rectangle 6m wide and roughly three times as deep, divided by thirds into an ipe (ironwood) decked area with curved profile, providing an area for table and chairs, a 4m x 4m green slate terrace with 1m borders either side, leading through a 2m greenery ‘belt’ to the Breeze House and planted area underneath a substantial horse chestnut tree.
The boundaries (brick on one side, timber the other) heavily screened and planted with evergreen shrubs, bamboo (which have loved the wet season last year), climbing and rambling roses, honeysuckle, clematis, climbing hydrangea and virginia creeper.
Much seasonal planting (both ornamental and vegetable) and other permanently planted pots (in large near black, zinc containers) with acers (palmatum atropurpureum, dissectum and acer griseum), roses, two pinus nigra, a large blue conifer that smells of pineapple, the plum Majorie’s Seedling, a magnolia soulangeana, a dawn redwood… two bottlebrushes and banana!
Evergreen planting of flax and sky-scraping cordyline, bamboo (black and gold), laurel, yew, pyracantha and viburnums, coloured with smokebushes (both Cotinus Grace and Royal Purple), dogwoods, cercis Forest Pansy, regal fern and more for an autumn show. Some perennial planting. Last year I rather overdid the Dahlias which, in their pots, took over most of the available floor space. What can I say?!
The planting is full but always hope the rigid geometry of the hard landscaping helps to keep the overall scheme in order. I have several pairs of secateurs.
However the planting grows, there are always two places to sit and eat and we can follow the sun round the garden on a selection of loungers and not be too overlooked by our (lovely) neighbours.
The front garden is a postage stamp but I do seem to be able to get a lot into it…
Plenty of objects, bought and found, abound. Three indian sandstone spheres being the latest and most substantial additions.
The Teddington Gardener 