{"id":10513,"date":"2022-05-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-23T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=10513"},"modified":"2022-05-24T18:15:09","modified_gmt":"2022-05-24T16:15:09","slug":"laid-back-living","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/2022\/05\/24\/laid-back-living\/","title":{"rendered":"Laid-back living"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this once-overlooked suburban plot, designer Colm Joseph has created a modern gravel garden that offers a relaxing green retreat<\/p>\n\n

WORDS KATE JACOBS | PHOTOGRAPHS RICHARD BLOOM<\/p>\n\n

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The unified boundary treatment of Carpinus betulus <\/em>as both hedge and pleached trees provides the garden with privacy and coherence, and creates a formal framework for the more naturalistic planting to play against. Hummocks of Pinus mugo <\/em>\u2018Gnom\u2019 and Sesleria autumnalis <\/em>help to build up a palette of greens, interspersed with drifts of colour, enveloping the inviting seating areas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
<\/div>
\n
IN BRIEF<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

What <\/strong>Small suburban garden.
Where <\/strong>Suffolk.
Size <\/strong>15m x 11m.
Soil <\/strong>Free-draining, lime-rich loam.
Climate <\/strong>Temperate.
Hardiness zone<\/strong> USDA 8.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

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The pale-grey finish of the simple, reflective water bowl complements the limestone slabs and gravel; together they are an attractive foil for the intense hues of Salvia nemorosa<\/em> \u2018Caradonna\u2019 and Thymus serpyllum<\/em> \u2018Pink Chintz\u2019. The budget-friendly water feature is cleverly sited between the two seating zones, bringing a sense of tranquillity to both areas. The large-format limestone paving creates a minimalist contrast with the naturalistic planting, while the staggered, asymmetric layout and planted paving joints seamlessly integrate the hard and soft elements of the garden.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Small gardens are all too often defined by their boundaries, but, by paying attention to this garden\u2019s perimeters and carefully shaping the space within, garden designer Colm Joseph has brought the focus into the heart of this garden. Here a restrained yet naturalistic planting scheme has created a relaxed and harmonious place to spend time in. The owners of this garden, in the suburbs of historic market town Bury St Edmunds, are keen gardeners, but were saddled with too many challenges to tackle a redesign themselves, dating back to when the house was built in the 1990s. \u201cThere were overpowering shrubs and uninspiring panel fencing that failed to screen the garden, and a lack of inviting destinations within,\u201d recalls Colm. On the verge of retirement, the owners asked for a garden where they could spend a lot more time relaxing: \u201cThey wanted it to be a truly immersive retreat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

The principal challenge faced by Colm was the fact that this garden was overlooked by neighbouring properties on all sides \u2013 hardly conducive to relaxation. In order to deliver a garden with a truly immersive feel, Colm had to rethink its boundaries. \u201cUnless there\u2019s a characterful old wall or the budget to build something beautiful, I like to green up the perimeters, to soften them and give them a much more natural feel. Using the same boundary treatment throughout also creates a sense of coherence, which is so important in a small garden and means that your eye settles within the space and isn\u2019t drawn to the fence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

In what might seem like a counter-intuitive move in a small garden, Colm has invested valuable space in creating a double boundary using two forms of Carpinus <\/em>betulus, <\/em>firstly as an outer hedge that screens the existing fences, then, within that, as a line of pleached trees.<\/p>\n\n

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The seating areas are positioned in the heart of the garden, immersed in the planting. Carpinus betulus <\/em>has been repeated in three different forms, ranging from clipped formality to the sinuously sculptural. Four multi-stemmed trees bring definition to the centre of the garden, introducing an element of height without blocking sight lines, while tactile mounds of vivid-green Sesleria autumnalis <\/em>bring a sense of movement to the planting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

\u201cThis provides privacy screening to a good height. It takes up a little more room, but it\u2019s worth it because together the boundaries bring a greater sense of layered depth and make the garden feel less finite.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

The house opens on to the garden via two sets of French doors and the owners asked for two seating areas, to serve as lounging and dining spaces. But rather than place these adjacent to the house, Colm has sited them in the middle of the garden. \u201cIn a smaller plot, I avoid leaving a central void. Instead I like to bring mass into the garden to shape the space, which, again, actually makes the garden feel bigger.\u201d That sense of mass is achieved with a third variation on Colm\u2019s <\/span>Carpinus <\/em>betulus <\/em>theme, this time in a multi-stemmed form, as well as with mounds of dwarf pine (Pinus mugo <\/em>\u2018Mops\u2019 and Pinus <\/em>mugo <\/em>\u2018Gnom\u2019) that repeat around the garden, adding year-round structure and texture to the groundcover planting. Colm likes to anchor his gardens in the wider landscape, so for this design, he drew on the genius loci of the Suffolk countryside \u2013 a tapestry of arable fields and hedgerows, studded with pockets of woodland that frequently combine deciduous trees with pines.<\/p>\n\n

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Once overlooked, the garden is now pleasingly secluded, allowing its owners to relax and potter in privacy. Designed as a low-maintenance gravel garden, the gravel acts as a mulch to suppress weeds and reduce the need for irrigation. The plant selections combine year-round interest in form, colour and texture, with gentle seasonal transitions to create the desired relaxing space.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

\u201cFor me it\u2019s an important design principle for gardens to resonate with their wider setting.\u201d For the hard landscaping, Colm has chosen a light grey limestone, which he says is a nod to the chalk geology of parts of East Anglia. <\/span>Just as with the Carpinus <\/em>betulus, <\/em>Colm has used the stone in contrasting formats: a naturalistic gravel and outsized slabs of sawn-finish paving, bringing simplicity and modernity to the design.<\/p>\n\n

The paving is used to define the two seating areas. \u201cAgain it feels counter-intuitive, but using oversized pavers actually increases the sense of space,\u201d says Colm. To continue this garden\u2019s restrained aesthetic, Colm opted for a pared-back planting palette. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cTo create a restful space, I wanted the garden to feature layers of green, confining the wider colour palette to drifts of purple, pink and white, with some yellow hues,\u201d he says. A relaxed feel is further cultivated by contrasting the clipped formality of the boundary with a looser, more naturalistic approach to the ground over planting, \u201cfrom the pines, down to the thyme that creeps across the gravel and softens the edges of the large paving slabs\u201d. For Colm, the perennials bring a subtle dynamism to the garden. \u201cIt\u2019s so important to tie the garden to the seasons, with plants such as gauras, salvias and sesleria bringing a sense of flux throughout the year in what might otherwise be quite a static composition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

This garden is a deft balancing act, between classic and modern, formal and informal, the manicured and the naturalistic. Now screened and private, the owners have little more to do than sit back and enjoy the new-found sense of harmony.<\/p>\n\n

USEFUL INFORMATION <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Find out more about Colm\u2019s work at colmjoseph.co.uk<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

<\/div>
\n

TREES IN A SMALL GARDEN<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Loose, naturalistic mounds of dwarf pine, Pinus mugo<\/em> \u2018Mops\u2019 and Pinus mugo<\/em> \u2018Gnom\u2019, are a nod to the woods that punctuate the Suffolk landscape and contrast with the more static, formal elements of the garden. A restrained colour palette of pinks, purples and whites is tempered by an emphasis on contrasting shades of green. The planting features carefully considered variations in the texture, form and colour of flowering perennials, and grasses add long seasonal interest in this coherent and restful space.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Trees have a crucial role to play in the creation of a successful small garden. <\/strong>They add height and mass, helping to shape the space and define areas within the garden. Trees also provide a connection with nature and seasonality \u2013 something that is important in all gardens but even more so in urban or suburban spaces. Colm likes to connect his gardens to the wider landscape and often opts for species that grow naturally in the surrounding area. Among his favourite trees for a smaller garden are Malus <\/em>(the crab apples), Cornus <\/em>mas, <\/em>Amelanchier <\/em>x lamarckii, <\/em>and multi-stemmed Crataegus. \u201cI <\/em>often use deciduous trees with spring blossom and good autumn colour, as they sync the garden, and the people using it, to the changing seasons, and are great for wildlife.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To create calm and cohesion in this garden, <\/strong>Colm used another versatile species of native tree with strong seasonal interest, Carpinus <\/em>betulus, <\/em>creatively deployed in multiple forms to improve privacy and blur the boundaries of the garden, first as a hedge and, further in, as a row of pleached trees. There are also multi-stemmed feature trees that have a sculptural quality.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The form of tree chosen for a small garden is also important. <\/strong>The multistemmed specimens used here are \u201cumbrella-pruned\u201d, with a raised canopy and clear stems, to preserve the views through the stems and across the garden. \u201cThere\u2019s no foliage low down so they don\u2019t feel too heavy, but you can still appreciate the mass of the canopy above head height, which is useful for creating dappled shade over the seating areas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

8 key plants<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

1 Alchemilla mollis <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Scallop-edged foliage contributes to the layers of green in this garden, while the yellow-green flowers add a subtle lift to the planting. 60cm x 75cm. AGM*. RHS H7, USDA 3a-8b\u2020<\/sup> . <\/p>\n\n

2 Thymus serpyllum <\/em>\u2018Pink Chintz\u2019 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

This evergreen groundcover adds drifts of pink in early summer and softens the lines of the limestone paving. The flowers are edible, and pretty in salads and drinks. 10cm x 50cm. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.<\/p>\n\n

3 Selinum wallichianum <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

The fine, frond-like foliage and white umbels bring variation in texture and form, while the claret-tinted stems echo the colours at play in this garden. 1.2m x 90cm. AGM. RHS H6. <\/p>\n\n

4 Oenothera lindheimeri <\/em>\u2018Whirling Butterflies\u2019 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

A short-lived perennial worth including for the long flowering season of hazy spires of pink-white flowers. 75cm x 50cm. RHS H4, USDA 5a-9b. <\/p>\n\n

5 Salvia nemorosa <\/em>\u2018Caradonna\u2019 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

A compact, bee-friendly plant that thrives in a sunny gravel garden. Drifts of purple racemes provide a contrasting form within the planting scheme here. 50cm x 30cm. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b. <\/p>\n\n

6 Pinus mugo <\/em>\u2018Mops\u2019 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Provides evergreen structure within the naturalistic planting. 4m x 8m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 2a-7b. <\/p>\n\n

7 Sesleria autumnalis <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Semi-evergreen grass with long-lasting, silver-white panicles and beautiful autumn colour. 50cm x 50cm. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 5a-8b.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

8 Euphorbia myrsinites <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

A low-lying plant with glaucous leaves and acid-yellow flowers in spring and early summer. 15cm x 30cm. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.<\/p>\n\n

*Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. \u2020<\/sup>Hardiness ratings given where available.<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

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