{"id":9532,"date":"2022-04-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-26T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=9532"},"modified":"2022-05-12T09:56:10","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T07:56:10","slug":"pure-and-simple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/2022\/04\/27\/pure-and-simple\/","title":{"rendered":"Pure and simple"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In early summer, the path is lined with soft mounds of Alchemilla mollis<\/em> and stands of the magnificent white Iris <\/em>\u2018Ciffs of Dover\u2019, with the blush-pink shrub rose Rosa<\/em> \u2018Gruss an Aachen\u2019 behind. By the end of the summer, as the planting grows up, the path almost disappears. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Pure and simple<\/h2>\n\n

Designer Sheila Jack\u2019s sparing use of colour in her own city garden transforms a partially shaded space into a luminous oasis of calm, just when she needs it at the end of a busy day<\/p>\n\n

WORDS BELINDA COOPER | PHOTOGRAPHS BRITT WILLOUGHBY DYER<\/p>\n\n

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A curving gravel path links the house to the studio at the end of the long, narrow garden. The addition of the studio, by Ecospace (ecospacestudios.com<\/a>), was the impetus for the garden\u2019s redesign.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
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IN BRIEF<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

What <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>Small, urban garden.
Where <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>West London.
Size <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>Roughly 5m x 12m.
Soil <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>Clay loam.
Climate<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong> Temperate, south-facing garden.
Hardiness zone <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>USDA 9.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

For garden designer Sheila Jack, it was the installation of an outdoor studio that led to a redesign of her own garden. Home is a Victorian terraced house in west London, with a typical rectangular plot. Measuring roughly 5m by 12m, the garden runs the width of the house. \u201cIt was very traditional, long and narrow with a lawn and terrace,\u201d says Sheila. \u201cThen we put a studio at the end and wanted to make a relationship between it and the house. We needed a pathway, something that would be good all year round.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The feeling of the garden was important too. \u201cWe wanted somewhere where we could sit outside, that had different areas and moods but also something green and pretty. We wanted that feeling of escape.\u201d The planting was inspired by childhood visits to Sissinghurst and the idea of \u2018moonlight\u2019 gardens, with mostly white flowers that shimmer as it gets dark.<\/p>\n\n

Facing south, the garden is sheltered and slightly shaded by the surrounding houses. Sheila was happy to get rid of the lawn and that allowed her to free up more space for plants. The result is simple and relaxed. There\u2019s a buff York-stone terrace by the house for dining, with pots and a couple of lounge chairs. A single step runs all the way across the garden, taking you up from the terrace to a semi-circular gravel path that cuts through the borders and leads to an informal seating area in front of the studio.<\/p>\n\n

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Lateral cedar trellis panels were added to the existing brick wall for extra height and to support scented climbing roses \u2018Rambling Rector\u2019 and \u2018Madame Alfred Carri\u00e8re\u2019. The thick, blue-grey leaves of a potted Hosta<\/em> \u2018Halcyon\u2019 add texture.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The dense, spherical heads of Allium<\/em> \u2018Mont Blanc\u2019 abound in late spring and early summer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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A clipped yew dome (Taxus baccata<\/em>), one of many scattered around the garden for structure and winter interest, nestles at the foot of Hydrangea arborescens<\/em> \u2018Annabelle\u2019 and Rosa banksiae<\/em> \u2018Alba Plena\u2019. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Sheila cleared out most of the original plants, keeping a large camellia and a Carpenteria <\/em>californica <\/em>that, with judicious pruning, has turned into a small, multi-stemmed tree. The starting point for the rest of the planting was a trip to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where she bought roses, irises and grasses. All the <\/span>Iris <\/em>\u2018Cliffs of Dover\u2019 have come from three plants, divided over the years. More layers have gone in over time. Yew domes add structure and winter interest, along with Hydrangea <\/em>arborescens <\/em>\u2018Annabelle\u2019 near the terrace. A Cornus <\/em>kousa <\/em>var. chinensis <\/em>has replaced a large, arching rose in front of the studio, and the walls are smothered in a mixture of ivy, Trachelospermum <\/em>jasminoides <\/em>and roses.<\/p>\n\n

Sheila loves the seasonality of the space.\u201cIt starts off quite low with lots of bulbs, then the grasses and perennials start coming through. In May, the irises go into bud, then roses become the focus, along with Allium <\/em>\u2018Mont Blanc\u2019, Alchemilla <\/em>mollis <\/em>and foxgloves. I also add in annuals such as Ammi <\/em>majus <\/em>and cosmos. It gets higher and wilder towards the end of the year, with Chamaenerion <\/em>angustifolium <\/em>\u2018Album\u2019, Thalictrum <\/em>Splendide White (= \u2018Fr21034\u2019), Valeriana <\/em>officinalis <\/em>and umbellifers. There\u2019s a softness to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

There\u2019s a lushness to it too. \u201cIt is a white garden,\u201d says Sheila, \u201cbut not exclusively so. It\u2019s mainly green. White is lovely as it stands out in the shade and is a simple foil to other things, but it\u2019s more about the layers, and transparency and textures. Sometimes I wonder if a pale palette is a bit restrictive, but within a small space you have to edit. You don\u2019t need everything.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

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

Find out more about Sheila\u2019s work at sheilajack.com<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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Choosing plants for a small, white garden<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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In gardens with a limited colour palette, foliage plays a key role. <\/strong>Try combining plants with a variety of leaf shapes and textures for more visual impact. In smaller spaces, designers will use a high proportion of evergreens, up to 70-80 per cent, for year-round interest. Think too about seasonal interest, with two or three stars in each season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look for perennials with a long season of interest. <\/strong>Veronicastrum virginicum <\/em>\u2018Diane\u2019 adds height in July and August. Anemone <\/em>x hybrida <\/em>\u2018Honorine Jobert\u2019 is useful for shadier corners, with lovely single flowers on long, wiry stems in autumn. Libertia chilensis <\/em>is a member of the same family as Iris <\/em>and a good alternative, evergreen and architectural, with narrow, strap-shaped leaves. At ground level, Bergenia <\/em>\u2018Bressingham White\u2019 is useful for underplanting shrubs or for tough spots where other things struggle. Sesleria <\/em>autumnalis <\/em>is a fantastic lime-green grass with silvery-white flowers in summer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Evergreen flowering shrubs give a strong framework to the garden. <\/strong>Choisya ternata <\/em>or Osmanthus <\/em>x burkwoodii <\/em>are attractive low-maintenance options with scented flowers. Viburnum <\/em>tinus <\/em>\u2018Eve Price\u2019 flowers early in the year when little else is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add height with climbers. <\/strong>Clematis armandi <\/em>is vigorous and fast growing, with lance-shaped, evergreen leaves and masses of fragrant flowers in early spring. Hydrangea anomala <\/em>subsp. petiolaris <\/em>works well in shade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Layer in bulbs for spring interest. <\/strong>Stagger snowdrops, Galanthus <\/em>nivalis, <\/em>with pure-white Narcissus <\/em>\u2018Thalia\u2019, then Tulipa <\/em>\u2018White Triumphator\u2019, T. <\/em>\u2018Purissima\u2019 or T. <\/em>\u2018Spring Green\u2019.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Designer Sheila Jack\u2019s sparing use of colour in her own city garden transforms a partially shaded space into a luminous oasis of calm, just when she needs it at the end of a busy 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