Wildlife Garden
Knowle, Bristol

It was a great compliment when I was approached by a Bristol landscape architect to design the planting for his own garden. He had already implemented the hard landscaping but needed help with the plants.

The couple wanted naturalistic planting that encouraged butterflies and wildlife. The garden is entered from steps leading down from the kitchen so has to look good from above too. A small rectangular pond provides a home for the resident frogs and the rather tired rear garage needed disguising.

Now, naturalist planting encourages butterflies and other beneficial insects into the garden. The existing hornbeam hedge is underplanted with spring interest such as perennial forge-me-nots, whilst the central raised beds take over from early summer with blue iris, tall verbascum candles, wild marjoram flowers, wiry verbena flowers, crimson pincushions and chocolate scented cosmos.

An added bonus is the low maintenance of the garden, only needing the occasional tidying and deadheading during the growing months, and a single cut back and tidy up in late winter.