The client of this scheme is a professional photographer, highly creative with a very good eye for colour and detail. She wanted professional design help with a planting scheme for her North London shady garden. The soil was heavy London clay that needed much improvement and, although there was some structure, there was little else in the garden plant wise. The client did have a huge array of pots which needed some thought on grouping.

We agreed upon a tasteful green, purple and white scheme with year round interest. We improved the soil with sacks of organic matter dug through the soil and incorporated a slow release fertiliser to give the new plants a good start.

I planted groups of ferns, purple Heucheras, Alchemilla, Hellebores, Gillenia, Actaea and white Digitalis (Foxgloves) diagonally across the garden to create expansive triangles and to give a sense of rhythm. I also repeated three purple Acers in silver tubs as features.

I turned the disused children’s tree house into a platform for an interesting collection of pots when viewed from below looking up through the foliage, and giving a height interest from the patio.

This garden was open under the National Gardens Scheme in 2017 and will also be open in 2018..