November Digital Sampler

MODERN GARDENS I NOVEMBER 2017 I ISSUE 20 CREATE YOUR PERFECT OUTSIDE SPACE – NO GREEN FINGERS REQUIRED!
100s
OF EASY
IDEAS!
READER GARDENS | EASY IDEAS | SHOPPING
Reader gardens
Easy ideas
NOVEMBER 2017
ISSUE TWENTY
£3.99
TRY ME!
NEW!
Create your perfect outside space - no green fingers required!
515
Inspiring
ways to love
your winter
garden
Including
✽ CREATE A STYLISH GARDEN THAT LOOKS AFTER ITSELF
✽ EVERGREEN POTS FOR DOORSTEP CHIC
✽ BANISH THE GLOOM WITH NEW LOW-LEVEL LIGHTING
REVITALISE
YOUR
OUTDOOR
ROOM
Outdoor living
NOVEMBER ISSUE 25 OCT - 21 NOV
“OUR SHADY GARDEN IS
NOW WARM AND BRIGHT”
TREAT YOUR BENCH TO A
COLOUR MAKEOVER
TAKE THE CHILL OFF WITH
AN OUTDOOR SAUNA

Inside this
MONTH...
34
44
Reader garden
makeovers
14 “It feels like another room
of the house!”
A dull garden lacking style is transformed
into a fun but functional living space.
30 “Now I look after my guests,
not my garden!”
Raised decking provides the perfect
space for entertaining.
Simple makes
& projects
44 How to get vintage style
Give your garden unique character that
can’t be replicated.
59 Make an autumn wreath
This ring of foliage will make a beautiful
focal point inside or out.
67 Scented arch
Create a stylish window box.
76 Fake it with style
If your winter lawn is looking patchy, maybe
it’s time to get clever with artificial grass.
86 We love to make
Get creative with seasonal foliage.
89 Simple ways with crockery
Give old china a new lease of life.
98 Treat your feathered friends
This natural bird feeder will have them
flocking to your garden.
100 Hot stuff
Add a whole new dimension to your
winter garden with a sauna.
106 Take lighting to another level
Add cosy ambience on gloomy winter
evenings with low-level lighting.
Easy ideas
18 Beautiful backdrops
Outdoor decorative metal artwork is the
latest hot trend.
24 13 ways to get winter ready
Keep your garden looking beautiful.
34 Easy does it
Create a garden that will look after itself.
50 Colour-pop benches
Treat your garden bench to a makeover.
86
SMALL
GARDENS
BIG
IDEAS
We
LOVE
this!

40
104
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
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Regulars
6
6 Earthy pleasures
Top ideas for what to buy, make and do.
12 Blooming lovely
Plants and shrubs to buy now!
50
60 Clever ideas with evergreens
Give your front door the standout factor.
68 All about beautyberry
Grow this easy shrub for purple pearls of
glorious colour that last long into winter.
74
Plant a luminous corner
Create a scheme of vivid pinks against a
backdrop of dramatic black leaves.
80 Designing with houseplants
In the second part of our series, we focus
on bringing your stairs to life.
94 Plant icons
14 reasons we love cyclamen.
Best buys
40 10 buys...
To create light and space.
Grow & eat
113
Garden to glass
Mix up your own spicy rum cocktail.
118
Garlic
Make a warming pasta dish, soup and
truffles with these delicious cloves.
22 Rustic retreat
Stylist Selina Lake on how to get the look.
43 Upcycle with style
Make an autumn leaf doormat.
54 What to do now
How to keep your plot looking good.
64 We love outdoor living
What you’re up to in the garden now.
85 Paws & whiskers
Enjoying the garden with your pets.
104 Subscription offer
Sign up for a year’s supply of Modern
Gardens and get a set of herb pots.
115 Q&A
Got a question? We’ve got the answer.
122 Simply perfect for patios
Make a statement with this half-price
colourful collection of fragrant roses.
124 Blooms for colour
Enjoy year-round pastel pinks and
whites with these half-price plants.
126 Garden notebook
All you need to know to get started.
130 Our garden crush
Must-have gardens we love.

13 ways to get
WINTER
READY
A lick of paint, a stylish cloche and
A GOOD CLEAN UP – what’s not
to love about preparing for winter’s chill?
WINTER ADD-ON
Switch from summer
annuals to hardy winter
grasses, which flourish
in the cold.
1 Modern
‘butt style’
Treat your garden to a water
butt to make the most of
all the late autumn and
winter rain and not waste
this precious resource. Keep
it modern with a shapely
butt in a neutral colour.
The latest models now
have a built-in planter for
winter foliage and flowers.
If you already have one,
then a good clean out now
will help keep the water
fresh for the year ahead.
RainBowl Flower Water
Butt with Planter in Slate
Grey, £239.95/150-litre
waterbuttsdirect.co.uk
ON TREND
Choose a charcoal,
grey backdrop then
add muted retro colours
for furniture
PAINT TO LAST
1 Roughly sand over.
2 Clean. 3 Apply
two coats. 4 Done!
Lavender and Coastal
Mist Cuprinol shades,
£22/2.5-litre diy.com
MIX IT UP
Use a bit of gravel. It’s
cheap to buy, easy to lay
and doesn’t suffer from
winter weather.
24 MODERN GARDENS NOVEMBER 2017

EASY IDEAS
3
Get fences and
furniture ready to
cope with grotty
weather with
a simple lick of paint or
preservative. It’s best done now
as plants and climbers around
fences have died back making
them easier to get to. Play it
safe by covering nearby foliage
with a polythene sheet (£1 from
Poundland) or with old sheets
or newspaper to save them
being splashed.
ON TREND TOOLS
Take to the garden in style
with this Orla Kiely Garden
Fork and Trowel, £21 each
johnlewis.com
2
Avoid a soggy patch
A stepping stone path can easily be laid in an afternoon.
Lay the stones out along your planned path. Then, with a spade,
trace the shape in the grass by cutting around the edge of each.
Remove the grass by digging under it and then place the slab in
the hole. Jump on it to level, then stand back and admire your
work! Paving slabs, £7.99 each/60 x 60cm, wickes.co.uk
4
Patio pot prep
The roots of plants growing in containers
don’t have the protection from cold and frost that
plants growing in the soil get. If possible, move
your pots against a sheltered wall or close to the
house or shed for extra protection.
Raise the containers onto pot feet (£2.39/3,
crocus.co.uk) or bricks to avoid them sitting in the
wet, which can lead to roots rotting. Check plants
in containers regularly to ensure the compost
doesn’t dry out. Don’t be fooled – even after a
period of rain, the compost can still be quite dry.
WORDS: JENNIFER NEWTON. PHOTOS: GAP
➣
NOVEMBER 2017 MODERN GARDENS 25

Colour-pop
BENCHES
SUNSHINE YELLOW
Looking COLOUR to give BURST a grey or
air-force
Cyclamen
blue
have
fence
shallow
a colour
roots
hit?
so they
Then
make
choose
an ideal
a fabulous
plant
yellow,
to grow
which
in a sleek
is reminiscent
ceramic
of
spring
bowl. Make
daffodils.
sure
Try
there
Trumpet
are
Intelligent
drainage holes
Eggshell,
as they
£29/1
won't
litre
thrive
littlegreene.com
with wet roots. When
the flowers have faded, the
ivy-like leaves still look good.
Treat your garden bench to a MINI
MAKEOVER this autumn creating
a colourful make-you-smile feature
WORDS: JENNIFER MORGAN. PHOTOS: CUPRINOL, VALPAR, FLORA PRESS, GAP, PLAIN PICTURES, ALAMY
Autumn is the perfect time to get the
paintbrush out and revamp garden
furniture, especially a tired bench. A
few hours work will result in the ideal
spot to perch as the months get colder, wrapped
up in a warm woolly jumper and enjoying a mug
of hot chocolate. Such a shot of colour, when
your garden is looking at its most bare, with only
evergreens around, is a welcome visual treat and
will remind you of the spring bulbs and summer
blooms to come again next year.
A coat of paint or stain will also prolong the life
of your bench, especially as the wetter months
approach. It’s a cost-effective makeover, with
750ml of exterior wood paint costing £15-£20.
FIND A COLOUR
There’s a whole host of colours and finishes
to choose from including high-shine exterior
eggshells, which are great for bold colours such
as reds and blues as the shine adds to the depth
of colour, and more matt finishes, which are ideal
for muted shades, giving more of a heritage feel.
“If you want to do something a little different,
your garden is an ideal place for experimenting
with the colours and patterns that you wouldn’t
necessarily choose to use inside your home,” says
Charlotte Cosby of paint manufacturer Farrow
& Ball. “If you have a tired looking bench in your
garden, you can easily bring it to life by painting
stripes on its surface. By combining colours such
as Farrow & Ball’s Ball Green and Oval Room
Blue, you’ll be using relaxing colours in a fun way.”
If your garden usually has a colour hit through
the summer months, say from a bed of lavender
or a gorgeous powder-blue hydrangea, why not
use this as inspiration for your painting project,
making the colour last all year? Or if your bench
is near your vegetable patch, then how about a
rich tomato red or cucumber green?
Talking of greens, 2017 saw an eruption of this
colour, thanks to Pantone’s Greenery named as
their Colour of the Year. This shade, which is fresh
and vibrant, would certainly give all-year-round
colour. Take advantage of one of the in-store
mixing systems at DIY stores to find your own
take on Greenery. Dulux has also just launched its
Colour of the Year 2018, Heart Wood. Rebecca
Williamson, senior colour consultant, describes
it as, ‘sitting between a smoky taupe and dusky
mauve. It’s a warm neutral with a heather tint,’ and
as a colour for your bench would work brilliantly
in both a modern and country-inspired garden.
PREPARE TO PAINT
Choose a dry day, when the bench has been in
the sunshine and any dew has long gone. You
might need to bring your bench into a shed
or garage for 48 hours to dry out if it has been
particularly wet. If painting in situ, cut back any
foliage so you can access all sides. ➣
CHERRY RED
This plank-style bench has
been transformed with a fun
red paint. By bringing the
planting out and around the
bench with pots, its straight
lines, and that of the paving,
are softened, making it
look inviting. For a similar
paint shade, try Ronseal
Moroccan Red Garden Paint,
£11.13/750ml amazon.co.uk
SARAHRAVEN.COM/JONATHAN BUCKLEY
50 MODERN GARDENS NOVEMBER 2017

EASY IDEAS
CUSHIE
NUMBER
Don’t forget to add
a new hero cushion to
your bench. Try Dash
& Albert Europe
SEASIDE STRIPES
Use your bench to introduce a
pattern – stripes are a classic. This
one is painted in Coastal Mist, Forget
Me Not, Barleywood and White
Daisy Cuprinol Garden Shades,
from £10.50/1 litre homebase.co.uk
CORNFLOWER BLUE
Take inspiration from your
favourite flower – try Ronseal
Garden Cornflower Matt Garden
Paint, £15/2.5 litre diy.com or take
a flower to your local DIY store
and ask them to colour match it.
SEPTEMBER 2017 MODERN GARDENS 51

WORDS: MELISSA MABBITT. PHOTOS: GAP, ALAMY, SHUTTERSTOCK,
LIVING4MEDIA, FLORA PRESS
EVERYTHING YOU NEED
TO KNOW ABOUT…
Beautyberry
Grow this easy shrub for purple and white PEARLS OF
GLORIOUS COLOUR that last long into winter
Berries become brilliant this month,
covering trees and bushes in colourful,
shining beads that announce the
arrival of winter. Red berries, found
on hollies and cotoneaster bushes, are the
traditional favourite, but if you fancy growing
something more modern and eye-catching,
you can’t do better than a beautyberry. This
gorgeous shrub really lives up to its name,
with bunches of berries hanging along its
bare stems like bright pearls.
They have a deep metallic shine or flat
lacquered glossiness, depending on which
variety you grow. Birds will eat them only
after they’ve exhausted all other supplies,
so they usually last into late winter, much
longer than holly berries. They are brilliant
for creating a striking statement at the back
of a flowerbed when the flowers in front have
died down, especially if your fence is a strong
pale or dark colour that will show up the rich
colour of the berries.
You can also grow them in pots and move
them next to your front door to show off
during autumn when they’re at their best.
They look vibrant when they’re allowed to
branch out of large containers filled with other
smaller but bright autumn plants such as
purple cyclamen and ornamental cabbages.
Beautyberries grow to about 2 metres
tall but only 1.5 metres wide, and this neat,
upright shape makes them one of the easier
shrubs to accommodate in your garden.
The easiest to find is ‘Profusion’. This variety
has the most berries, which are held in thick
clusters like purple pom poms
spaced along its stems every few
centimetres. Their rich plum
colour contrasts with the leaves,
which turn golden and pinkish in
autumn, then drop away to leave
the glowing purple beads.
Add a
touch of
loveliness
3 of the best for bright colour
CALLICARPA JAPONICA
‘LEUCOCARPA’
Shorter than most at 1.5m with large
white berries. £15 burncoose.co.uk
BRIGHT AND
GLEAMING
berries look good
enough to display
in a bowl or jar,
here topped with
hydrangea florets.
CALLICARPA ‘SELECTIE
VAN DEN BROEK’
A variety with deeper purple
berries. £24.99 larchcottage.co.uk
CALLICARPA
KWANGTUNGENSIS
An unusual one with pale pink
berries. £36.99 larchcottage.co.uk
68 MODERN GARDENS NOVEMBER 2017

EASY IDEAS
THE VIVID
colour of beautyberries
means they are
striking enough to use
individually in a display.
TIP If the long stems bend when
smothered with berries, give your plant
plenty of space to show them off
➣
NOVEMBER 2017 MODERN GARDENS 69

Rustic
RETREAT
Stylist SELINA LAKE is the author of seven
best-selling books. Here, she shares her inspirational
styling ideas, glorious garden buys and on-trend,
easy craft projects with you every month
With all the beautiful rusty
ambers, bronzed reds and
mustard hues of turning leaves
filling our gardens and outdoor
spaces, it feels like autumn is upon us. It’s not
freezing yet, but there is a definite autumn nip
in the air, which is making me want to retreat to
a cosy rustic space.
High on our garden wishlist is a garden
cabin where we have dreams of installing
a small log burner, comfy chairs and a
tea-making station. I’ve been inspired by
Jeska Hearne who writes a lovely blog at
lobsterandswan.com. She owns online shop
thefuturekept.com, which is worth a look at as
her accessories are perfect for an autumn
retreat. Together with her husband, Jeska has
transformed a 10 x 8m summerhouse into
a fabulous rustic retreat. They painted the
exterior black and the interior white, with a
salvaged wood-clad feature wall.
If you already have a summerhouse, you can
easily transform it into a cosy space to retreat,
read and relax. Add cosy knitted blankets to
existing seats, candles in lanterns and
tea-making facilities, or simply invest in a
flask. Style the interior with faux furs and
patterned cushions in reds and blacks.
If, like me, your rustic cabin is still a
dream, you could create a cosy retreat
inside instead, perhaps in a space with views
looking out over your autumnal garden.
Selina
PHOTO: SELINA LAKE
PHOTO: SELINA LAKE
Make lovely leaves
This is a sweet idea and a nice way to celebrate the season. It’s so easy to do, just gather
up some dried leaves in a mixture of colours and shapes. You’ll need a scalpel,
a cutting mat and some washi tape. I used neon pink tape from hemashop.com/gb.
Place the leaves on your cutting mat and carefully use the scalpel to carve out the
letters of the word you want to spell out. Then tape them to a wall or window pane.
Keep cosy
If you’re creating a relaxing hideaway this
autumn, chances are you’re going to need
some cosy blankets to set the mood and keep
you warm. At tartanblanketco.com you’ll find
a fantastic selection made of wool in lovely
autumnal colours with prices starting from £20.
Trending
now
Rustic textures and autumn
tones are dominating our gardens
this month. Keep your outdoor
retreat on trend with a mix of
textured wood, wool blankets
and autumn leaf
decorations.
PHOTO: WALTONS.CO.UK, LIBERTYLONDON.COM
22 MODERN GARDENS NOVEMBER 2017

ON TREND
Cosy cabin
I love how Jeska Hearne
from lobsterandswan.com
has transformed this
modern summerhouse
into a gorgeous autumn
hideaway. The comfy sofa
has been fashioned with
a collection of upturned
wooden crates topped with
a single mattress, and styled
with a mass of blankets and
Liberty Print cushions.
It’s the perfect spot to sit
and enjoy a cup of tea.
Pelargonium display
These pelargoniums are enjoying a little time in
Jeska’s garden retreat (above) too. If yours are still
flowering, keep them watered and deadhead them
regularly. The pretty patterned plant terracotta
pots are from a selection at anthropologie.com.
Prices start at £6. The plant shelf was made from
a nicely aged and silvered pallet that had been
kicking round the garden for a couple of years!
✽ NEXT MONTH: RUSTIC
NATURAL CHRISTMAS
Instagram
@selinalake
Create a rustic wall
Reclaimed wood-clad walls
instantly add character and
texture to a space. You can
get the look by nailing
planks into the batons that
support your garden room
or summerhouse. Not sure
where to source old wooden
planks? Take a look at
gumtree.com
NOVEMBER 2017 MODERN GARDENS 23

We love to make...
Each issue, we bring you easy ideas and quick makes. Here, we
get creative with SEASONAL FOLIAGE from the garden
30
MINUTES
BOTANICAL
CANDLE BOWL
This easy-to-make candle
display will add a natural
wow to your table
Little
and
lovely
£6.50
YOU WILL NEED
✽ 2 glass jars, £1.50 each ikea.com
✽ PVA glue
✽ Twine, £2.25 wilko.com
✽ Scissors
✽ 2 candles
✽ Foliage – we used rosehip
✽ Berries
✽ Wood log slices, £5/4 hobbycraft.co.uk
WORDS & PHOTOS: EMMA HOWCUTT-KELLY. *NEVER LEAVE A BURNING CANDLE UNATTENDED
WHAT TO DO
1 Have a good old forage in your garden (or
local woods) to see what foliage you can find.
Rosehip, with its red berries, is perfect for this
make. Check what you’re picking isn’t poisonous
with the plant finder at botanicalkeys.co.uk
2 Paint the rims of the jars with PVA glue, then
wrap the twine around them to create a layer
effect, pressing down firmly so that it sticks.
Leave enough string at the ends unstuck so that
you can tie them in a bow, but not so long
that it could be at risk from catching the flame
of the candle. Alternatively, you could use an
LED candle, try lights4fun.co.uk
3 Place the candles in the jars and arrange the
foliage and berries around them.
4 Arrange both jars on a wooden slice and
decorate it with the leftover foliage.
5 Gently pour some water into the jars around
three quarters of the way up the candle. The
water will help to keep the foliage fresh.
TIP Use a scented candle
or add a few drops of
essential oil to the water for
a fragrance-filled display
4
BE
CANDLE
SAFE *
86 MODERN GARDENS NOVEMBER 2017

SIMPLE MAKES
SUPERFAST MAKE!
COLOURFUL CHAIR SWAG
£2.50
Decorate your chairs with this
easy-to-make swag. Tie together
a bunch of green foliage using
florist tape (£2.50, hobbycraft.
co.uk), then attach it to the
back of a chair with string.
Weave the branches through
the slats of the chair to create
a swag effect, then attach the
flowers of your choice with string.
We used three large hydrangea heads
for a pop of hot seasonal colour.
15
MINUTES
BERRY
NAPKIN RING
Bring a touch of the
outdoors inside with these
understated but beautiful
napkin decorations
60
MINUTES
PINE CONE
FAIRY LIGHTS
Light up your party with this
magical festive garland
YOU WILL NEED
✽ Brown paper covered craft wire,
£2.99 floralsundries.com
✽ Scissors
✽ Copper micro fairy lights, £2.99
lights4fun.co.uk
✽ PVA glue
✽ Pine cones
£7.80
✽ Pine leaf sprigs
✽ Brown florest stem tape, £1.79
amazon.co.uk
WHAT TO DO
1 Measure out and cut 1m of craft wire, twisting
it together with the fairy lights.
2 Put a dab of PVA glue on the top of each
pine cone, sticking them to the craft wire equal
distance apart as you go. Leave them to dry for
30 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, separate the pine leaves and tie
some floristry tape to each of the ends. Attach
them to the wire in the middle of the cones, and
your garland is ready to hang.
YOU WILL NEED
✽ Sprig of rosemary
✽ Scissors
✽ 1 napkin
✽ Berry leaf sprigs
✽ Oasis flower tape, £2.50
hobbycraft.co.uk
WHAT TO DO
1 Snip off a sprig of rosemary. Fold up
your napkin to the desired size.
2 Wrap the rosemary around the napkin
for a guide to how big the final ring needs
to be. Snip off any excess with scissors.
3 Seal the two ends of the rosemary with
flower tape to create a loop.
4 Attach the berry leaf sprigs (we’ve
used cotoneaster ‘Cornubia and
Virburnum tinus) to the rosemary ring
using flower tape.
5 Slide the finished ring over the napkin.
NOVEMBER 2017 MODERN GARDENS 87

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