Surrey Homes | SH66 | April 2020 | Gardens supplement

SH Gardens Supplement sponsored by
This luscious bog garden was created
by Verdis Horticultural: “Bog gardens give
you the opportunity to grow something a
little out of the ordinary in normally hard to
plant wet areas of your garden. Alternatively,
sinking containers or a plastic liner into a
bed will create the perfect environment as it
retains the moisture these plants need to
thrive. A display of the prehistoric looking
Gunnera manicata with leaves of up to
4ft or the Tetrapanax Papyrifer can
add some impressive and exotic
structure.” verdisuk.com
Jo Gregory from Verdis
Horticulture’s tips for
water feature success
Pool Areas: The area around the pool
needs to be as clean as possible so planting
here is best done in raised beds or pots to
contain the soil. Choose ones that don’t
drop or shed too much to avoid water
contamination and blocking filters. With
that in mind contemporary planting with
Phormiums work well, the Phormium
Sundowner with its red and green striped
leaves make an impressive display.
Water Worlds
Richly green and very pleasant, creating a water feature brings movement and
tranquility to a garden design, as well as providing a haven for wildlife
Water features: Water features come
in many different styles and forms,
whatever you plant around them, use
aquatic compost to avoid adding nutrients
that affect the quality of the water in
the feature. Small features can be given
a more tropical look with one or two
well chosen ferns such as Dryopteris
affinis ‘Cristata’ or any of the amazing
variegated Athyrium Niponicum Var.
Ponds: Garden ponds however large or
small provide a haven for all manner of
wildlife, so consider using plants that
provide colour as well as suitable habitats
for your garden friends. All members of
the Iris family work particularly well with
their vast array of colours from red and
yellows through to deep purples.
My favourites include Iris
louisiana ‘Black Gamecock’
and Iris pseudacorus ‘Alba’.
Creating
gentle movement across
the pond, Giles Raynor’s copper sculpture
combines energy and intrigue with simple
aesthetic beauty. Renowned in the world of
water sculpture, Raynor’s unique designs
can be seen in gardens and public spaces
across the UK and internationally.
‘Scylla’ by Giles Raynor – copper,
320cm tall (above water) £15,000
hannahpescharsculpture.com
surrey-homes.co.uk