Sussex Exclusive Magazine. Issue 7

GARDENING
GARDENING
factor. So now, the many containers,
packed to the gunnels with annuals,
creating vast canopies of colour, are no
longer a main feature of the garden.
Part of the overall plan for creating
the new sunken garden was drastically
to reduce the number of containers
throughout the plot. The weather over
the last few years has tended to beat
their contents down and there is nothing
worse than a soggy petunia!
Creating interest
The continued challenge this spring for
me will be to create interest from the
amazing sculpture in the garden and to
create mini vistas that catch the visitors’
eye as they wander around. A new
piece bought last autumn creates a real
impact. The stainless-steel fish will take
centre stage in the back garden. I already
have much rusty metal which goes so
well with the bank of up-ended railway
sleepers, and the use of specimen palms
and shrubs, that had disappeared into the
previous layout, will now come into their
own and be fully appreciated. Smaller
pieces like the metal hare also look great.
New ideas, big impact, small
outlay!
How about you? Did you succumb to
any New Year resolutions about your
own plot?
And are you wondering how to make
a big difference in the garden for a
relatively small outlay? This has been
something I’ve tried to do every one of
the past 16 years. My garden is made
up of many small components, be they
sculptural pieces to be relocated around
the plot, creating a different feel or new
ideas or themes to change a corner or
Top: metal hare on
display on garden
shelf
Fish sculpture
Bottom: hellebore
argutifolius at
Driftwood
vista across the garden. So, here’s a few
recycling ideas that I’ve used over the
years that can really make a difference in
your own plot.
Recycle and re-use
If you are taking out an old fireplace,
wooden or metal, consider erecting
it as a set piece in the garden, placed
against a fence. Then plant up the grate
and decorate with succulents. You can
see old downpipes sections here too,
used as planters above the mantle.
Likewise, if you have an old dining
room chair, take the cushion section
out and replace with a container and
plant up with summer annuals spilling
over the side, it will look wonderful
on a balcony, patio or as a centrepiece
in a larger garden display. Or you can
use it as a stand for pots of succulents,
as I did last summer at Driftwood.
Alternatively, check out your local
recycling site and see if one is available.
Anything goes
Look out for old enamel kitchen
colanders, I’ve seen many for sale on
my recent travels and they make great
outdoor planters for succulents as a
centrepiece on a garden table. In fact,
think twice before you discard any old
junk. I’ve an old vintage typewriter,
rusting on a table, with small pots of
succulents arranged around it, which is
much commented on by visitors. Over
the years I’ve gathered a small collection
of old wooden handled garden tools and
stuck small metal birds on the handles as
a cheap piece of unique garden sculpture.
You’d be surprised how many visitors
comment on them and wish they had
done the same, before getting rid of their
old tools.
Never discard leaky old metal watering
cans either, you can repurpose them as
a feature in amongst your planting to
great effect.
A fun project
And finally, a fun idea for your garden
this year might be to take a photograph
from the same point, on the same date
in each of the 12 months of the year!
Maybe using several points of interest.
This is something I’ve done over the
years and it is quite surprising to look
back at the collection and actually see
the changes, across both the months and
the seasons of the year! I’m planning
to do the same throughout 2024 with
both my beach garden at the front of the
house and the main garden at the back.
It also helps to remember how a corner
looked and possibly inspire you to make
some changes.
Happy gardening.
You can find out more about Geoff and
his award-winning garden at:
www.driftwoodbysea.co.uk
Top left: current metal
fireplace
Top right:vintage
typewriter
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