Ideas for New "Room" #1

Our garden is divided up into a number of rooms (its a flat area, no vistas across rolling countryside
, so we've planted hedges to create "rooms"). The plan has been to plant hedges, give them a 3 year start to create height / shelter, and then plant the "rooms".

We have two rooms left, and I'm scratching my head looking for ideas ... (List of rooms we already have (and don't want to repeat ) below)

The area is 24 yards x 19 yards, and I'm changing the surrounding hedge to make it into an oval. Entrance / Exit is at the ends of the oval (along the longer axis).

Entrance is from a wide grass "crosspath" connecting a number of other rooms, and the entrance is deliberately not in line with any paths through other rooms - i.e. when you get to the end of one of the other rooms you have to dog-leg to get into New Room #1.



(I've made the new oval Hedge look a mess in top left corner, on the ground it is more symmetrical than that)

I would quite like an "enclosed entrance" - perhaps with pergola / arch with dense covering - so New Room #1 is a "hidden" garden.

We have thought about doing some topiary of Box or Yew in abstract shapes (we've got plenty of high-maintenance garden, so low-maintenance would be no-bad-thing )

Also thought about a Black and White garden, or even just white, or Silver and White.

Could also put an oval shaped pond (i.e. with raised sides, not flush with ground, possibly with fountain), but its a fair distance from the house to run electricity to for a pump ... wish I'd put a duct in when we trenched the pipe in for irrigation down the garden :(

Inspiration, in the past, has come for visiting gardens to see a style / feature in the flesh, or finding a photo on Google and then visiting that garden

Photos are from top-to-bottom on the plan - facing South-ish


March 2011 - Hedges planted. Room #2 in the background


March 2013 - corners of Room #1 rounded to form an Oval / Elipse

List of rooms we already have (and don't want to repeat ) include:

Topiary lawn (two of those: growing a Chess Set and a Viaduct ), "Hot" (Red) Herbaceous Border, Shrub border (Blue/White theme), Exotic/Jungle, "Fruit and Nut Walk" (espalier trees and some cob nuts), Holly Maze, Woodland walk, Veg garden, Pond area, Rose garden, Large Pergola, "Long Walk" flanked by hedges)

 

Kristen when can we come around??????

look really good ....where are you putting your cactus garden????

 

Well I'm a fan of a white or white and silver garden areas. Friend has an area with an archway into it covered with white climbing roses and it looks stunning. I didn't know there are so many plants with alba varieties she spent many months sources them. The area had a boundary wall where she planted Rose Kiftsgate which romped along the wall at amazing speed and made a great backdrop.

 

Does it LOOK finished? ... or were you meaning you were bringing a Forka nd Spade?

That's a good call ... except that I don't like them, sorry. Heavy clay here too (although I could drain it to make an arid bed of course). But there's not-my-thing I'm afraid.

The White garden as Sissinghurst attracts quite a throng when its in its fit-to-bust season ...

Oh blinking heck ... my read-ahead-mode was turned off!!

I've been to Sissinghurst, but not when the White Garden was Showy ... I've heard it is very crowded then? I could pick a dreary day though ... in the hopes of being the only one there?!

 

Kristen , what about something , original .....and arid bad could be an idea , also a mediterranean garden or you can dedicate a garden to me an have an italian garden .

 

How about devoting it to just one genus or family.

Salvia is a huge genus, but maybe even better Campanulaceae.

Or pack it with lots of trellis at oblique and random angles and fill it with climbers.

Do like Sals idea of a Cactus (and succulent) garden though. Mix in some Bromeliads such as Puya too. You could add some choice South African bulbs too in the odd spot which would look good growing through the sand/gravel surface cover.

 

Kristen you mentioned a viaduct. You also spoke of a pond, are you with me yet? Complicated it may be and probably expensive but what about running an aquaduct down through the garden just a a few feet off the ground to the said pond? It would also give you a waterfall into the pond. Hmmm......having read this through again, the logistics are brain numbing!

 

Japanese garden, with a tranquil Koi pond....(or fancy Goldfish)

 

A nice idea Freddy. Keep an eye out for Herons though.

 

Careful planning can reduce the risk

 

"Build it, and they will come"

 

Parterre would be nice, but I think you need a "higher vantage point" to view it from (as per your photograph) to fully enjoy it. I have 800 or so Box cuttings that I'm bringing on that I want to use for a parterre, but not sure where to put it as yet ... I think near the house so that at least you could get an aerial view of it from the upstairs windows.

Those pillars etc. give me an idea that we could make it a hide-away to sit in peace and quiet; particularly if the entrance is "disguised" and thus the inner garden is hidden. Courtyard type perhaps?

That's an idea. If I make a secluded garden the scent would be captive - and captivating, hopefully

Had forgotten that Mrs K and I had talked about a Paeony garden - bit of a short season, but it would looks stunning for that period.

Got quite a lot of those in the main borders - the Blue border has its fair share of Salvia and Delphiniums, Aconitum (are they Campanulaceae??) and Campanulas. Salvias in the Hot/Red border too. (Queen Vic and Fan Scarlet etc)

Are there other genus then lend themselves to their own "Room" ?

Beth Chatto has an arid / gravel garden which, I think, started life as an experiment to see what would survive; its well known and much talked of now ... sadly it does nothing for me I'm afraid :(

Moving water is good ... and tranquil of course. Might be something I could combine with hideaway / scented ...

Hmmm ... that would work. I lived in Japan for a couple of years in my late teens (gardening ) and loved the gardens there. However, that experience has spoilt me and I've never seen one outside of Japan that I would rate highly [other than the one at Chelsea last year], so I think it would difficult to do well. Long time to grow a trained-tree ... but I could start them now in readiness, of course.

On balance I think that a Japanese garden would be better placed nearer the house utilising the existing pond ... but I'll ponder it and see what Mrs K thinks

Is that you lot, wanting to be nosey? or the Herons?

Thanks chaps, loads of cracking ideas there. If any other thoughts occur do please fire away I'll let you know how the Breakfast Meeting with Management goes