Friday, October 2, 2009

Concrete Garden

Few outdoor areas are less inspiring to look at, and more daunting to transform, than a concrete backyard. Rather than removing the surface, use a series of beds stepped up away from the house. A pergola and trellis allow for vertical planting and a raised pond adds a calming influence

The design involved the building of raised beds over the concrete, the erection of a pergola and trellis, and the addition of a pool. Areas of path between the beds are covered with softly shaded slabs.

The raised beds start near the house, gradually increasing in height near the end of the garden. The original bed makes it possible to plant large deep-rooting shrubs like the Mexican orange blossom, Choisya, on the right-hand side.

The pergola and the trellis, on the loss' wall on the right hand side of the garden, bring support for colorful climbers as well as giving privacy to this small space. More rampant, leafy plants are ideal for areas where shade is required, while those plants with slimmer, neater growth allow filtered sunlight where this is preferred.

The I-shaped pool creates a soothing, reflective spot and the supporting wall is designed to form a comfortable seat for those enjoying its calming influence

Choose your plants for this garden with special care so that they would create a verdant look and maintain privacy around the year. The secret of success was to pick key plants for their stunning shape (ensuring that this is well displayed) and to choose as neighbors those plants that best show off each other's colors and leaf shapes

For a natural effect, in comparison to the bolder pansy cultivars, you can introduce the smaller, but scented, pale lilac, pink and white flowers of violas, Viola cornuta, which appear early, in spring, and flower through to summer.

Grow these, like pansies, in moist, but well-drained soil in sun or partial shade and divide clumps in spring or early autumn to increase plant numbers.

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