A tiny garden can display many interesting features. From the house, you can add a small pergola to create an arched entrance to the garden and a pathway leads off to the right to a circular terrace with a central statue. Then it turns left up to the main terrace shaded by a wisteria which clothes the pergola with long, falling streamers of lilac- blue flowers in late spring. The path then curves around to join up with the original terrace by the house, passing the central raised circular water feature on the left, where a low fountain splashes a collection of pebbles, grasses echo the shape of the falling water. To the right of the path stepping stones, softened by ground-hugging plants, line up to lead off to the right to a spot that is discreetly hidden by shrubs.
There is so much to look at in this tiny garden that it appears much larger than it really is. The clever use of a large variety of hard surface materials helps to break up the space, as do the subtly changing levels.
Flagstones, of varying sizes, are used for the area next to the house with a step down to the brick- edged circular paved area, where pebbles are used as an edging. The path and square sitting-out area use the same materials but the curved path mixes gravel and paving with an edge of timber to hold the gravel in place. Slabs, edged by creeping plants, form a slightly different- looking walkway that leads astray from the initial pads and through the area to the left.
The pergola over the sitting area, and the smaller one used to form an. archway, persuade the eye upwards and provide an area fbr climbing plants. The raised water feature introduces yet another level, while the mixed boulders and pebbles provide a contrasting and varied kind of hard surface.
Lighting, creates a different look for the garden at night. A down- lighter, is used to pinpoint the statue in the centre of the circular terrace and solar energy path lights, indicate the start of the stepping-stone path and highlights the pergola-covered terrace. This lighting focuses the eye on nearby plants and makes the path safe to use at night
Rock roses display very decorative flowers and Cistus x purpureus is specially stunning. The decorative tissue-paper thin, magenta pink flowers are highlighted by yellow centres and evenly distributed splashes of dark purple-maroon. Plants of the Mediterranean region, cistus grow well in dry, well-drained soil and this hybrid will grow to about 1-1.2 rn/3-4 ft in both height and spread. They also have a long flowering season. Flowers appear in late May and continue well into July.
