The customer had heard about low maintenance ‘gravel gardens’ but was worried the space would turn into a car park.
The new design includes a partially hidden trickling water feature and an informal path winding around the garden, with pockets of planting to break up the gravel.
The evergreen plants create a strong all year structure, while pops of colour appear throughout the warmer months. (Before and after pictures of this garden can be seen on my Facebook page @Lucgardens)
This garden was commissioned in memory of two young men taken far too early.
The brief was to create a space where people could sit and gather their thoughts, surrounded by plants, to remind them about the healing powers of nature.
In the centre of the space is a globe of light that is on 24/7, to bring a little hope even on the darkest of winter days.
The garden is fully wheelchair accessible and people with sensory or memory impairments can enjoy the space risk free.
And the penguins that inhabited the space before are now chatting away under the shade of the tree ferns.
Here is a link to more information about the story behind the space
As much as I enjoy working on a large garden, I also like the different challenges of smaller spaces just as much.
This garden was literally covered in concrete when I visited it first (as shown on Facebook @lucgardens).
The brief was to create a space with a modern feel, a lawn and a sunny patio with a Mediterranean twist. The customer is a fan of bold colours and this is reflected in the choice of plants and the Corten steel edging.
The customer did all the building work based on the plan. She just called me in to do the planting at the end, as she felt this was an area where she lacked the knowledge to do it herself.
Some people like low maintenance but other like plants, plants and more plants. The many different specimens included in this collection were tied in together with a strong structure of evergreen. The garden owner is a self-confessed tulip maniac and they are used here to create real impact in the spring.
This garden in Brighton included some good mature specimens but needed to be unified. The owner wanted a calming space where she could sometimes meditate. She now has a large seating area where she can relax or practice yoga, and a more intimate section where she can wander and enjoy the tactile aspect of the mainly green planting.
Luc Gardens 