Plant Combinations for an Abundant Garden. A. & G. Bridgewater

bricks in attractive designs. Brick or reconstituted stone balusters and ornate copings create an aged appearance. They have a clinical appearance that goes well with many houses, both modern and early 1900s.

       INFORMAL TERRACES

      These have a relaxed feel, covered in either natural stone paving or reconstituted paving slabs with an old and weathered appearance. Occasionally, grass is used, but only where an all-weather surface is not important and the area is extremely large, so this is not really suitable for a small garden. Informal terraces look good alongside a lawn, where together they create an open-natured feature.

       VERANDAS

      The term veranda describes a gallery at ground level, on one side or completely surrounding a bungalow or house. They are a real delight, enabling a garden to be taken right up to a house. Most verandas have a sloping roof. The balustrade is usually of wood to harmonize with the rest of the veranda. Few houses are now built with a veranda and perhaps the feature nearest in design is decking.

       Raised pond

      If a terraced area is large, consider the construction of a raised pond; it is less easy to fall into than a ground-level pond – and the fish and plants are more easily seen.

       Pergolas and trellises

      These are ideal for integrating onto a terrace that in summer becomes drenched with sun for most of the day. For summer leisure, the shade these features provide will be essential.

       VERANDAS

       Planting ideas

      Hanging baskets packed with summer-flowering plants are ideal for adorning the edges of verandas, while flowering climbers planted in a narrow border drench the sides in color.

      Troughs and small shrubs in large pots are other interesting possibilities.

       PORCHES AND ENTRANCES

      A bare area around a front door creates the impression of neglect and blandness, but when a porch-like structure is added and covered in flowering or leafy climbers it brightens both the house and garden. Choose a porch that harmonizes with the house, whether formal or informal. Home-made or modified shop-bought porches are easily erected, but do need to be well secured to prevent wind dislodging them when covered with climbers.

       Will a porch complement my house?

       DESIGN, STYLE AND MATERIALS

      The design of a porch must complement the house’s nature, and, while a clinically brick type may suit a modern house, a wooden one is better for older properties. Painting bricks white usually helps to impart an aged look. In narrow front gardens, a porch and fence can be treated as the same feature and constructed in similar materials.

       ADDING THE FRILLS

      After creating the structure of a porch, it will need to be dressed in plants to soften the hard edges and add color.

      • Flowering climbers: choose types that harmonize with the style – those with dainty flowers for modern porches, Lonicera (Honeysuckle) for older properties.

      • Leafy climbers: avoid creating a dark entrance

      • packed with old, dusty climbers. For a summer-only display, plant the herbaceous Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’ (Yellow-leaved Hop).

      • Hanging baskets: if space allows, suspend a pair of baskets where they cannot be knocked.

      • Tubs and pots: group a few to one side of an entrance, at a variety of different heights.

      Open-fronted porches allow light to enter the house, while protecting from rain.

      Pots packed with summer-flowering plants are ideal for decorating porches.

      Enclosed porches become lobbies, where many indoor plants can be grown.

      Porch with seats

       HOW TO MAKE A RUSTIC PORCH

      Some porches are easily made and fixed into position. Construct an informal porch from four chestnut rustic poles, each about 8 ft (2.4 m) long, and two poles (for the top), each 5 ft (1.5 m) long. Add strengthening cross-poles lower down and at the sides. Pieces of expanded trellis are needed for the sides and top. The supporting poles are concreted into the ground to a depth of 18 in (45 cm).

       PATHS AND STEPS

      Much depends upon type and size, but the average traditional red-brick path will probably take 3–5 days to design and create – a day for planning and marking out, and the rest of the time for removing the topsoil and building. A wooden walkway or a path made from gravel or tree bark can usually be put down in the space of a long weekend, but a flight of brick and stone steps might take a week or more, depending on the structure of the subsoil.

       Will these involve much work?

       DESIGNING AND PLANNING PATHS

      What do you want from your path? Do you want it to be the shortest route between two points – such as the swiftest route from the kitchen to the compost heap – or do you want it to be a slow, meandering route that takes in all the best bits of the garden? Do you want the path to be plain and functional – just a concrete strip – or do you want it to be decorative, with lots of color and different materials?

      This path, complete with steps, raised walls and other features has been deliberately designed to make a grand statement.

       PATH OPTIONS

      Following the edge of a flower border

      Providing a walk around the garden

      Old pieces of stone suit a country garden

      A traditional herringbone brick path