Page 9.

The wild life pond and the tree stumpery.

A planting list for the entire garden.

 

 

The wildlife pond with a water cascade is surrounded by rockwork that gently rises up to the woodland garden and rocky outcrop. The planting in the area surrounding the pond is informal, and includes grasses, hostas and other architectural plants that have been carefully colour themed.

This provides a striking contrast to the symmetrical formality of the Italianate garden on the opposite side.

The pond supports a variety of wild life that has quickly established. There is a breeding family of goldfish, numerous frogs and a toad now reside and breed in the garden, and dragonflies regularly hover over the area during the summer months.

Ÿ       A classical statue that is a copy of an original that was owned by Napoleon Bonaparte and once stood in the Villa Borghese stands alongside the pond.

 

 

 

 

 

    The Grotto at the top of the wildlife pond

with the Gargoyle water spout.

 

 

 

 

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Each container is treated as a miniature garden in its own right.

 

 

Foxgloves have been used to under-plant the Acer

on the right hand side of the wildlife pond.

 

 

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The tree stumpery.

 

This feature is based on the Victorian ‘Stumpery’, when hollow tree stumps were planted with ferns and other shade – loving plants.

Twisted and gnarled tree stumps and roots were often clustered together, and they formed impressive displays.

Our stumpery was inspired by the woodland garden and the Stumpery at Highgrove, during our visit to the spectacular garden owned by

 H.R.H The Prince of Wales.

In our garden the Stumpery provides a highly theatrical backdrop to the wildlife pond. It was planned and developed during late May 2007 to commemorate the first year that the garden at 28 Kensington Road has been open to the public.

A cluster of juxtaposed hollow tree stumps have been planted with Ferns, Hostas and Ivy.

Their gnarled, weathered shapes provide a mysterious and dramatic atmosphere particularly at evening time when the area is up-lit with spotlights and floodlights.

 

 

 

 

              

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

     

 

 

 

The wooden toadstool sculptures are handmade and carved from English Elm.

 

 

     

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Planting List for the entire garden.

 

The plants have been chosen to compliment and contrast each other

with an emphasis on colour, pattern, texture and form,

as well as providing all year seasonal interest.

 Pots and containers may be moved from time to time in order to alter the planting schemes.

 

Woodland garden and rocky outcrop at side of house:

Asarum splendens  (Chinese wild ginger)

Asplenium scolopendrium ‘Angustifolia’ (Harts tongue fern)

Clematis montana ‘Marjorie’

Clematis viticella ‘Kerminsina’

Clematis montana ‘Miss Christine’

Clematis ‘The President’

Echinops sphaerocephalus.

Helleborus orientalis  Harvington - yellow speckled

Helleborus orientalis Harvington - smokey blues

Helleborus orientalis Harvington - double reds

 

Dry riverbed’pathway:

Various native ferns

Hosta ‘Zounds’

Hosta ‘Gold Standard’

Dicksonia Antarctica (Tree fern approx 40 years old.)

 

Rocky outcrop rear of pond:

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Hosta ‘Great Expectations’

Dryopteris ereythrosora (Japanese shield fern)

 

Large cast iron classical urn left of the pond:

Cordyline Patio palm

Nepeta (Trailing foliage)

Seasonal planting to coordinate with colour theme surrounding the pond.

 

Lower deck in large planter right hand side of house door:

Hedera helix ‘Goldheart’ (Growing over drainpipe & rear wall of the house)

Stipa gigantea ( Tall grass)

Clematis arm. ‘Apple Blossom’

 

Area surrounding the pond:

Euphorbia ‘Blackbird’

Heuchera ‘Silver Scrolls’

Heuchera ‘Cherries Jubilee’

Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’

Large  Acer palmatum ‘Seiyru’

(Underplanted with Hosta ‘Patriot’, Veronica ‘Tissington White’ & Arisarum proboscideum)

Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Tom Thumb’

Corokia cotoneaster (Wire netting bush)

Ligularia clivorum ‘Desdemona’

Leymus arenarius

Carex pendula

Luzula sylvatica ‘Marginata’  Greater Wood Rush’

Cyperus eragrostis

Hosta ‘Royal Standard’

Hosta ‘Great Expectations’

Hosta ‘Big Daddy’

Hosta ‘Wheaton Blue’

Hosta ‘Frances Williams’

Hosta ‘Wheaton Blue’

Acer palmatum ‘Garnet’

 

 

Italianate garden in front of temple folly ruin:

Two large Buxus sempervirens. (Large spiral topiary box)

Native ferns & Miscanthus sinensis.

Cedar Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’ standard

(Topiary cedars framing the temple folly underplanted with Buxus sempervirens)

Trachycarpus fortunei  (Windmill palm in planter left of folly.)

 

Hanging baskets each side of house door:

 (These are regularly replanted to provide seasonal interest)

Nemesia ‘Blue Lagoon’

Nemesia ‘Royal Purple’

Bacopa ‘Snowflake’

Petunia ‘Hurrah Carmine’

Trailing Verbena ‘Magelana Scarlet’

 

Upper deck rear wall:

Collection of Buxus sempervirens  (Topiary spheres in pots)

Two Cupressocyparis ‘Castlewellan’ (Tall spiral topiary)

Chamaecyparis ‘Snow White’

Verbascum bombyciferum   ‘Artic Summer’

 

Planters under bust of Brutus:

Campanula ‘Blue Bloomers’

Alchemilla mollis - Lady’s Mantle

Barbarea vulgaris ‘Winter Cream’

 

Southern Hemisphere garden on the upper deck area:

Cordyline australis (Patio palm)

Olea europaea standard (4 Olive trees)

Phoenix canariensis Canary island palm

Phyllostachys aureosulcata  (2 Bamboo)

Gunnera manicata

Dicksonia antarctica  (Tree fern approx 80 years old)

Fatsia japonica

Beschorneria septentrionalis

 

 

Stone gothic style planter near Southern Hemisphere garden:

Yucca flaccida ‘Silver Sword’

Hakonechloa macro ‘Alboaurea’ (Striped grass)

 

Large terracotta planters left of garden door:

Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’ (Black elderflower)

Carex ‘Milk Chocolate’

Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’

Tiarella ‘Sea Foam’

Acanthus ‘Summer Beauty’

 

Pergola at top of staircase:

Lonicera japonica ‘Halls Prolific’ (Evergreen Honeysuckle)

Clematis cirrhosa ‘Wisley Cream’ (Evergreen winter flowering)

Jasmine: Jasminum Stephanense

Clematis: ‘Madame Edouard Andre’

 

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