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.
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.




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:
Hosta ‘Great Expectations’
Dryopteris ereythrosora (Japanese shield fern)
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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