How to create a garden getaway
With temperatures rising, we’re beginning to think about our gardens and how to turn them into a green oasis for the summer months. A good way of feeling as though you’re on holiday in your garden is by using lush, leafy exotics. Many of these are evergreen and work particularly well in sheltered London gardens and create jungly, private-feeling spaces.
Large foliage plants to grow for structure include bamboo, bananas, palms and yuccas. If you have space, a tetrapanax with its huge, spectacular architectural leaves (up to 60cm cross) has serious wow factor. Hardy schefflera and pseudopanax varieties are also excellent for evergreen structure.
Tree ferns look great in shadier aspects, underplanted with a mass of flowing hakonechloa grass or other lush spreading ground cover such as pachysandra, asarum, hostas and ferns. Fatsias with their large evergreen leaves are useful stalwarts in the shade while the newer variety, Fatsia polycarpa, has more delicate foliage.
For sunnier spots include euphorbias such as E. stygiana and E. mellifera, which has rusty-coloured, scented flowers that attract pollinators. Melianthus major (Honey bush) is a beautiful plant for an exotic scheme with pale grey green serrated leaves that unfurl in spring. Phormiums and astelia such as A. nervosa with strappy leaves add a contrasting shape and form.
In terms of colour, go for rich jewel-coloured hues such as purples, oranges and reds. Perennials such as verbena, agapanthus, Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ and dahlias combine well. Salvia ‘Amistad’ with its lush deep purple flowers, arum lilies, (Zantedeschia) and persicaria can also be knitted into an exotic scheme. You could also add some pops of bright colour with annuals such as the fab crimson coloured Tagetes ‘Cinnabar’ or chocolate cosmos.
Then all you need to do is make sure you have your garden furniture, sofa and hammocks at the ready for when the sun comes out! Roll on the summer.