PLANTSMAN'S GARDEN, BATH

​There are two main sections to the garden. The area around the breakfast terrace by the house is in the shade of an existing mature Prunus lusitanica who's raised canopy and beautiful multi-stems frame the garden beyond. This section of the garden is all about texture and foliage over flowers as this part of the garden is designed to feel calming and restorative. 

The upper area of the garden is sunnier and receives much of the heat at the end of the day. To hold the space here a mature Paulownia tomentosa tree is  underplanted with sun-loving grasses and perennials which catch the last of the evening light and form a contrast to the tree’s dramatic foliage. 

In addition to familiar garden staples the garden has been filled with unusual edible plants including Zanthoxylum piperitum which has peppery leaf great in salads, Ugni molinae (Chilean guava), which tastes like strawberries and was reputedly Queen Victoria’s favourite fruit, Poncirus trifoliata, which bears citrus-like fruits and Rubus illecebrosus which bears huge raspberry like fruits in mid-late summer. Petasites japonicus has also been planted in a large trough and is grown for its edible leaf stems and emerging flower shoots which are a delicacy in Japan.

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Words - Veronica Peerless

Images - Jason Ingram and Matt Evans