North facing family garden in SW London
Rachel and Pablo kindly reached out for some support for their 5x8m London garden which faces north. Although they were happy with the general layout, and (with two small children) keen to keep the astroturf and existing raised beds in place, they wanted to revamp the planting and ensure that what they were selecting was going to thrive.
Rachel and I worked together on a colour palette which would complement the rest of the decor from their home, helping to tie the outside and the indoor spaces together. With the brief being “all the colours”, choosing the plants was a delight, with a combination of spring colour from bulbs, lush herbaceous perennials to shine in summer and evergreen shrubs to provide year-round interest.
Ensuring that we kept waste and spend to a minimum, existing plants were moved and retained wherever possible, including keeping a clematis, a hibiscus and an acer tree. Rachel was also keen to incorporate a sapling she had been given in memory of a family member who had recently passed away.
We planted some shade-loving Heuchera marmalade, Verbena bonariensis for the end of the garden which caught the sun in the afternoon and Clematis montana var. rubens, a fast-growing spring-flowering climber which can cope with sun and shade.
Helleborus ‘Anna’s Red’ was added for flowers from December through to early spring, with the deep red picking up the stems from the evergreen Heucheras. Nepeta (a great alternative to lavender if your soil isn’t suitable) was added for scent and also to appeal to the family’s 8 year-old cat. Nepeta is more commonly known as catmint, and is completely safe for cats to nibble and roll around in.
Rachel and Pablo’s garden is a really welcoming space which suits their young family, is full of colour and provides happiness when they look out from their kitchen. It was a pleasure to work with them to elevate their outdoor space.
“Working with Cat made gardening easy. She invested a lot of time in understanding the space and the soil environment and she made some perfect planting recommendations which have thrived year on year. She has great expertise and really listens to her clients. I’d absolutely recommend working with her.”