Shade garden

This back garden sits in a 1960s estate in Camberwell, South London. The houses were built in what used to be the grounds of a Georgian manor house, that still exists next to the site.

A mature beech tree, planted over two hundred years ago, spreads its branches over the garden. Although magnificent, and providing a rich habitat for birds and insects, the tree creates a challenging micro-climate. Its wide-ranging roots suck moisture from the soil and its canopy and vast trunk create a rain shadow. The result: dry shade, one of the most difficult conditions in which to establish plants.

The response was a garden full of shade-loving plants that uses raised beds, containers, heavy mulches and a water-saving drip irrigation system. 

I have revisited the garden over the years, as budget has allowed, to gradually reduce the hard landscaping installed by the previous owners and introduce more and more plants. 

As the family's children have grown, the garden no longer needs to be a play area and has become a tranquil haven. The next phase will be to remove all of the paving, leaving a new decked area for outdoor dining and creating a mass of plants of various sizes and forms, building in height towards the rear of the garden. 

A tall timber structure at the rear of the garden provides plenty of hanging room for bird feeders which attract goldfinches, woodpeckers and the occasional nuthatch, whilst squirrels shin up and down the uprights.

The garden features a range of pale-coloured flowers to illuminate the shady corners, mixed with interesting foliage from feathery ferns to spiky hellebores.  Delicate maple leaves turn fiery shades of red, orange and yellow in the autumn, whilst grasses and the dried flower heads of hydrangeas provide winter interest. Ivies have been allowed to smother the fence line on one side, whilst where there is some sun, scented jasmine has run riot.

This is a garden very much designed to be looked at all year, as well as used. Huge glazed doors at the rear of the open plan house frame the garden next to a large dining table, which the owner also uses as a desk. The view is deeply calming, yet always in movement.