One of many exciting challenges I have faced was to design a garden for footballer Michael Owen.
Michael and his wife Louise wanted lots of colour and adventurous new ideas to brighten up the garden so that it would be the perfect place to relax. They also wanted a bit of fun – so I found them a life-size stag statue!
Think Pink
For fragrance and colour Michael and Louise pick roses every time. Near to the house I used Pink Carefree Days to cover the ground and planted trees of white Flower Carpet. Both varieties bloom continuously throughout the summer, are disease-resistant and require no pruning. Planting roses in a sheltered spot such as a walled courtyard offers the enjoyment of the heady fragrances.”
Staggering
I located a fine bronze stag and stood it on a mound in a semi-circular bed, planted up with the evergreen conifers juniper Blue Star and golden thuja to provide moorland like feel. By keeping the surrounding planting simple, the statue became a proud feature and focal point.
Contain Yourself
To inject some seasonal colour, present a few surprises and to provide defined lines between lawn and borders, I introduced containers throughout the garden.
The setting was perfect for one of my favourite schemes; the bright yellow calla lily erupting from beneath grassy-leaved sedge. The Cirrus pot I used looks like lead but is made from fibreglass so it can be easily moved to a new spot where instant colour is needed.
Sail into Arbour
An old overgrown border was ripe for transformation; I converted it into a beautiful rose garden. A hand made domed arbour was commissioned from a talented blacksmith and introduced to add height. Balance was achieved by the borders being designed like a Celtic cross with roses in quadrants.
Border and Order
A long time neglected shrub border was cleared of everything but a mature birch and cypress tree, which I re-shaped by careful pruning. This area was in need of bringing to life, so I chose some more modern looking plants including cordylines, carex and the hardy geranium Wargrave Pink. Summer bedding plants were interspersed with the planting to show a blooming great display.
Michael and Louise were ideal to work with, clear on their needs and willing to experiment. I’m pleased to say that they loved the finished garden as they found it a great complement to their beautiful home.
Describing my Design ideas Michael Owen
This goes to show that with a combination of passion and hard work, good things will definitely be upon people like David. In the world of Horticulture, if there’s a will, there’s a way and a little creativity and being in the know will definitely pay off, executing beautiful gardens.
Planning is an essential part of a garden makeover as clearly seen in this post. A great gardening professional definitely knows what it takes in order to make barren looking landscape look its best once again.