Westminster Secret Garden

I felt a rush of excitement the moment I saw this little garden. There was so much potential under the unstructured and untidy planting of this garden and the mass of ivy covering the brick wall. Potential waiting for someone to unearth it.

To make the most of the odd shape of the garden, the client and I decided to develop a ‘secret garden’ look. This also worked with one of the key constraints of the site: a lack of deep soil, meaning almost everything had to be planted in pots.

A first step was to expose more of the beautiful brickwork of the wall – revealing in the process an old bricked up doorway. Mirrors – one aligned with the doorway, a second further along the wall – created an impression of depth and mystery. A water bowl completed the effect – while also being good for wildlife. While much of the ivy had to go, we kept it in places: it’s a beautiful plant if kept in check, plus it helps the bees in winter.

The success of the planting lay as much in the placement of pots, to create harmony and structure, as it did in the selection of plants to go in them. Four olive trees linked the two main areas, with a Cupressus creating surprise and variation. I also introduced evergreen star jasmines (Trachelospermum jasminoides) for heady fragrance. I generally don’t like to throw away plants, so I tried to keep as many of the existing plants in the garden as could fit into the new scheme: some ferns and the Choysia, for example, alongside the retained ivy.

A clear example that small gardens can be just as challenging as big ones – but also just as rewarding.