Garden Guide With James Kilkelly

WHEN laying out a garden for a client I am occasionally asked to create 'something a little different or unusual'. Now I usually delve a little deeper by asking a few follow-on questions. This is just to establish how far the garden owner wishes to go â€â€ whether we are talking hanging gardens of Babylon or just the addition of one or two rare plants. One of the best ways I have found to create a garden that is a bit different from the norm is to plan one around a theme. Many garden designers will follow specific themes when laying out a garden and more often than not these are the gardens that are the most cohesive, yet beautiful and unusual. A garden theme is the way in which we put together forms, plants and garden structures to create the general feel in the garden. Think of it in terms of clothes and fashion. On its own a hat is just a hat, a shirt is just a shirt and shoes are just shoes, but it's how you put particular types of these items together that creates your overall style, theme or look. With this in mind I have decided over the next few weeks to look at a collection of the different styles that are available to someone designing or redesigning their growing site. I hope to give you insight into whether a particular style is suitable for your particular situation and what elements to include should you opt for it. Mediterranean theme TO start off with I thought I would offer you a style that will transport you to sunnier climes â€â€ a Mediterranean-themed garden. The aim is to make the garden users feel as if they are on a sunshine holiday every time they step outside their door. Unfortunately we don't have control over the weather but we can try and evoke the feelings aroused by the vineyards of France or the olive groves of Italy. First off you should try to enclose your themed area in Mediterranean-style hedging. If you like a loose informal look then a suitable plant for this purpose is rosemary and the 1.5 metre tall Rosmarinus officinalis is my choice. Its aromatic scent, dark green leaves and spikes of blue flowers from mid-spring to late summer will whisk you away to the Med. If you would like a more formal Mediterranean look then any plain green-leaved hedge kept tightly clipped would be fitting. This hedge should preferably also be evergreen, so look to any of the following: â€Â¢ Holm oak (Quercus ilex). This tough plant with leathery leaves is sometimes described as a cross between an oak and a holly, but without the thorns. Producing inconspicuous yellow-green catkins in spring, it will never wow you on the flowering front, but its ability to cope with dry, windy or shady spots is where it shines. For a truly authentic Mediterranean look opt for this hedging plant, however be aware that it is slow growing to begin with. â€Â¢ Green privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium) This is a common enough, evergreen, formal hedging plant and there's a reason why it is so common. It will thrive where others fail, it puts up with dry and shady spots just like the Holm oak, but with a much more rapid growth rate. The leaves of green privet are oval in shape with a slight sheen to their surface. Although it isn't truly evergreen, being classed as semi-evergreen means it will only drop its leaves in a very harsh winter. â€Â¢ Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus 'Rotundifolia') Whether the situation is full sun, partial shade, deep shade, damp soil or dry soil, laurel will do well. With large, leathery, dark-green leaves, the foliage of Prunus laurocerasus is probably the most attractive of the three hedging types mentioned. Similar to the green privet, its foliage will reflect extra light into your garden due to the sheen on the leaves' upper surface. True to its name, the Cherry laurel is a member of the cherry family, the same as the plum, peach, apricot and almond, so you know you are on the right Mediterranean track with it. More on Mediterranean-themed gardens next week. Until then, happy gardening and remember that a weed is just a plant in the wrong place.