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Garden Designs to Suit Your Lifestyle and Budget

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THE GARDEN ROOM

BRONZE AWARD

WEST WOODHAY HOUSE GARDEN SHOW 2007

“..EVERY WOMAN SHOULD HAVE A ROOM OF HER OWN...”

Virginia Wolf

The brief for the show was “A Room with a View” and I chose to base the garden around our property, a French farmhouse called “La Rochelle” in Pays de Loire which we are currently renovating.

This small garden is my own personal space to work and chill out. There is a feeling of stepping back in time and I find the relaxed atmosphere of rural France inspires me to be creative.

The garden has no formal boundaries to allow views over the landscape and the planting is reminiscent of French and English gardens. I have taken elements from both styles of planting to create a colourful summer garden.

A circle of paving provides a space to sit out and relax and the planting is a combination of perennials and colourful annuals.

Pieces within the garden have meaning. The olive jar was found in the grenier. The millstone came from the barn, as did the metal reinforcing, used here as a support for climbers. The pistachio shells surrounding the millstone are a reminder of many an aperitif with French friends and neighbours.