Difficult sites

Steep bank
Low maintenance was paramount to this client. A difficult garden with a very steep bank to one side, which required fast growing ground cover plants.
The steep bank cleared of weeds (click to enlarge) Newly planted bank (click to enlarge) One season later, ground cover has established (click to enlarge)
Different views
The brief here was to create a mixed border at the bottom of a sloping garden, which is viewed at a distance from high above and close up at ground level. A backdrop of blue slate chips was used to provide contrast to planting and to hide the unsightly clay, stoney earth.
Plants are saved for re-use where possible (click to enlarge) Reusable plants are divided and re-positioned (click to enlarge) A few months on, plants start to fill out (click to enlarge) Existing plants blend with the newly planted ones (click to enlarge) One year on and plants are filling out (click to enlarge) Plants have begun to establish (click to enlarge)
Shady border
The original border here was cleared to create a new planting scheme which would tolerate some shade from overhead trees. I used a mixture of shrubs and perennials, and underplanted with bulbs for year round colour. Bark chips complete the look and act as a weedblock for easy maintenance.
Original border (click to enlarge) Original border (click to enlarge) Plants are beginning to establish (click to enlarge) Plants are beginning to establish (click to enlarge) One season on, the border is filling out (click to enlarge) One season on, the border is filling out (click to enlarge)