RESILIENT PLANTING

Resilient planting is a term that we have become more familiar with over recent years. It refers to planting that can cope with extremes of heat and water and as such is suited to the changing climate that we live in.

For this section of a show garden, we wanted to show how beautiful this type of planting can be. Using gravel and waste construction material to act as a thick mulch, water drains slowly through to the roots and is kept within the soil, reducing the need for watering. The surface of the bed is contoured to slow and keep rainwater within the garden, naturally conserving water that falls. The result is a low-maintenance garden which contradicts what we visually expect to see.

Planting complements the hard landscaping, creating an effortless feel and giving the garden a sense of maturity. Grasses intertwine with flowering perennials, chosen for the subtle tones which they pass through as they age across the season. The hit of bright pink in its tight concentrated flower form anchors the planting and directs the eye, keeping it within the arrangement.