New planting in a secluded hideaway

The owners of this secluded private garden wanted a planting refresh. Apart from the tall shrubs and hedging which granted them the all-important screening from neighbours, the beds were mainly bare. They were keen on evergreens and interesting foliage texture and structure, with white as the predominant colour for flowers.
Our first priority was to ensure that the screening nature of the border shrubs was maintained. The large pyracantha in the corner was carefully thinned and pruned to ensure that it wasn’t weighing down on the Wendy House or overhanging the garden, while maintaining its good coverage. Space was cleared around a Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’, which was struggling in deep shade: once trained to bring it out into the light, it has put on excellent growth since.
Additional screening was provided by tall Prunus lusitanica ‘Angustifolia’ plants which also produce masses of frothy white blossom in spring. A handsome Pittosporum tobira thrives in a large container by the back door – in this very sheltered town garden it survives winter well.
The planting at the front of the borders continued the architectural theme, with a show-stopping Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ providing large snowy white pom-pom blooms in summer, complemented by Allium Mount Everest throughout the garden. Later in the year, white-flower Hylotelephium spectabile ‘Iceberg’ comes to the fore and in the depths of winter when the perennials have died back, the ground is carpeted with snowdrops.