Tag: Garden Design

10 creative decking ideas for a sloped garden – Growing Family

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UK gardens come in many shapes and sizes, and it’s not uncommon to find sloped surfaces at the front or rear of your home. As a result, many homeowners think they can’t do much in terms of garden decking, but this is far from the case.

Decking is a tried and trusted technique for boosting the aesthetic of almost any garden, even if it’s sloped. With many decking materials to choose from and lots of styles available, there’s something to suit all shapes and sizes. Let’s explore ten sloped garden decking ideas to help you create an outdoor space to be proud of.

1.    Explore different decking shapes

Decking a sloped garden can be tricky if you go for traditionally square or rectangular designs. Rounded alternatives help distract the eye from uneven surfaces, while a curved edge creates a unique visual appeal.

Curved decking is difficult to get right, however, and you’ll need access to specialist equipment and/or skilled tradespeople to get the job done. You’ll also need to use composite boards as opposed to standard timber, as they’re more versatile and flexible due to the plastic element of their composition.

2.    Try tiered decking

For outdoor spaces with gentle slopes, utilising large, defined levels with your garden decking is becoming increasingly prevalent. Known as tiered decking, this is most effective for larger outdoor spaces and enables you to use a sloped surface to your advantage.

Each tier can be used for a different function, from dining spaces to children’s play areas, relaxation zones, and more. With tiered decking you can make garden entertaining even more fun for your family and guests.

3.    Elevated decking for an elevated aesthetic

Elevated decking is like tiered decking, but features smaller steps with a large space at the top, rather than multiple large levels. One of the most popular sloped garden decking ideas, you can use even the steepest slope to your advantage thanks to stairs that naturally lead up to the top deck.

As well as being functional and practical, you can easily create a statement design piece for your garden if you get creative. Elevated decking space can also double up as storage, which is a bonus for any homeowner.

4.    Create multi-level decking for large spaces

Instead of using a primary elevated space or a tiered approach, multi-level decking allows you to go in different directions and use more shapes when decking a sloped garden.

Most of the time, you’ll need a larger garden space for this option, and room to create multiple levels with their own functions. In addition to more size, multi-level decking will also require more planning than the alternatives on our list. You will need to carefully consider your space and how best to use it.

5.    Consider terraced gardening

Plants and foliage can be a huge help when decking a sloped garden. By adding raised planters full of plants and flowers, you can level off the top of your decking and add steps down your garden slope.

All in all, terraced decking is a great way to improve your backyard. You can also add lighting, different flowers and plants for different seasons, and other materials to help your garden pop.

6.    Build a path out of decking

Decking a sloped garden with a distinguished path is an innovative way to break up the space and allow defined access to different areas. Add lighting to illuminate it in the dark, and choose colours and styles that match the rest of your exterior.

Composite decking is a popular material for this because it will likely be in permanent contact with the ground, but it won’t absorb water or rot. It’s also resistant to fungal or insect infestation and will prevent grass from growing over the pathway, which keeps your garden looking neat.

7.    Have fun with decking materials

The most common decking materials are timber or composite boards, but you can use porcelain tiles, concrete and stone walls, and more to decorate and add character to your space.

Reinforced posts will also help you achieve elevation for sloped garden decking ideas, but make sure to use a durable material as these will be exposed to groundwater. This goes for multi-level decking and tiered decking too. It’s advisable to use a composite material that’s resistant to insect infestation, moisture, and mould.

For decking elements that aren’t exposed to the ground, traditional timber will do the trick, but always choose high-quality options for that extra durability.

8.    Experiment with paving

The surface of any decking is important for design and functionality. Stone slabs, for example, are hard-wearing flooring options that create a distinguished decking space. However, they require reinforced groundwork and a strong concrete base, and in a sloped garden, you’ll need to have it elevated to make it level.

For more daring design ideas, ceramic and mosaic tiles are a novel way to add flair to a decking area. Again, you’ll need a concrete base strong enough to hold them, and a flat surface that will likely need to be elevated.

In terms of the timber that you use for the structure of your decking, composite timber is the recommended option. It’s more durable than traditional timber and since it’s virtually maintenance-free, it makes the perfect base for almost any decking.

9.    Think about your gradient

Understanding your garden gradient is crucial for any sloped garden decking ideas you have. A slight gradient of 2.5% (away from the house) is necessary to prevent water pooling, but anything over 20% is considered steep.

You can use planters, posts, and steps to level off a garden space, giving you more versatility when it comes to your design options. Lawns are a different matter altogether, however. Any lawn built on a steep gradient will likely be difficult to maintain, especially when it comes to mowing.

10. Get zonal

With decking ideas for a sloped garden, you must be creative with the space you have available.

Creating different tiers, for example, may reduce the footprint of an outdoor area, but you can give each of the levels its own unique personality and purpose. From dining spaces to barbeque areas, covered levels, and more, approach each of your levels as its own zone and furnish it with its own identity.

This makes for an interesting garden and one you’ll never get bored of relaxing or entertaining in.

Key considerations to make when decking a sloped garden

Safety

Safety is hugely important when creating any decking space, but with tiered or multi-level decks in sloped garden areas, it’s crucial.

Non-slip decking boards help boost the safety of any decking, but you should also consider railings on steps and fences, especially on higher levels.

Quality

You’ll need high-quality wood to keep decking protected against unpredictable and often adverse weather. Composite decking is a popular option for structural elements that are permanently exposed to groundwater, whereas high-quality timber is a classic, versatile, and natural garden material for the exterior.

Composite boards are also great for exterior-facing decking structures. With a range of colour options and extra durability, not to mention simple maintenance and installation, it’s not hard to see why this material has become so popular.

Planning permission

Finally, you’ll need to think about planning permission before committing to any decking in a sloped garden.

Chances are, if your decking is lower than 30cm high, doesn’t affect the privacy of your neighbours, and is no larger than 50% of your garden, it won’t need permission. However, for elevated and multi-tiered decking ideas for a sloped garden, planning permission may be required.

Among other issues, failing to get permission can negatively affect the saleability of your home. It’s always a good idea to contact your local planning department for clarification.

Let’s get decking!

Hopefully this article has laid the groundwork (get it?) for some fantastic outdoor decking projects, regardless of the surface you have to play with. Now it’s time to get planning and see what you can do with your sloped garden space.

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Catherine

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February 8, 2024
A Garden from Scratch: How to Create a Strong Foundation

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In the first column of my series on creating a garden from scratch, I posed some starting points to think about before you make any radical changes to your space. In this second installment, I’m diving deeper and covering the key design decisions you need to consider for a strong foundation—both literal and metaphorical.

Here are the six elements that go into a beautiful foundation for your garden.

Photography by Clare Coulson.

Above: My English garden in midsummer. When I arrived this area was a lavender walk with some climbing roses. The lavenders were tired and needed replacing so I decided to remove the whole border and start again, keeping only the climbing rose at the far end of the border. We widened the border to create depth and I planted two long copper beech hedges at the back of the border (buying very young bareroot plants to keep costs down. I then planted ornamental pear trees every two metres which introduces spring blossom and valuable upright structure and presence. Underneath is a succession of perennials and bulbs, mostly in blue and apricot; tulips and alliums are followed by hardy geraniums, nepeta, foxgloves, baptisa, penstemons, ornamental grasses, hydrangeas and salvias. Self-seeders are enthusiastically encouraged.

1. A Limited Materials Palette

Above: Putting in the hardscaping is the first job in most gardens. As it’s permanent, it’s also the most important to get right. I’ve used self-binding gravel for almost all the paths and terraces in my garden; it’s very easy to lay, essentially just spreading it out over a stable sub-base and then compressing it down. But the soft golden colour also blends beautifully into the garden so that it almost disappears. My one regret is having it close to buildings because tiny pieces of the gravel always migrate indoors.

One of the biggest investments of time and money in a new garden is the hardscaping, so it pays to take the time to ensure that any paths, terraces, steps, and other paved or graveled areas are exactly where you want them, feel appropriate to your home and garden style, and will stand the test of time. When planning these areas, be generous, because over time plants will normally encroach into hardscaped areas and soften the edges.

Hardscaping needs to feel in proportion to the house and garden—and look visually appropriate (e.g., a traditional brick path will always look right next to a period building with similar brickwork). To keep these spaces cohesive and harmonious, restrict your materials palette; using a wide variety of finishes can be jarring to the eye. Some materials, including gravel or self-binding gravels, can work with almost any style of architecture.

Just as you would with paints for the interior of your home, get samples of the hardscaping materials you’re considering and live with them for a while. Or plan a field trip or two to see similar materials in a real garden setting. If you’re starting with a true blank canvas, you can mark out areas with a line marker (use hosepipe to create sinuous curved lines) so that you can walk through areas and make sure they feel right.

Whichever surface material you choose, a solid, stable base—usually compressed crushed materials and sand—is key to ensure that the surface can cope with daily wear and weather. It’s possible to do most landscaping projects with basic DIY skills, but just like home projects a perfect finish by a professional is often hard to replicate.

2. Good ‘Bones’

Above: A clipped hedge, shaped shrubs, topiary and a specimen tree can all help to create the bones of a garden that have a permanent, year-round presence. When I bought my house, I had very little gardening experience but I knew that any green structure was potentially useful so I nurtured the hedges, many of which had been eaten down to stubs by horses. We allowed them to recover and grow before clipping many of them into cloud-pruned shapes. I added a few specimen trees including a multi-stem jacquemontii birch tree, pictured here. On the right hand side of this picture a self-seeded hawthorn was left to grow, providing a froth of white blossom in spring.

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February 6, 2024
Hardscaping 101: Natural Swimming Pools – Gardenista

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Have you ever swam in a natural swimming pool? There’s no chlorine, no chemical taste or smell, nothing to sting your eyes. Recently architect Alan Barlis, who designed one for a client in New York’s Hudson Valley, described the experience like this: “Incredibly blissful. Once you swim in one of these things you feel like you’ve been so refreshed. It’s like being in a Brita for an hour. It’s like taking the best shower of your life.”

It sounds as if we all should be swimming in natural pools, for our health and the environment’s. So why aren’t we? For one thing, natural swimming pools cost more to install (on average 10 percent more than conventional pools, says an industry spokesman). Perception is another problem, because some swimmers equate chlorine with cleanliness. Finally, a lack of uniform guidelines and rules in the US may make the idea of installing a natural swimming pool seem, well, murky.

On the other hand: incredibly blissful.

So read on for everything you need to know to decide whether a natural swimming pool is for you.

What is a natural swimming pool?

Above: In Switzerland near Lake Lucerne, a natural swimming pool supported by a retaining wall on a steep slope “appears to almost float weightlessly out over the valley,” the designers say. Photograph courtesy of Biotop.

Think of a natural swimming pool as a chlorine-free zone. Instead of relying on chemicals to keep the water clean, natural pools have water gardens with plants that naturally filter and clean the water.

Industry pioneer Biotop, headquartered in Europe, has installed more than 5,000 natural swimming pools worldwide during the past three decades. Other industry players include Ellicar (formerly Ensata) in the UK, and Bio Nova and Total Habitat in the US.

How does a natural pool work?

Above: A natural pool at Plane Trees Lodge in Australia has a water depth of 6 1/2 feet. Photograph courtesy of Biotop.

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January 26, 2024
Jinny Blom: An Interview with the Author of 'What Makes a Garden'

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The second book from landscape designer Jinny Blom, What Makes a Garden, draws on all aspects of gardens and garden culture. Jinny knows her stuff, has opinions, and sometimes upsets those of her followers on social media who want only loveliness. Having praised the writing of provocateur Julie Burchill (who wrote in her Spectator column, “It’s time to end the rewilding menace”), Jinny was shocked by the viciousness of the response. It seems that some things are off-limits for landscape designers, and one is suggesting to gardeners that their ecological thinking might be fuzzy. Never more in demand, with clients who could choose anybody in the world, Jinny takes time out to talk to us about garden design, and the R-word.

Photography by Britt Willoughby Dyer, from What Makes a Garden.

Q: In your latest book you say: “We limit spaces between trees and shrub groups to 650 feet as that is as far as many small birds can fly without having to take cover.” How much do ecological considerations affect the layout of your gardens?

Above: A garden that Jinny designed for Hauser & Wirth at their hotel the Fife Arms in the Scottish Highlands.

A: An awful lot. We work very closely with ecology, and detailed information like this determines much of what we do. We just amalgamate the information into our designs rather than having it displayed only as the science.

Q: Does the term “pleasure garden” still have currency today?

Above: A reconfigured garden (and estate) in the Cotswolds, England.

A: I don’t know, because I’m not sure what’s happened to pleasure—we’re living in grumpy times. I personally feel that gardens are places for pleasure, which I would define as the sort of freedom that you get from being outside—not signaling every move and every action—but just sort of being. My sense is that the old meaning was just that: in the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens [which had their heyday in 18th and early 19th century London], you would be strolling around—pleasurably dressed, with pleasurable friends doing pleasurable things in a pleasurable place. Pleasure was the whole purpose.

Q: Do you find that more and more people are still getting switched on to gardening, even post-pandemic?

Above: An English country garden, designed by Jinny Blom.

A: Definitely. Because here’s the crux of it: If you actually go outside and do it, your feelings and your responses to nature and gardening change very quickly. If you’re a kind of armchair warrior, then that’s something different. But really gardening—everybody I know who does it finds so much pleasure and excitement in it. The great optimism is giving people access to their own little patch of earth to mess around with; I think it’s very important.

Q: “Rewilding” means different things to different people. What in your view are the good bits?

Above: Steps into the garden at the Fife Arms, Braemar, Scotland.

A: I don’t see it as a big political thing, another cause for rage. It’s been going on for a very long time—people naturalizing areas or enjoying a naturalized area, except that it would be gardened and cared for; it would be ‘kempt,’ rather than unkempt. Anybody with a patch of land (I do it myself in my tiny garden) could have a patch of long grass with things growing in it. It’s not something you’re fiddling with all the time, it performs in a different way, and it gives a different kind of pleasure to look at. And then, five feet to the left, there might be quite a well-attended border, which is doing something else. So really, it’s about the pleasure of diversity in gardens. Anything that’s going to engender more habitat or more diversity for other creatures is definitely part of where most gardeners are coming from.

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January 23, 2024
New Year, New Garden: 7 Resolutions for 2024 – Gardenista

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The best laid plans for the garden are usually made in the dead of winter, when short days give us long, cozy evenings to dream up a new project or pore over seed catalogues in anticipation of next summer’s borders. In a similar way, it’s a good time to make some resolutions and to implement changes to not only what you’ll plant but how you’ll maintain it all, too. Here then are some of my garden resolutions for 2024.

1. Keep a garden notebook.

Above: Making a note of key flowers to grow with floral designer Milli Proust’s cottage window. Photograph by Eva Nemeth, from Milli’s debut book From Seed to Bloom.

How many times do you make a mental note and then very swiftly forget all about it? In the garden it’s all too easy to forget six months later, say, the exact position where you wanted to plant a swathe of spring bulbs, or the spot you were hoping to relocate a plant, or the name of the shrub you wanted to buy. A notebook is arguably the most underestimated tool for the gardener; making notes, lists, and sketches through the gardening year, both in your own garden and when visiting others, will keep plant names and plans all in one place.

2. Ditch the impulsive plant shopping.

Above: South Wood Farm in Devon, England, designed by Arne Maynard. Photograph by Britt Willoughby Dyer.

In my garden there is always a table through the growing season of plants that have not yet found their spot—a collection of impulse purchases, bought during over-excited, under-planned visits to the plant nursery, that are then neglected there was never a set plan for them. As the season comes and goes, those plants stay on the table, an embarrassing reminder of my failure to properly plan. So this year I’m vowing to eradicate this habit and buy only the plants I already have a spot for.

3. Make more space for messiness.

Above: The dovecote at Old-Lands in Wales. Photograph by Britt Willoughby Dyer.

As my garden margins have become messier—with nettles, brambles, wildflowers and weeds—the insect and bird life has boomed. It doesn’t take much to create habitats for wildlife: Undisturbed corners, dead hedges, log piles, fallen wood, leaf mounds will all provide useful hiding places and habitats for the creatures that are fundamental to the health and life of your garden. By leaving a variety of weeds to grow, you will also boost biodiversity too.

4. Boost the soil.

Above: The rich planting at Kiftsgate Court Gardens. Photograph by Sabina Ruber, from Vanessa Berridge’s Three Generations of Women Gardeners.

I can get a bit lazy in my approach to the annual mulch, but this past summer, while comparing my borders to pictures taken a few years ago, it became clear that it needed a significant boost come winter. I expect a lot from my garden, which features borders planted successionally so that there is something always in flower from late winter right through until November, and a rich mulch with organic matter will give it much needed nutrients for the growing season ahead. As I have very sandy, free draining soil in my garden, I prefer a rich mulch, either manure or Dalefoot’s Double Strength compost; both, of course, are peat-free.

5. Invest in naturalizing bulbs.

Above: Narcissus ‘Pheasant’s Eye’ is planted in swathes in the meadow at Sissinghurst Castle, Kent. Photograph by Clare Coulson.

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January 1, 2024
Naturalistic Permeable Driveways:Tips on Creating a Beautiful Place to Park Your Car

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What if your driveway were beautiful? If you have a typical American stretch of asphalt for a driveway, this question might come off as an absurd provocation, but Andrea Hurd, the founder of Mariposa Gardening & Design, has proven over and over that a beautiful place to park your car is possible. Her Bay Area firm uses their expertise in stonework and horticulture to create driveways that are an attractive addition to the landscape. Hurd’s interest in reimagining driveways doesn’t stem solely from aesthetic ambitions, though.

Trained in permaculture, Hurd worked with the San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners in the 1990s. There, she learned that the water that runs over your driveway picks up oil and gas that has leaked from cars. “That polluted water goes into storm drains that go straight to the Bay,” says Hurd. One solution to manage this problem is to replace conventional driveways with permeable ones, which allow stormwater to be filtered through the soil, keeping pollutants out of natural bodies of water.

The benefits of a permeable driveway don’t end there. By keeping rainwater on a homeowner’s property, the water soaks into the ground to recharge the groundwater table. Ripping out concrete can also reduce the heat island effect, as concrete reflects the sun’s heat. And if you add plants to your new permeable driveway, you can create habitat for pollinators—not to mention improved curb appeal. Perhaps best of all? Your newly beautified driveway can be used as garden space when your car is not parked there.

Here’s what you need to know to create your own beautiful, permeable parking spot:

Photography by Saxon Holt, unless otherwise noted.

Remove the concrete.

Above: Before and after—Mariposa Gardening & Design replaced this concrete driveway in Berkeley with a permeable design that created room for many new plants, including a mixture of creeping thymes and native strawberries.

The first step to creating a permeable driveway is to remove non-permeable concrete or asphalt surfaces. Unless you’re handy with a jackhammer, this is probably a job for a pro. “Hopefully you have a driveway that was built to code, which means you’ve got a sufficient amount of base material underneath the concrete pour,” says Hurd. But if that is not the case, your contractors will need to regrade the driveway so that water slopes away from the foundation of the house.

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December 15, 2023
5 tips for creating the perfect backyard Zen garden – Growing Family
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The Japanese Zen garden has immense cultural and historical significance, reaching back as far as the 6th century. Nowadays, it has become a popular garden concept, incorporating space for relaxation, improved concentration, mindfulness, aesthetic enjoyment, and connection to nature.

These 5 tips for creating the perfect backyard Zen garden will help you bring these meditative aspects into your outdoor living space.

Design your space

Be flexible and work with what you have when choosing a space for your Zen garden. It could be a small corner, a devoted backyard section, or your balcony or terrace. The most important factor is for your chosen spot to be easy to access and enjoy.

Draw a rough sketch of your space, ensuring you take all elements into account.

Consider the amount of sunlight the area gets to determine what plants you can incorporate. It’s also a good idea to think about landscape lighting such as stone lanterns and uplighting of rocks and plants.

Be mindful of your seating arrangements, color palette, and stone pathways in your gravel or sand base. Thorough planning is essential for those large rocks and stones that are difficult to manoeuvre.

Try to stick to the Japanese Zen garden principles when designing your garden. These include:
- Asymmetry
- Simplicity
- Symbolism
- Balance
- Natural
- Surprise
- Allusion or mystery
- Tranquility
Choose your materials

You’ll need various shapes and sizes of stones, rocks, and pebbles, as well as sand or gravel.

Stones are the key anchors of a Zen garden. Embrace asymmetry to reflect a natural landscape.

Mix and match types of stones (flat stones, river stones, etc.) and place them in odd-numbered balanced groupings to promote a sense of harmony. Scatter pebbles to introduce dimension, or build small piles of stones for delicate focal points.

Large rocks or boulders give your backyard Zen garden an edge or focal point. They can also establish a seating area. Place a simple and gorgeous patio dining set in a comfortable spot where you know you’ll be able to appreciate your garden.

Your sand or gravel will be your base. Gravel is easier to maintain, but either option allows you to create the classic patterns that a Zen garden is famous for.

Choose your plants

A traditional version of a Japanese Zen garden has very few plants. However, this is your garden and you can decorate as you choose. Just keep in mind simplicity.

There are myriad annual and perennial classic Zen garden plants to choose from. Good ones to focus on are moss, cherry blossom trees, Japanese maples, bonsais, and bamboo.

Moss represents beauty and simplicity, bringing cohesion between rocks and plants, absorbing sound, and exhaling moisture. Sakura (cherry blossom) is a prominent symbol of birth and death in Japanese nature.

The Japanese maple exhibits elegance, beauty, and grace. Bonsais symbolise balance and harmony. Bamboo can be used as effective privacy screening to section off your Zen garden.

Prepare your space

Work through these basic preparation steps to build your Zen garden:
1. Clear your allocated space of plants, weeds, stones, etc.
2. Use a shovel to remove the top layer of existing soil.
3. Use stakes and string to determine if the ground is level and rake out uneven spots.
4. Tamp down the soil.
5. Place stones around the edge of the garden. This border will contain your sand or gravel.
6. Dig holes for your rocks and plants.
7. Install your rocks and plants. Bury part of your tall rocks in the earth for a natural look.
8. Lay landscape fabric over the soil, cutting out shapes for your rocks and plants.
9. Apply your sand or gravel, using a rake to distribute it evenly. Then use a wooden Zen rake to create stunning ripples or swirls.
Zen gardens are known to relieve stress. To achieve an uncluttered mind, you need an uncluttered space. Therefore, maintenance is key. Pick up leaves, change the patterns in your gravel, prune, and weed as another form of meditation.

Personalise your garden

This will be your sanctuary, so it’s only natural to personalise it. For example, you could install a meaningful statue as a focal point of meditation and focus. This could be a Buddha statue or something else that holds greater significance for you.

What sounds invoke peace within you? A wind chime or water feature can add gentle background sound.

Water is not a traditional Japanese Zen garden characteristic, but perhaps it’s a characteristic of your Zen garden. You could install a bubbling fountain, a small pond, or a mini waterfall that flows through rocks.

Usually, a Zen garden consists of a muted colour scheme. But contemplate what colours speak to you, and stick to those. If adding a few splashes of colour makes you happy, then there’s no harm in it.

Style your stone path according to your personality. Do you visualise a formal, straight pathway, or something more meandering?

To feel comfortable in a space, you need to make it welcoming. Keep it simple and personal, and you’ll create a backyard Zen garden that’s perfect for you and your home.
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Catherine

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December 13, 2023
The Garden Decoder: What Is ‘Goth Gardening’? – Gardenista
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While I like to dive into the Halloween mood by decorating with pumpkins on the porch and a strings of orange lights, I have never thought to spruce up my garden for the holiday. But, according to the almighty TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram apps, others are—by partaking in some goth gardening, an aesthetic that’s even made the list of 2024 garden trends.

So, what, pray tell, is goth gardening all about? To help me sort through this latest garden trend, I’ve asked Janet Sluis, director of the Sunset Plant Collection.

What is ‘goth gardening’?

Above: A Halloween-worthy all-foliage composition of purple millet, black mondo grass, and sweet potato vine. Photograph by Meredith Swinehart, from DIY Patio Planter: Dark and Stormy Shades.

Also known as Gothic gardening, and referring back to the Victorian Era, this style of gardening lets you embrace your dark, mysterious side, regardless of the season or the size of your space. If you have only a tiny deck, you can add some darkly hued containers filled with moody, broody plants. If your garden is larger, you can pick and choose several features of a goth garden to implement: winding paths that snake though a garden, moss-covered stones for a vintage vibe, densely planted secret areas with surprises around corners, and slightly sinister looking plants. Goth gardening isn’t reserved just for the Halloween season, though its dark drama certainly feels very appropriate for the holiday.

Why is the goth look trending?

“As far as hardscaping goes, there has been growing interest in all things old: crumbling stonework, rusted wrought iron, repurposed art. In general, gardening trends are moving away from straight edges and formal shapes to more winding paths and wilder looking plantings,” says Janet.

What plants are perfect for the goth garden?

Above: A Nandina ‘Flirt’ shrub has red foliage year-round. Photograph courtesy of Sunset Plant Collection.

Focus on plants that are dramatic, eerie looking, and/or have dark-as-midnight foliage or flowers. You can also search for scarlet red, dark purple, and burgundy-hued plants. “Now is the time to stock up,” says Janet, since nursery growers produce black foliage plants and flowers for Halloween and dark plants can be hard to find at other times of the year.

Below is a very incomplete list of potentially perfect plants. Remember: Although it is tempting and easy to pick plants based on looks only, please consider your growing conditions before purchasing, such as the climate, soil type, light exposure, and whether or not deer visit your garden.

Above: Phormium ‘Black Adder’ has been a long-standing favorite for Janet. “This is one of the darker leaved flax plants and is reliably shorter (4 to 5 feet in the garden) than others. Structurally it provides height and form to both borders and containers.”
- Phormium ‘Black Adder’
- Sempervivum supersemps ‘Onyx’
- Melianthus major
- Cotinus coggygria
- Cordyline ‘Design-a-line’
- Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’
- Mangave ‘Black Widow’
- Hollyhock ‘Black Night’
- Lobelia ‘Vulcan Red’
- Heuchera ‘Black Pearl’
What are some ghoulishly goth accessories?

Above: Old statuaries are perfect accessories in a goth garden. Photograph by Britt Willoughby Dyer, from Garden Visit: A Modern Garden for a Gothic Estate in the Cotswolds.

For smaller gardens and more urban settings, Janet recommends getting creative with containers. “Repurpose scavenged items to use as planters and place found objects in and around them. Hunting thrift stores and salvage yards can yield all kinds of interesting pieces and are zero-waste (certainly more eco-friendly than importing heavy pots from overseas). Just make sure anything used for planting has drainage holes or can have holes drilled into them.”

Scrap yards, thrift stores, and flea markets are great places to find affordable weathered items such as old urns, fountains, lanterns, gargoyles, wrought iron gates, even old animal cages. Creepy shadows also add mystery. You can get the effect by hanging some string lights, decorating with LED candles, or positioning spotlights on the faces of antique statues.

Any other tips?

Above: Goth gardens find beauty in decay. Photograph from Eccentric England: The Friendly Ghosts of Renishaw Hall.

Consider leaving dead leaves, fallen stumps, brown seed heads, and faded flowers. This hands-off maintenance regime should be very welcoming to most—and especially to beneficial creatures like birds, frogs, worms, and even friendly snakes.

The bottom line is to use your imagination while exploring this trend. “Gardening should be fun, not anxiety-provoking,” says Janet. “Decorate your outdoor space with whatever brings you comfort and joy. Bring dark toned tapestry rugs and pillows out, use memory evoking scents (in plants or candles), and place a comfortable chair along with a small side table someplace where you can sit and enjoy your outdoor space.”

See also:

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October 31, 2023