My Edwardian Townhouse Front Garden:

Links on this page:
Hedge | Hedge Combination Plants | Fragrant Flowers | Roses | Geraniums

Overall Design

The front south facing garden is about (18' x 20') with a straight path from gate to front door on the western side. This traditional and semi formal front garden has a golden privet hedge (Ligustrum Ovalifolium Aureum) along the eastern (new section only 2 years old replaced old dying hedge) and southern sides. As the garden has a full sun aspect all year, I have chosen to temper this by selecting blues, pinks and white as the general colour theme and the planting uses many older style perennials.

A circular rose and geranium garden forms the main focal point. The circular design some might say is unexpected as I'm generally a square person (not literally or by nature, just in design concepts!). The circle is further reinforced by a variety of scented red and pink roses with a white iceburg rose in the centre. An Albertine climbing rose arches over the front door; it is known that this rose was fully grown and flowering in 1967, so I'm not sure how old it really is.

The size and aspect of the front garden places constraints on the general size of planting, but I have a theory on how close flowers can be planted. I'm not too keen on weeding, although some is inevitably required, so I am a strong advocate for covering all the available garden so that most weeds just don't get the space. For example, I grow lavender or geraniums under roses. All the planting is done directly into the enriched soil, with the exception of the moveable planter, which hides the gas meter.

Fragrant Flowers

I enjoy a garden that delights all the senses, so I've included flowers that produce a scent. The Lavender occupies a space under a rose by the main path. This combination helps to hide the more unsightly thorny stems and by planting the two together in the same patch of soil, allows me to increase the number of plants in a small area. When designing my planting layout, I made sure the Lavender was planted adjacent to a path. Brushing pass the over-hanging stems fills the air with a delightful aroma.

Lavender's all year perfume; aromatic leaves; scented purple flowers during summer

In January the sweet violets flower

During March, April and into May, Lily of the Valley fills the garden

Muscari - Grape Hyacinth blooms in spring and gives a sweet soft scent

Bluebells in spring produce an aromatic scent

During May the Lilac tree blooms and the aroma wafts over the garden

In June and July the Golden Privet hedge produces small fragrant white flowers

From May until late autumn; the roses are a delight; each with its own particular scent

Cyclamen hederifolium displays in October, scented flower, but you need to get close

The Hedge

The traditional English front garden would not be complete without a trimmed hedge. The Golden Privet hedge (Ligustrum Ovalifolium Aureum) has variegated yellow gold and green leaves and in June/July displays clusters of small fragrant white flowers. This particular plant enables gardeners to create a more formal traditional feel to their English front garden. Golden privet tolerates damp or dry conditions, shade or full sun aspect. It is attractive to a variety of insects, butterflies and moths and spiders, but it is harmful to humans if eaten. I trim the hedge twice per year in a simple box shape to keep a neat formal appearance.

Top of Page

Hedge Combination Plants

Two excellant combination plants for the shaded side of the Golden privet hedge are Cyclamen hederifolium (also called ivy-leaved cyclamen) and Helleborus.

The Cyclamen produces wonderful nodding pink flowers on elegant 6 inch stems in Autumn (October) and variegated heart shaped leaves that are as much a delight and excellant ground cover throughtout the winter and spring.

The Helleborus orientalis was planted in the corner bordered on both sides by the Golden Privet and under the Lilac tree, which in winter allows sufficient light to filter through its leafless branches to the plants below. In the background you can see the slender leaves of Snowflake Leucojum, which flowers from December to February on long graceful stems. All parts of this plant are poisonous if eaten.

Along the eastern side (new section of hedge), the conditions change within only a few feet. This area of the garden is much drier and the border rather narrow. Tall, elegant dutch iris grow in the shelter of the hedge. The flowers appear towards the end of April.


Cyclamen	Helleborus Orientalis	Iris Hollandica

Top of Page

Roses

The main design theme comprises of nine roses forming a circle around a tenth rose. The eleventh rose is the climber 'Albertine', trained over a metal arch atttached to the wall over the front door. Some of the roses were inherited when we purchased the house, therefore I'm still trying to identify a couple of them.

The rose in the center is a floribunda Iceberg. A free flowering shrub that produces sprays of white blooms and lime green foliage on graceful almost thornless stems from early summer until early autumn.

I have found that this rose seems resistant to mildew and rust, but susceptible to black spot. Like all the roses in my garden, I have to spray with a systemic fungicide at two-week intervals to keep the blackspot in check.

Note: I do not spray anything to kill greenfly and other pests as I have found that if you leave well alone, the ladybirds, spiders, birds etc do the job.