18 minute read
GARDENING
Pots of style
Whether you’re living in an inner-city apartment with limited outdoor space or simply want to brighten up your paved plots, Elly West explains the beauty of pots...
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Whatever the size of your garden, there is always room for some pots. They’re especially useful in small spaces, where container gardening might be the only option if you want to exercise your green fingers, for example in city courtyard gardens, on balconies or roof terraces. When I first started gardening, while living in London with a small, mostly-paved plot backing a terraced house, necessity meant that many of my plants were allocated to containers. I found it quick and satisfying to fill a pot with plants for an instant display that could be positioned wherever I wanted, then replanted or moved on when past its best.
A few well-placed pots can bring life to a bare patio or provide a welcome focal point in a lacklustre area of the garden. Scent and colour can be added to seating areas, around doors or windows. Climbers can be grown against fences and walls that lack soil at their base. Plants that need a particular soil type can be introduced and catered for. Gaps can be filled in a border while you wait for other plants to fill out.
Just about anything can be grown in a pot, from classic summer bedding plants, to bulbs, perennials, climbers, herbs, fruit and veg, shrubs and even trees. However, container plants do need considerably more care than those growing in the ground so it’s worth choosing both your plants and your pots carefully if you want your plants to thrive.
At the risk of stating the obvious, plants in pots have limited access to nutrients and water, so feeding and watering are the most important factors in keeping them healthy. Most will let you know when they are unhappy, but by that point it may be too late, so start as you mean to go on with the right-sized pot and a good-quality compost, and a watering and feeding regime. Wilting leaves are thirsty, and will usually perk up with a good soak, but if they’re dead, brown and crispy, they’re gone. Leaves that are turning yellow may indicate a lack of nutrients.
Larger pots will sustain plants better, and are best for permanent planting of shrubs, trees or climbers. Choose a soil-based compost such as John Innes No.3 for long-term container plants. It’s heavy, but holds more nutrients and will also take longer to dry out than its multi-purpose counterparts, which can bake hard and be bone dry in a matter of hours in full sun. Peat-free composts are environmentally preferable, and peat sales to gardeners are set to be banned by 2024. In summer, you may find you’re watering some of your smaller pots twice a day to keep them hydrated. Mornings and evenings are best, and aim at the roots to avoid scorching the leaves.
Most composts hold enough nutrients to last a couple of months, but after that, your plants will benefit from a liquid feed every fortnight, or use slow-release granules according to the instructions.
Gardening in small spaces was a theme at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May. New show garden categories included Container Gardens and Balcony Gardens, introduced for the first time last year as a response to the pandemic and to encourage people
with small gardens, or even no gardens, to engage with nature. “Any space, whether inside or out, can be turned into a garden sanctuary for the benefit of our health and the environment,” says Helen Pettit, RHS Director of Gardens and Shows.
The Still Garden, designed by Bristol-based Jane Porter (also known as her Instagram moniker @plantyjane) for this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, won a gold medal and showcased plants that thrive in Scotland’s Highlands and Islands. As she pointed out, when I visited the show, container growing allows us to create the right conditions for a particular plant, for example heathers that need ericaceous (acid) soil. “Container gardening lets us choose our soil, meaning we can grow plants from places that inspire us regardless of where we live. I’ve been able to create little vignettes of the Highlands and Islands, with soil that suits.”
Her top tip for those wanting to have a go, is to “get the largest containers you can fit in the space”.
She continues, “I like containers that I don’t have to replant, so I tend to choose perennials that fill out the space, and I look for things with seed heads to keep the display going.” She also prefers to choose plants for seasonal interest, rather than static, evergreen displays. “I’d rather have moments of brilliance than year-round mediocrity,” she adds.
Gunnera manicata was one of the feature plants in her show garden, making a bold statement with its lush tropical foliage. “Don't be afraid of plants with big leaves, they create drama and contrast with the smaller leaves of the heathers and feathery ferns,” she says. The planting palette in this space was mostly understated greens and whites, allowing the containers themselves to become prominent features and share the stage. These were mostly half whisky barrels, plus a beautiful copper distilling pot.
Just about anything that holds compost and survives the elements can hold plants. Upcycling items can be fun for a quirky display, such as an old Belfast sink, tin bath or painted aluminium cans. Just make sure you make some holes to allow for drainage, and the only limit is your imagination. n • ellyswellies.co.uk
Plant of the month: Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’
This popular variety is muchloved for its large pure-white flowers that create an exuberant display throughout the summer months against the pale green foliage. Suitable for sun or dappled shade, ‘Annabelle’ isn’t fussy about soil type and suits both formal and informal styles of planting. It's ideal for a mixed border, and will keep the display going after the early summer flowering plants are done. It also works well in a container, or plant them closely to make a stunning flowering hedge. The flower heads can reach up to 30cm across and are great for cutting and bringing indoors. You only need a few for an eye-catching display. I love hydrangeas once the flowers have faded as well, as they have long lasting seed-heads that look great through autumn. For the best flowers and to keep the plants dense and compact, prune in spring when the leaf buds are starting to show, cutting stems back to just above a healthy pair of buds, leaving a framework that’s around 30cm to 60cm high.
Elly’s Wellies
Garden Designs
Turning your ideas into beautiful spaces
Elly’s Wellies Garden Designs will help you maximise the potential of your outdoor space and tailor it to your individual needs. Whether you are looking for a complete garden redesign, or just need advice on what to plant in a border, Elly’s Wellies will be happy to help.
For a free initial consultation, contact Elly West
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Local couple downsize to the city at Factory No.1
After their children moved out and with retirement on the cards, Christine and Peter Gordon decided the time was right to downsize from their family home into something easier to manage and with an abundance of facilities right on the doorstep.
Looking to make the most of city life, the couple recently purchased an apartment at Factory No.1, City & Country’s development in Bedminster, just a short walk from North Street and Bristol city centre.
Peter, a 63-year-old retired IT project manager, explains why they chose to move into the city in their later years rather than seeking a quieter location: “We have lived locally for many years, raising our children in a village about 30 minutes away, but there were very few facilities close by, so we often went into Bristol to find these anyway. Our son also does part-time tennis coaching at Bristol University, so it helps having a base here.”
He continues; “With the market as it was, we decided to make the most of it and look for a property in a more central location which we would use on an ad hoc basis for now and then fully retire into in a few years. We chose Factory No.1 over other developments nearby because of the location – there’s so much on the doorstep, such as Southville and the harbourside, and it’s an easy cycle to David Lloyd, plus the city centre is just a short walk from home.
The couple are now looking forward to making the most of the central location and enjoying all that Bedminster has to offer: “when we viewed the conversion apartments at Factory No.1 we were immediately impressed by the quality of the development, especially the space thanks to the high ceilings. It has a lovely, enclosed garden which is nice and private, and the security is excellent thanks to a concierge service and gated parking. We’re looking forward to spending more time here over the next few years, as we transition to our forever home at Factory No.1.”
Prices at Factory No.1 start from £297,000 for a one-bedroom apartment. Help to Buy is available on selected properties, terms and conditions apply.
For more information call 01174 534 693 or visit cityandcountry.co.uk/factoryno1
Happy homes
Season 4 of Selling Sunset. Image credit: Patrick Wymore/Netflix
Rupert Oliver of Rupert Oliver Property Agents looks to the set designs of some of Hollywood’s most stylish films for the ultimate interiors inspiration...
What are the houses that make your heart soar? Googling holiday destinations can be a good source of that-looks-like-paradise-I-need-two-weeks-there palpitations – a tranquil beachfront Bali retreat, perhaps, an Italian villa overlooking Lake Garda with a pool terrace, or maybe head for a treehouse with views of the jungle in Puerto Rico where you can be visited in the evening by geckos, or fall asleep to a relaxing symphony of Coqui frogs. Why not take time imagining the dream, if not take the next step to live it?
That’s all very well in fantasy land, but a holiday home (however luxurious) is by definition for holidays and so (even with frogs in residence) is always going to be honed and purposeful, filled with fluffy towels, coffee makers and sun loungers rather than with layered personal touches and evidence of a life lived for real – family photographs, textiles and posters, and tables piled with paperwork, inspirations and books – and these are the things that enable you to absorb the experience of an interior life.
Another, more immersive way to engage with the vibe of an exotic domestic experience is through films. Think of Jason Bourne and Marie Kreutz at the beginning of The Bourne Supremacy (2004) in their Goan hippie hideout next to the isolated white sands of Palolem Beach (before Marie’s untimely death – in both film time and age terms – by a hired killer in a high speed chase). Another uplifting idea is to have a Wes Anderson interior as a main domestic base, inspired perhaps by The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) or The Royal Tenenbaums (2002), but for this to work you do need to like symmetry, pastel-hues, midcentury references, vintage wallpaper and candy coloured typewriters –and have a preference for the manicured and dramatic.
We also have serious style leanings for the Glass House in A Single Man starring Colin Firth (Tom Ford, 2007). This John Lautner designed modernist house in California brings retro chic, a monochrome aspect, pivoting glass doors with natural wood tones, beige and ivory. The film is about a depressed university professor (Firth), but with a new occupant we think there’s room for good cheer and a more uplifting vibe within these stylish rooms.
Another film home to tempt is found in Love and Other Drugs (2010) with Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway. Maggie (Hathaway) is a talented artist and her industrial style loft is an aspirational vision of home for all those with a free spirit, a love of life and a penchant for high ceilings. The loft reflects Maggie’s character, roll-top bath, mismatched walls, battered canvases and all. That looks like somewhere you could call home (even though it’s in Pittsburgh).
Of course, Netflix’s recent hit Selling Sunset has also given us a glimpse into the hallowed halls of some of Los Angeles’ richest residents, providing inspiration aplenty once you look past the drama.
Watching a film gives us a brief experience of some cool lived-in pads or penthouses and we can take style inspiration from these in our own homes, but ultimately most people’s paradise will actually be inside their own four walls. Home, quite literally, is where the heart is. Studies have established that our emotional connection to our home is as strong as it is with our pets and best friends. Participants in one study were stimulated to think about a given topic and their brain activity was measured using an EEG cap and their emotional responses monitored, the results scientifically endorsing the strong attachment and happiness we feel towards our homes.
So every time we dream about a holiday or watch a film with inspiring atmospheric spaces it’s part of our personal research. My home is definitely not symmetrical, and it’s also not constructed with glass or close to a Goan beach. But it’s the place that I have created and it’s where I belong.
• Stunning Grade II Listed Georgian property fitted and refurbished to an exceptionally high standard as a boutique hotel ready for immediate trade or easily adapted to create a superb family home. • Set in approximately 15 acres of parkland with sweeping driveway, formal lawned garden, walled kitchen garden, paddocks and swimming pool. • Nine en-suite bedrooms plus ability to substantially increase the number of bedrooms within adjacent cottages and outbuildings. • Several additional buildings to include two cottages, one detached house, estates office and various outbuildings offering potential to either increase the number of bedrooms within the hotel or generate rental income or to be used as Directors/staff accommodation. • Excellent trading position being situated on edge of Bristol with little comparable competition. Bristol 5 miles | Bath 20 miles | Bristol Airport 4 miles. • Freehold For Sale.
Rennison’s Yard, BS6 FOR SALE – Separately or combined - POA
A unique opportunity to purchase within this thriving new development. There are 6 commercial units available totaling approx. 3,000 sq ft, which can be purchased separately or combined.
Sheene Road, BS3 TO LET – POA 3,758 sq ft The accomodation comprises well-presented first floor offices with air conditioning. There is excellent on-site car parking, and the property is situated within 1 mile of Temple Meads Station.
North Street, BS3 FOR SALE £225,000 +VAT 695 sq ft A ground floor retail unit benefiting a prominent position fronting North Street. The property has a large sales area which has been recently fitted out to a high standard and benefits from a fully glazed retail frontage.
Cumberland Road, BS1 TO LET £17.50 psf pax 593 – 2,303 sq ft An impressive HQ office building which is due to be refurbished throughout to a contemporary standard. The site benefits secure bike storage, showers, and courtyard garden.
Quedgeley Retail Park, GL2 TO LET £17,500 pax 935 sq ft A ground floor retail unit in a popular retail park, with neighbouring occupiers to include Aldi, Boots, and Dominos. The property benefits a predominantly glazed frontage, and customer parking. Queen Square, BS1 FOR SALE / TO LET - Available separately or combined - POA
A rare opportunity to purchase a unique commercial offering, comprising two commercial buildings totaling 9,467 sq ft in one of Bristol’s prime office locations.
Serbert Road, BS20 TO LET / FOR SALE - POA 8,727 sq ft GIA A fantastic opportunity to acquire a detached, modern building on a secure site of 0.52 acres. Suitable for a variety of uses STP. The property is available to let or for sale and enquiries should be made for further details.
Westfield Park, BS21 FOR SALE £160,000 + VAT 997 sq ft A first-floor office within an established business park on the outskirts of Clevedon town centre, being within approx. 2 miles of J20 of the M5 Motorway. The suite benefits air conditioning and 3 car parking spaces.
Lower Park Row, BS1 TO LET - POA 1,524 – 4,694 sq ft A refurbished office providing attractive accomodation in an excellent location fronting Lower Park Row. There are currently two suites remaining which can be available together or separately.
Marsh Street, BS1 TO LET - POA 3,535 sq ft The property comprises a stunning period property which has been fully fitted to a high standard with benefit of a premises license and is ready to trade! There is accomodation over ground and basement.
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ALSO AVAILABLE 4 BEDROOM HOMES WITH GARAGES FROM £559,950
REDLAND
GUIDE PRICE £1,500,000 REDLAND OIEO £1,300,000
A four bedroom Victorian semi-detached house, with an abundance of period features. Large openplan kitchen/dining/reception area with tri-fold doors which. Open out on to a beautiful terrace leading on to an enclosed west facing rear garden. Good sized cellar storage area. Within walking distance of shops, restaurants and cafes and great schools. Viewing highly recommended. A detached family house set well back, with driveway and mature front garden and substantial rear gardens, an extensive interior, with additional self-contained annex. Excellent location for Cotham Park and Redland schools, Redland Railway Station through to Bristol Temple Meads. Highly recommend appointment to view.
REDLAND OEIO £1,000,000 COTHAM
GUIDE PRICE £650,000
Victorian Four Bedroom Semi-detached house, beautiful gardens, off-street parking, an abundance of period features, understood to be Redland catchment area. Viewing comes highly recommended. An exquisite three-bedroom garden flat offers an extensive interior. Spacious kitchen/dining room and sitting room with bay window. Private garden and allocated off-street parking space. Ample storage space, utility, bathroom, and en-suite. Superb central location on the boarder of Clifton, Redland & Cotham. No onward chain.
