EMBRACE GARDEN LIVING

Long balmy days and warm evenings are now here, and this means our gardens start to fulfil their role for our leisure rather than as a hard work hobby.

Outdoor living is becoming increasingly popular and rooms out of doors are something we can all aspire to, even with a small garden. The proximity to the kitchen is often a bonus in a small garden as the two become extensions of each other. Houseplants often benefit from being outdoors in summer, their presence blending the boundary between home and garden, and with larger gardens you can move a dining area further from the house, to take in views or seek quiet contemplation with the help of a gin and tonic perhaps?

Kitchen gardens and small patio areas next to the house

Grow herbs near the kitchen – in borders or pots these abundant plants can be decorative or structural and have the added joy of their scents mingling in the air, reminding you to add them to your summer dishes. Remember that very bright sun-facing gardens close to kitchens or walls can be overpoweringly hot, so consider trellis and arches, or loose-leafed trees to give dappled shade.

Garden ‘rooms’ for dining and relaxing

Enclosing the area, or patio, with plants gives a subconscious feeling of security. Avoid overlooking as well as being overlooked as much as possible, and remember one exceptional plant can be a talking point over a dozen humdrum also-rans from the garden centre. A garden ‘room’ will only be inhabited at its furthest reaches during the hours of daylight; we tend to withdraw towards the house as evenings pull in. Place night-scented annuals, shrubs, and climbers at strategic points for that extra sensory angle. Use these plants to line your route from house to outdoor dining area. This journey should be relaxing; no fandangotrotting over badly spaced steps or stones with a finely balanced tray.

Your oasis of calm

Remember the little things that make a huge difference to the enjoyment of your garden. Take time to critically appraise where you’ll be enjoying the afternoon sunshine and evening glow and move the dustbins elsewhere. Cover that drain with a pot on pebble feet, decommission the washing-line from its labour, and remove all those gaily-pictured plant labels from sight. Then… pour a large one, pick a lemon and add a slice, sit back, and relax.

Ventnor Botanic Garden Curator Chris Kidd

Since graduating with Honours from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Chris has managed botanic gardens on three continents. He has undertaken fieldwork within natural floras from the boreal tundra to the tropical rainforest. He is published, from scientific journals to popular periodicals. A former President of the Kew Guild he is chair of the Kew Guild Award Scheme. He was Head Gardener at Ventnor Botanic Garden from 2000-2009 before becoming its Curator in 2013, where he oversees 22 acres of subtropical plant collections and two National Collections. He consults nationally and internationally.