I’ve posted before about the progression in my garden from its conception and promised more photos for this season, so Amelia took a few shots for me of my favourite bits – mainly seating areas as I do like a vignette with a seat – even though I don’t sit down often as I’m too busy deadheading etc. When I do sit down its usually to decide how to change the planting and improve the vignette.

This is the terrace next to the house with box hedged borders that I change seasonally from tulips in spring to dahlias, and whatever else takes my fancy in summer. It’s quite labour intensive to do this but I love dahlias and tulips so much it’s the best way to really get my fill of them. And a lovely metal chair to sit and admire the view.

A close up of the garden mirror my mother gave me for my birthday – doesn’t it look fabulous with the flowers reflected in it?

The other side of the terrace with yet more seats! A bench for displaying my lovely cushions and a little grey bistro set for that morning coffee.

Further down the garden is the larger table and chairs for when we want to eat alfresco – or just sit with a glass of wine and enjoy the view.

Another chair hidden away at the bottom of the garden behind the summer house. You can’t have too many seats I say! There are more tucked away in the garden in odd places in case I want to sit and contemplate life for a moment. What do you think, too many seats or do you have even more? And what do you think to Modern Gardens? Even my girls enjoy looking through it for ideas and they are not gardeners so I think it appeals to quite a broad range of, shall we say, design savvy people.

Jacqui x

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Photography: Amelia Brooks

No cake provided but I think my mother’s garden is worthy of a mention here so Amelia took a few photo’s for you to peruse.  It’s a small plot and there isn’t any grass (my father hated cutting grass) but it’s lush and verdant and very stylish.  Lots of sitting places to admire the view with a glass of wine in the sun – which really is my mother’s main criteria for a garden! 

She’s a very well travelled lady, so picked up a fair few decor bits on her travels.  She bought the lanterns when she used to live in Hong Kong (which needless to say is how she came to get her nickname ‘Hong Kong Granny’ from the kids) and she’s often keen to let people know that apparently Prince Charles has the same ones!  

I think her garden is a fantastic example though of what can be done with a smallish suburban plot, don’t you think?

Of course, having that many pots to water is by no means low maintenance, so that’s definitely something to consider when designing your garden, but it certainly makes for a beautiful and peaceful place to sit with a glass of wine. 

Well hopefully you’ve enjoyed this little garden tour?  I’d love to know which is your favourite part in the comments below.  

Jacqui x

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Photography: Amelia Brooks

So I thought I’d do a ‘get the look’ post today and tell you where I got the accessories and furniture currently adorning my garden.

Get the Look

Garden Parasol– This gorgeous sun parasol is a new purchase from The Indian Garden Company – isn’t it stunning.  I dithered for a bit between orange and pink but decided the soft white lent some restraint as there is already a lot going on and when the annuals in the pots flower it will be a riot of orange and pink anyway.

Parasol Stand– Don’t you just love the base, a trumpeting elephant carved from sandstone.  We had to name her Nellie, of course. Also from Indian Garden Company. 

Garden Bench– Crocus is a favourite plant website of mine as the service is great and the plants arrive well packaged and healthy.  This eau-de-nil bench is from Crocus and I love it against the fence painted in Farrow and Ball’s French Grey – a restrained backdrop to the ever changing seasonal colours.

Cushions– I made the ones on the bench myself, but if you’re not feeling crafty, try having a look at this selection of cushions.

Bistro Set– The mosaic table and chairs was a spur of the moment purchase from HomeSense in Northampton a couple of years ago – I saw it in the window, fell in love and the rest, as they say, is history.  Alternatively, take a look at this range of unusual garden furniture and accessories.

Garden Accessories– Have a look here for a selection of garden lanterns, accessories and planters.

Plants– The Pelargoniums and Ferns in pots came from Fibrex, a small specialist nursery that I discovered on a gardening blog.  They specialise in pelargoniums, ferns and ivy’s.   These small nurseries are great for finding unusual varieties of plants.

Plant Pots–  I paint terracotta pots with emulsion paint according to the colour I fancy at the time but I also think they look good when the layers of paint have peeled and they look weathered and interesting.  It’s a cheap way of changing the look of your display.

Jacqui x

Garden Terrace- Get the Look by Jacqui Brooks