Last spring my small, 5m x 5m, garden was empty soil surrounding the newly built deck and rill. We had moved into the new build the year before but had waited until winter to start the hard landscaping. Planting started last spring incorporating lots of organic matter into the planting holes. Now twelve months on plants have matured and we have our own green oasis.
The walls are now softened with flowering climbers including Clematis armandii and Hydrangea petiolaris. The main planting consists of grasses, shrubs and perennials. The rill was designed to allow hot feet to be cooled in summer and bottles of beer to be chilled, whist giving a soothing sound as the water falls into a lower tank. The noise also helps deaden any noises outside the garden.
There is still plenty of work to do but we are pleased that the strong deck design has worked well with the in depth planting.