yardz

CONES WITH AN ACCENT ON COLOUR

 

The planting of my cone hanging baskets this year is a little more minimalist than it has been in the previous years. Last year was a very 'baroque' theme with a mixture of pinks, purples, blues and lime green.

I've used just Impatiens (bizzie lizzie) Accent salmon on its own which should give a massed effect of bright salmon pink flowers. Impatiens Accent flowers very early with really large flowers. It is available in a wide range of colours and will flower all summer in baskets, window boxes and containers.

A TOUCH OF SUN........

 

A touch of sun in the yard last weekend.

Blue skys and bright sun lit up the planting growing beneath the front of the deck. The luxuriant planting includes aquilegeas, chives, Lonicera nitida, box and mint. The reflecting metallic leaf is from a range from www.tinklingtoadstools.co.uk

STYLISH CHAIRS FOR A STYLISH GARDEN

 

The Witan Wisdom garden at last weeks Chelsea Show was stunning but also the furniture used was also stunning.

Bold, modern garden furniture from IOTA was showcased in The Witan Wisdom Garden at Chelsea Flower show 2009.    
 'The sculptural Sponeck Chair and matching tablewere chosen as furniture for the garden, from IOTA’s Boulavard range. Made from high-performance Fibre Reinforced Cement [FRC], the Sponeck Chair is a sinuous, folded form more commonly seen in furniture crafted from steam-bent plywood. The chair is both strong and comfortable, with its shape gently cradling the body. The material is a minimalist and architectural light grey colour, which looks striking against boldly-coloured cushions which are available in Anthracite, Red and Lemon Grass.'

http://commercial.iotagarden.com/news/78/Chelsea_Flower_Show_2009

A KITCHEN GARDEN WITH A DIFFERENCE

 

One of this years best small show gardens at Chelsea was Freshly Prepped by Patricia Fox that won a Silver Medal.

'A very contemporary version of a kitchen garden, somewhere to entertain, chill, grow and prepare food - but all within a new kind of space - an outdoor kitchen with a twist.'

The small garden is cleverly designed as a outdoor kitchen that has vegetables at arms reach. Salads and greens are planted in raised beds as well as a on a 'green wall' above the work surfaces. I am sure that this type of layout on an even smaller scale would be perfect as the core of a yard design

POTATOES IN CONTAINERS UPDATE

 

The warmer weather of the last few days combined with plentiful watering has seen tremendous growth on the potatoes in containers. They are standing next to a south west facing wall which acts as a storage heater taking in heat throughout the day and releasing it at night. The weather changed yesterday and we now have sunshine and showers which will suit them.

I must say the foliage is very attractive though they are begining to take over the small lower deck!

CHELSEA PITCHER PLANTS

 

Sarracenias, Pitcher Plants, are all the rage at Chelsea this year being used in several of the show gardens.

All sarracenias can be grown outside in most areas of Britain. They are carniverous pitcher plants that catch insects and will feed themselves when growing outside.

 

http://www.easycarnivores.co.uk/site/content/view/17/31/

A NEW TAKE ON HARDWOOD FURNITURE

 

The Corona Set from www.swanhattersley.co.uk breaks the trend from traditionally designed hardwood garden furniture. Wood furniture has in the last few years losts sales against granite and metal furniture due to the cost and the perception of the amount of upkeep required.

The set consists of a Corona Table with a bench and three stools. 'The thick timber sections of the Corona range are complemented by the elegant curve of the table edge, a truly unique set for the style conscious gardener'

www.tgfc.co.uk  £999.99

ONE OF THE BEST SMALL GARDENS AT CHELSEA 2009

Yardz favourite small gardens at Chelsea this year bring real style to small spaces.

 

The Witan Wisdom Garden designed by Nicholas Dexter

Nicholas Dexter's design encourages the visitor to escape from an often harsh and stressful urban environment and reconnect with nature. Modern and minimalistic materials create a calm and ordered effect.

"The theme of this garden is wisdom – the application of experience, knowledge, judgement and understanding. It is a garden designed as a space to escape to, away from the turbulence of modern life and to allow for clarity of thought.

Within the garden you are supported above a fast flowing stream by glass, which allows you the simple pleasure of observing moving water. Let it wash away your worries while an elegant curved wall shelters and protects you from the outside world."

www.ndg.de.com

SLIMLINE BBQ

 

BBQ storage can be a problem in most gardens but in yards it can be critical. www.plumproducts.com have the answer in their Adelaide Slimline BBQ that folds up to just 6cm thick. It's stylish simple design allows for spacious multi-level cooking.

www.plumproducts.com  £149.99

GROWING CHAIRS

 

Saw this in this weeks Saturday Telegraph.

'Can you plant a chair? You can. In 19th century North America young trees were shaped over the course of several years until they adopted the contours of a chair. Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec were so fascinated by this traditional technique that they came up with the idea of designing a “grown chair.” What has to grow needs time and as such Vegetal was created in an unusually long design process. Now, four years after the first idea emerged, the chair of fibre-reinforced polyamide is about to be presented. Flat branches extend and interweave into an asymmetrical, irregular circle-shaped seating shell. The woven strips are stabilized by ribs which grow downwards and merge with the legs. Viewed from the rear Vegetal looks like a leaf with several stalks and numerous veins branching off.'

Shapes from the world of vegetation serve as inspiration for Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec’s new Vegetal chair, as they did for Algues. Its plant-like structure made of polyamide dyed throughout goes to the limits of the technically feasible, and the six colours (unusual for plastic chairs) emphasise the link to nature. Vegetal is stacking and suitable for indoor or outdoor use.

http://www.vitra.com/en-gb/home/products/vegetal/