Reg Anslow has lived in Marchamley for 23 years and in that time has created a colourful one third of an acre garden with year round interest around his white cottage.
His sloping garden has a very shallow soil, which sets very hard in dry weather and is on a sandstone bed.
“It is generally frost-free” Reg remarked, which enables him to grow many less-hardy plants.
As soon as you enter the garden you are greeted with a fine collection of mainly evergreen and variegated shrubs.
“I don’t bother much about flowers and prefer the colours and form of foliage plants”, Reg explained.
A dry bank against the house on the right of the drive is planted with Mediterranean plants tolerant of dry conditions including Artemisia, Cytissus, Hebe, Phlomis, Santolina and purple and yellow sages.
On the opposite bank against a holly hedge are heathers and ferns. Behind the house the garden slopes up quite steeply and the ground is clothed with conifers, spreading shrubs and some clumps of herbaceous plants.
A naturalised rockery is at the front and the eye is drawn to variegated Elaeagnus, Spiraea and Euonymous.
At the top of the garden, beyond a row of espalier apples are more ornamental borders.
“This was originally a vegetable garden when we came” Reg recalled
Obelisks of roses including disease resistant Dortmund and New Dawn give height to the borders and Iris, Crocosmia, Geranium species and Sedum provide flowers for later.
Clematis viticella are planted with Rosa ‘New Dawn’. Rhododendron ‘Bow Bells’, Fothergilla, Hydrangea quercifolia and Cotinus coggygria attract attention.
At the back of these shrubs Reg is developing a spring garden with hellebores and Epimedium.
In the centre of the garden Pittosporum Tom Thumb, Weigela Samba and Tango, Spiraea japonica and Euphorbia Fireglow are commanding attention while the dramatic flowering Osteospermum is spilling onto the gravel path.
An oak and brick pillar pergola is clothed with Hedera Gold Heart, golden hop, Jasmine and roses with Salix lantana and S. Helvetica covering the ground. This leads round the side of the house to the front garden.
The flattest part of the garden in the front has a lawn edged with borders of more shrubs.
A large oak tree and Christmas tree dictate what can be grown which include Rhododendron and Azalea cultivars, Pieris and some shade loving Geranium macrorrhizum, Trillium and woodruff.
In the more open areas are dogwoods for winter stems, Rosa ‘Bonica’, Choisya ‘Aztec Pearl’ in full flower and a spectacular pink flowered crab apple. A large Eucryphia will flower later in the year.
By Martin Ford
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