Gardens Illustrated Magazine August 2022

We've reached peak holiday season and with it the perfect moment to enjoy our gardens and outside spaces. There's much talk about the additional demands we now put on our gardens – spaces to entertain, outdoor kitchens and gyms, mindful sanctuaries – and that's before we've even started growing anything, or taken into account current climate concerns. By way of inspiration this issue, we're highlighting five gardens that each show ingenuity and style in bringing small spaces to life (page 51) for their owners. From a tucked-away city corner, to a surprising urban jungle, the melding of hard and soft landscaping ensure these spaces are used to the full. Plus we ask each of the gardens’ designers to give us their top tips when it comes to tackling small spaces (pages…

Noel Kingsbury Noel visits a cleverly designed and richly planted garden in the Netherlands, page 32. “This is a garden that embraces colour while also reflecting a distinctly Dutch heritage of design too.” Sonya Patel Ellis Sonya explores a Miria Harris-designed small garden, page 56. “I love how Miria curated nature to transform this tiny corner into a green oasis and sensory al fresco dining area.” Marnie Hawson Marnie photographs the private family garden of Australian designer Kathleen Murphy, page 90. “I love Kathleen's gardens so much that I got her to design one for my house.” CONTRIBUTING EDITORS James Basson James lives in the South of France where he runs Scape Design, a practice specialising in low-maintenance and dry gardens. He is a fervent advocate for creating sustainable landscapes. The winner of four Chelsea Gold medals, he…

Platinum fronds Back in 1952, the year of HM The Queen's accession to the throne, greenhouse manufacturer Hartley created a beautiful Victorian-style Palm House for Brighton & Hove Council to house tropical plants. In the ensuing 70 years the Palm House, which sits at the entrance to the Stanmer Park Estate's walled garden, has sadly fallen into disrepair while the walled garden itself has been given a new lease of life. Thanks to a £5.8 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the restoration of Stanmer Park's landscape, the walled garden has been redeveloped by Plumpton College to become One Garden Brighton – a space where visitors can take inspiration from a series of themed gardens, and also learn some new skills. Now to mark The Queen's Platinum Jubilee, One…

FAIRY HIGHLIGHTS Many garden lovers will know Pensthorpe in Norfolk for its Piet Oudolf-designed Millennium Garden, which is wonderfully atmospheric in winter. Now the 700-acre nature reserve has a new garden attraction to weave a little magic throughout the year. The Glade Sculpture Garden features evergreen trees, grasses, ferns and wildflowers. The focal point is a bespoke sculpture of a fairy Alula (above right) surrounded by three towering dandelion sculptures, all by artist Robin Wight. Dotted throughout the space are mosaics from Primrose Mosaics and Katie Green, and glass sculptures by Jenny Pickford (shown above). Admission to the park starts at £12.95. pensthorpe.com Pretty in pink If you're searching for a new plant to add months of bright colour to your borders, look out for the new Geranium ‘Kelly Anne’. Similar to the…

1 Tracey Emin: I Lay Here For You Jupiter Artland's newest permanent artwork, Tracey Emin's I Lay Here For You (right), forms the centrepiece of a new exhibition. Alongside the new 6m bronze, sited by Emin in a beech grove, will be new works presented by the artist in Jupiter's indoor gallery spaces. Until 2 October, 10am-4pm. Included in garden admission of £10. Jupiter Artland, Bonnington House, Steadings, Wilkieston, Edinburgh EH27 8BY. Tel 01506 889900, jupiterartland.org 2 Flower Farm Tour Take a guided tour with Georgie Newbery from Common Farm Flowers around the farm's seven acres of garden and cut flower patches and learn more about how a flower farm works. 10 August, 12pm and 6pm. £15. Common Farm Flowers, Barrow Lane, Charlton Musgrove, Somerset BA9 8HN. Tel 01963 32883, commonfarmflowers.com 3 Forest Bathing…