This is the garden I inherited in 1999

The garden 20 years later, in 2019

The history of the garden

2000

The creation of the garden began in 2000 with practically a blank canvas to play with: the few trees visible above are part of an old orchard.

Now there are only two of the original apple trees left – everything else I have planted.

I started with the hard landscaping, laying a brick path leading to and from a centrepiece fountain, surrounding it by low walls enclosing a gravel area followed by a meandering brick edged gravel path leading to the bottom of the garden.

There two raised beds were created using railway sleepers.

Two of my friends in the garden, 31 July 2000

What I inherited: the odd self-seeded damson trees, and a few apple trees dating from 1935

2002

Two silver birches were given to me and have now reached a gigantic height. During one of my visits to the RHS plant sales in Vincent Square SW1 I purchased ten small willow sticks (no roots!) for £3 from a very persuasive plantsman who assured me that if I just stuck them into the earth they would grow into tall trees (or my money back!).

Well, the sticks did in fact grow into very tall trees, and over the years I had to have most of them felled leaving only two which need pruning every few years in any case! So from buying a few sticks for £3 to having to spend hundreds of pounds to have the trees dealt with.

A cautionary tale if there ever was one!

The stick became a tree!

2008

The inspiration for the rest of the planting came, as is so often the case, from my mediterranean background, and my trips to the Lebanon, Italy, the South of France and Australia. But I have also been very much influenced by the great gardens of the British Isles, particularly the garden at Tresco in the Isles of Scilly and the “Lost Gardens of Helligham” in Cornwall.

There is no doubt that the greatest variety of plants from all over the world are to be found in Britain, and the various British nurseries are great providers of all manner of rare and wonderful things.

The garden in 2008

2009

So I started sourcing and planting the mediterranean type shrubs and trees as well as other types of plants from other parts of the world, adding to them over the years.

In 2009 my garden designer and architect friend Hannah Sindall erected a supporting wooden structure inside my greenhouse in order to plant a living roof on top of it.

At first we covered it with sempervivums, but they did not thrive and ended up rotting! So now the roof is covered with a variety of sedums which have proved to be more effective.

The new Sedum roof

The garden in the snow, in 2009

First create the shape of the border…

…then install logs and add gravel…

…and finally add the soil (25 tons!)

2010

2010 saw the creation of a new raised mixed border. A hundred feet of trellis and rolled logs had to be pre-painted in the house over the winter before being fixed in situ in February.

As there is no direct access to the garden except via a 100m alleyway inaccessible to cars, 25 tons of soil had to be delivered and dumped by the road side to be then transported down the alleyway and up the garden path by wheelbarrow.

The poor chap whose job it was to bring the soil in clocked up 35kms on his pedometer!

2012

The second mixed border facing the first was created in 2012. It proved not to be that straightforward as it had to incorporate the existing shrubs and trees and their considerable root systems which made digging for the new herbaceous planting very difficult.

So after the removal of the grass, a lot of new soil had to be delivered and added.

More trips up and down the alleyway with the wheel barrow! And still more soil and compost needs adding to allow the new plants to thrive and make future digging easier.

The second raised border complements the first

2013

In 2013 after the demise of some of my star performers, a splendid red Cordyline, a magnificent Ceanothus concha and a very large Fremontodendron following two severe winters, new shrubs needed to be planted. I chose two amazing Pseudopanax crassifolius and ferox and an unusual tree, Maytenus boaria, as replacements.

I started growing Corokias in 2001, but it’s only a few years ago that I realised that the genus, apart from the main species, buddleioides, macrocarpa and cotoneaste comprised a great number of interesting hybrids. That’s when I started collecting them in earnest with a view of applying for a “National Collection”.

I had them dotted around the garden, until this year when I decided to gather a number of different varieties together in one border, mixed in with perennials. In time they will form a hedge.

The garden in 2013

2014

2014 saw the arrival of new exotics, which add a new dimension to the garden. The Trithrinax sadly did not survive; all the others are thriving.

2014 also saw the garden being immortalised on canvas by the celebrated garden painter Louis Turpin.

Painting of the garden by Louis Turpin

Brahea armata

Butia capitata

Yucca rostrata

Trithrinax campestris

Tetrapanax rex

2015

In 2015 I received a trophy, gilt medal and certificate from Alderman Sir David Howard for the best large back garden in London. This was a proud moment to receive recognition for my creation.

You can see more of my awards here.

2016

After dismantling the rolled logs supporting the 40m raised bed (see 2010), they were replaced with new granite setts. It took six tons of stone, brought by barrow from the road, down the alleyway into the garden.

The new granite wall

2019

My new website is completed, with this accompanying video – which has now been replaced with a new video on the front page.

This is also the year in which I wrote and published my book, Corokia – My Adventure. You can see more information about the book here.