Formal Garden South Bed
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This bed sits between the east and west beds of the formal garden, the closest part of that garden to the oak tree. It is 32 m2 in area :
Accordingly, it is a relatively shaded bed. This part of the garden was dominated by full grown trees too dominant for the space [part of one trunk provides a bench now] and overgrown shrubs when we took over in 2015. What it does mean though is that the topsoil is humus rich, albeit on the clay not far below.
It took several years to fell the trees and bring the shrubs under control. A Portuguese laurel [Prunus lusitanica] and an elaeagnus that has reverted from a variegated yellow-leafed form have been retained but everything else is new planting. One of the new plantings is a tall black bamboo - assumed to be Phyllostachys nigra which was invading North Garden from the garden up the hill and has been moved to here.
The longer term aim is to fill the bed with mainly low growing planting with a primarily white or pale theme as is reflected in the bed's plant list. We want to keep the planting low to leave the view of the glebe land open from the orangery. The context of this area within the garden can be found on the Plan and Areas page.
