January Talk
/On Wednesday 15th January, the Society was pleased to welcome back Jill Cawthray from Chicken Street, who gave an enlightening talk called Back to the Drawing Board: Design Tips for Improving your Plot.
Whilst Jill has a background in environmental management, she also has a City & Guilds accreditation in garden design, and it was her skills and experience in this area that she passed on concisely to the nearly 40 members and guests who had braved the dark, cold evening to attend.
Jill showed various garden styles—from cottage to formal, modern to naturalistic—pointing out the advantages and disadvantages of each. It became clear in the room that there was no “right way” to design a garden; it’s very much about personal taste and style, but Jill went on to demonstrate that—regardless of which style you prefer—there are philosophies and strategies to making sure your garden always looks good.
For example, think about the big picture. Stand back, and look at your plot as a whole. Consider the structure and size of your borders (they don’t have to be just around the edge of the garden!), and plant for the different seasons to ensure all-round interest.
One of the best tips: take a picture of your border and filter make it black and white… Does it still look interesting when all you can see are the shapes and combinations of the plants?
Mix flower forms and foliage: consider combining spires, buttons and umbrellas with less ridged shapes such as froth from grasses. And finally, think about colour. Keep in mind a colour wheel, with opposite colours giving balance and neighbouring colours providing contrast. Flashes of red, for example, can really lift a colour palette.
Jill also answered some very specific and interesting questions from the audience regarding their own gardens. A member commented that fragrance is also a fascinating area of garden design.
The Society would like to thank Jill for her time, and for passing on her tips and tricks! We look forward to welcoming her back in the future.
