Yard of the Week: Welcoming Wildlife Haven With Room to Lounge
A long, narrow English yard with a traditional design gains curves, intrigue and abundant naturalistic plantings
This yard in Warwickshire, England, was quite formal and traditional, with a lawn and planted borders on either side, when landscape designer Sam Plant first visited it. There also were two patios and some steep steps that the new owner, a retired woman who had moved to the area to be closer to her family, found a little dangerous, particularly with visiting grandchildren in mind.
The homeowner’s vision was bold. “She wanted to completely reimagine it,” Plant says. “She wanted a wildlife garden.”
The homeowner’s vision was bold. “She wanted to completely reimagine it,” Plant says. “She wanted a wildlife garden.”
Before: The yard, which sits behind a townhouse, is long and thin. It had little in the way of plants and didn’t offer much interest.
“It wasn’t a great use of the space,” Plant says. “The lawn wasn’t very inviting, and there was no pathway within it between the patios at either end of the [yard]. There were also boulders on either side of the steps that were just collecting dead leaves and weeds. Because it was so open, your eye was naturally drawn to the back of the [property] — but with nothing to interrupt the view.”
“It wasn’t a great use of the space,” Plant says. “The lawn wasn’t very inviting, and there was no pathway within it between the patios at either end of the [yard]. There were also boulders on either side of the steps that were just collecting dead leaves and weeds. Because it was so open, your eye was naturally drawn to the back of the [property] — but with nothing to interrupt the view.”
After: A new back patio is now a focal point, drawing the eye of those looking out onto the landscape from the kitchen. In the new design, however, the view is interrupted — which makes it much more interesting. “The curved paths and tree placements create concealed views,” Plant says.
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“Staggered planting — though it’s not yet mature in this photo — will create outdoor rooms,” the designer says, “and the three trees also anchor the planting.” The multistemmed trees on the left and right in the photo here are Tibetan cherry (Prunus serrula, USDA zones 5 to 6; find your zone) and a single-stem European white birch (Betula pendula, zones 2 to 6), which will eventually grow taller than the other two.
Elsewhere, the designer used plants that provide an extended flowering season. “This is also beneficial to wildlife, as there’s prolonged nectar,” he says.
He replaced the steep steps with shallower ones made from oak boards and the same gray gravel as used for the path.
A “secret” seating area — seen here on the right — will become even more defined as the other plants grow, particularly the two trees flanking the path leading to it. “I was also trying to create more of a woodland scene to attract wildlife, somewhere the birds could take refuge,” Plant says.
How to Create a Wildlife-Friendly Garden
Elsewhere, the designer used plants that provide an extended flowering season. “This is also beneficial to wildlife, as there’s prolonged nectar,” he says.
He replaced the steep steps with shallower ones made from oak boards and the same gray gravel as used for the path.
A “secret” seating area — seen here on the right — will become even more defined as the other plants grow, particularly the two trees flanking the path leading to it. “I was also trying to create more of a woodland scene to attract wildlife, somewhere the birds could take refuge,” Plant says.
How to Create a Wildlife-Friendly Garden
The landscape plan seen here shows more clearly how Plant divided up the space. The old boulders, originally part of the plan, didn’t make it into the final design.
Plant shows clients a plan like this before work commences, but he also produces a bloom calendar, to give a snapshot of which plants will flower at different times of the year. “It’s more helpful than a mood board, as you’ll never have all the plants at the same time,” he says. “That’s the thing with gardens: They evolve.”
Plant shows clients a plan like this before work commences, but he also produces a bloom calendar, to give a snapshot of which plants will flower at different times of the year. “It’s more helpful than a mood board, as you’ll never have all the plants at the same time,” he says. “That’s the thing with gardens: They evolve.”
Seen from behind, the seating area features a circular Cor-Ten steel water feature. Pink dianthus (Dianthus sp.) stands out against its black base.
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Browse outdoor fountains
“The wall at the back is quite dominant, and everything was chosen to complement the rusty oranges of the brick,” Plant says.
In the bed on the left in this photo, the plants include burgundy-colored ‘Claret’ greater masterwort (Astrantia major ‘Claret’, zones 4 to 7) and ‘Rosemoor’ cranesbill (Geranium x magnificum ‘Rosemoor’, zones 5 to 8), which has purple flowers. You can also see the purple spikes of ‘Caradonna’ sage (Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’, zones 4 to 9) and some splashes of pink dianthus (Dianthus carthusianorum, zones 4 to 8).
There are lots of grasses in the mix too, including reed grass (Calamagrostis sp.). “The grasses are really important to naturalistic planting; you’re trying to mimic a meadow, which has lots of grasses,” the designer says. “They have quite airy foliage and help to tie the scheme together without taking the stage away from the flowers.
“With this type of planting, we try to choose lots of small, delicate flowers that will bloom over a long period of time,” he continues. “The salvia, for example, flowers from around May to October. When these die away in the winter, the grasses hold the whole scheme together. This is different to a more traditional way of planting, where you have big, showy flowers but often only for a matter of weeks.”
In the bed on the left in this photo, the plants include burgundy-colored ‘Claret’ greater masterwort (Astrantia major ‘Claret’, zones 4 to 7) and ‘Rosemoor’ cranesbill (Geranium x magnificum ‘Rosemoor’, zones 5 to 8), which has purple flowers. You can also see the purple spikes of ‘Caradonna’ sage (Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’, zones 4 to 9) and some splashes of pink dianthus (Dianthus carthusianorum, zones 4 to 8).
There are lots of grasses in the mix too, including reed grass (Calamagrostis sp.). “The grasses are really important to naturalistic planting; you’re trying to mimic a meadow, which has lots of grasses,” the designer says. “They have quite airy foliage and help to tie the scheme together without taking the stage away from the flowers.
“With this type of planting, we try to choose lots of small, delicate flowers that will bloom over a long period of time,” he continues. “The salvia, for example, flowers from around May to October. When these die away in the winter, the grasses hold the whole scheme together. This is different to a more traditional way of planting, where you have big, showy flowers but often only for a matter of weeks.”
This is how the garden looked in November, several months after it was planted. “As late as this, you’re still getting all that color,” Plant says. The big, blowsy seed heads are boneset (Eupatorium sp.), and not cutting them back is beneficial to wildlife, as birds can feed on them.
“Even when it’s completely gone over and is like straw, it will still look interesting,” he says. “This is is my favorite time of year. It’s almost like a watercolor — everything blends together.”
“Even when it’s completely gone over and is like straw, it will still look interesting,” he says. “This is is my favorite time of year. It’s almost like a watercolor — everything blends together.”
At the house end of the landscape, Plant created another patio using wood-look paving. He staggered the edge to soften the boundary. “I wanted it to feel like nature was creeping in and taking over,” he says.
Here, the look is less naturalistic, with more lush, evergreen plants; it also will have more green, white and orange tones once it develops. “We picked plants more for their sculptural, architectural forms to create a bit more of a calming feel for the dining patio,” the designer says. Rather than being overpowered by grasses and perennials, the space feels clean and open. “It’s also about giving definition to different areas,” Plant adds, “so it doesn’t all read as once space, like the old garden did.”
The plants here include Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra, zones 4 to 9), seen in the foreground, and greater masterwort.
Here, the look is less naturalistic, with more lush, evergreen plants; it also will have more green, white and orange tones once it develops. “We picked plants more for their sculptural, architectural forms to create a bit more of a calming feel for the dining patio,” the designer says. Rather than being overpowered by grasses and perennials, the space feels clean and open. “It’s also about giving definition to different areas,” Plant adds, “so it doesn’t all read as once space, like the old garden did.”
The plants here include Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra, zones 4 to 9), seen in the foreground, and greater masterwort.
The side yard was not part of the initial project. However, Plant realized that not only was it a large area, but the ground floor living space and kitchen face out this way, so he set about creating a good view.
Because the area very dark, he added lots of shade-loving ferns, as well as epimedium (Epimedium sp.) and Japanese forest grass. There’s also an existing mature clematis (Clematis sp.) framing the view. “It’s really brought this whole space to life,” Plant says.
He staggered the pavers, adding gravel between them, to differentiate this area and create a more permeable surface. This is also the location of a cistern for harvesting rainwater.
Because the area very dark, he added lots of shade-loving ferns, as well as epimedium (Epimedium sp.) and Japanese forest grass. There’s also an existing mature clematis (Clematis sp.) framing the view. “It’s really brought this whole space to life,” Plant says.
He staggered the pavers, adding gravel between them, to differentiate this area and create a more permeable surface. This is also the location of a cistern for harvesting rainwater.
There are doors opening onto the side yard, so Plant created a little patio with a small seating area (just out of view in this photo). Because of the windows opposite, he created a green wall made up of more shade lovers, including coral bells (Heuchera sp.), ferns and sedge (Carex oshimensis, zones 5 to 9).
This view from the other end of the yard, back to the house, was taken about a year after the initial planting as a sea of tulips — including ‘Ballerina’, ‘Negrita’, ‘Parrot’ and ‘Merlot’ — was coming up. Plant installed the tulips after the initial work. “When you do naturalistic planting, you never want to do the bulbs at the same time. Instead, you give the garden a year to let everything fill out and see where the gaps are,” he says.
Plant did this as part of an optional aftercare package he offers that helps homeowners get ready for each season and keep on top of maintenance.
Plant did this as part of an optional aftercare package he offers that helps homeowners get ready for each season and keep on top of maintenance.
Before: Here’s another view of the existing yard, taken from the same view as the previous photo.
After: This view of the back of the yard was taken three months after the initial planting and shows how quickly the herbaceous borders filled out.
This photo of the same view was taken the following spring; the landscape looks totally different again.
You can just see a glimpse of a Cor-Ten steel birdbath amid the foliage. It’s not just the birds who are happy here, though. “People can think wildlife-friendly just means bee hotels and log piles,” Plant says. But the garden is full of all kinds of wildlife.
“If you just design solely for nature, you may as well let all the stinging nettles go wild, but there’s no reason you can’t have a wildlife-friendly garden that’s also friendly to humans,” he says. “The nicer you can make something look, the more people will use it.”
You can just see a glimpse of a Cor-Ten steel birdbath amid the foliage. It’s not just the birds who are happy here, though. “People can think wildlife-friendly just means bee hotels and log piles,” Plant says. But the garden is full of all kinds of wildlife.
“If you just design solely for nature, you may as well let all the stinging nettles go wild, but there’s no reason you can’t have a wildlife-friendly garden that’s also friendly to humans,” he says. “The nicer you can make something look, the more people will use it.”
This is another shot taken in spring almost a year after the renovation, with different plants in bloom. It shows the path leading back up to the house.
In the foreground are yellow Wallich spurge (Euphorbia wallichii, zones 6 to 9) and purple ‘Caradonna’ sage. Purple and red tulips are dotted throughout the beds.
In the foreground are yellow Wallich spurge (Euphorbia wallichii, zones 6 to 9) and purple ‘Caradonna’ sage. Purple and red tulips are dotted throughout the beds.
This photo was taken at the same time and shows how lush the garden has become.
How does the homeowner feel about her new garden? “She’s over the moon,” Plant says. “I go back there monthly to help maintain it, and I’ve now put up a rose trellis and started developing the front garden.
“She wanted a wildlife garden and says we’ve exceeded her expectations,” he adds, “turning a tired urban garden into a beguiling bird-and-bee paradise.”
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“She wanted a wildlife garden and says we’ve exceeded her expectations,” he adds, “turning a tired urban garden into a beguiling bird-and-bee paradise.”
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Who lives here: A retired grandmother
Location: Warwickshire, England
Size: 1,227 square feet (114 square meters); the plot has a level change from end to end of about 5 feet (1½ meters)
Landscape designer: Sam Plant of Plantology
In addition to wanting the landscape to be wildlife-friendly, the owner requested a design that would be sustainable and include opportunities for water harvesting and vertical planting. Maximizing the space was important too. What she was less sure about was how it should look and what her options were, so she called on Plant.
This photo shows what he created for her. It was taken in April, almost a year after the initial planting.
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