Walking around the Chelsea Flower Show last week, says Stephen Anderton in The Times, there were a few trends and themes that “you can certainly copy in your own garden”. Here’s a selection:
Try multicoloured irises. They may be an “acquired taste”, but varieties like the pale lavender and white Haunted Heart can look “moody” and “amazing”.
Use shelves as structures. Stuck for space in a small garden? Bookshelves fixed to a wall or fence are a great way to “pack in plants with the effect becoming too spotty”.
Use concrete slabs for paths and paving. The knack is to “break off all those old, straight edges” and lay them with some sense of direction and flow. And don’t make it too even – you don’t want “1950s crazy paving”.