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Sue Beesley
The Whispering Garden
Designer: Sue Beesley
Sponsor: Lodge Lane Nursery
Contractor: Sound Garden Designs
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The Whispering Garden is designed around the twin themes of shade and the sounds that plants can create when the wind blows. On a hot day, there is nothing more enticing than relaxing in the cool shade and daydreaming for a while, soothed by the soft sound of the warm breeze through the leaves. This design would especially suit a sunny corner of a larger garden.
The garden includes both man-made and natural shade; the sail quickly converts a hot corner into a cool refuge, whilst the standard trained fig tree provides sweet fruits and a green shady canopy in summer, and a beautiful structure through the winter.
The planting includes grasses and bamboo for sound and movement, and calming, sleepinducing plants such as lavender and chamomile. The colour theme is soothing and calm, with notes of blue, purple, cream and deep pink.
The garden contains no water feature, and the planting scheme requires minimal watering. With no complex design elements and all the plants available from good nurseries, this garden could easily be recreated at home.