In this post we are sharing our inspiration and plant selection as part of the planting design for our award winning wellbeing garden. The design of this small urban garden was to demonstrate how an outdoor sauna can be incorporated into the smallest of outdoor spaces. Whilst the layout is softened with naturalistic planting inspired by the Nordic and Yorkshire landscapes.
‘The Breathing Space’ is about creating a calm, restorative retreat – showing that even a small garden can support wellbeing.
The design is Nordic-inspired and blended for a Yorkshire garden. Nordic design focusses on simplicity, enduring materials and a strong connection to nature. The planting approach is ‘naturalistic’ in style with a deliberate restrained colour palette for a calming experience. Some areas are filled with planting for example under the Malus tree with the stone bird bath we have chosen a matrix of woodland plants eg blueberries (same family and genus as bilberries and lignoberries – Vaccinium – commonly found in Scandanavia).
Other areas are purposely spaced with gravel – void spacing between planting to give the garden airiness.
For planting designs we work in layers: structural layer, seasonal theme, ground cover and fillers. Which category the plants fall into, depends on the nuances for each garden and design.
Below we share how we have approached plant selection according to the above categories.
Structural planting
Asplenium scolopendrium
Hart’s tongue fern
A lovely, evergreen fern that is both eye-catching and versatile. Each spring fresh new tongue-like fronds unfurl, creating upright clumps which look super dotted through a woodland floor.
height: 0.6m
spread: 0.6m
aspect: light shade
Betula pendula
Silver birch
Diamond-shaped, bright green leaves hang from graceful, pendant branches. This is a fast-growing tree with white, peeling bark that becomes marked with black, rugged cracks as it gets older.
height: 20m+
spread: 8m+
aspect: full sun / light shade
Blechnum spicant
Hard fern / deer fern
This evergreen fern offers year-round interest in shady, damp areas. The rosette-like shape is formed by narrow fronds that spread semi-horizontally, creating a neat, tufted appearance.
height: 0.5m
spread: 0.45m
aspect: light shade / shade
Iris foetidissima
Stinking gladwyn
This iris can take shade and dry soil in its stride, and in late spring, you’ll find pale lemon and purple flowers poking through the green leaves.
height: 0.9m
spread: 0.6m
aspect: full sun / light shade
Malus 'Directeur Moerlands'
Crab apple ‘Directeur Moerland’
Dusky pink flowers cover the branches in late spring and are followed by cherry-like, reddish-purple edible fruit. Pollution tolerant, it makes a gorgeous tree for a sunny, urban site.
height: 5m
spread: 4m
aspect: full sun / light shade
Pinus mugo
Dwarf mountain pine
A large, spreading, bushy shrub with short, dark green needles and dark brown, ovoid cones. This shrub is perfect for a sunny, well-drained, gravel garden
height: 0.75m
spread: 0.75m
aspect: full sun / light shade
Quercus ilex
Holm oak / Holly oak
A large evergreen tree with black, finely cracked bark, which develops into a large rounded crown. Glossy dark green leaves contrast with yellow catkins. A pleached version was used for our show garden.
height: 20m+
spread: 8m+
aspect: full sun / partial shade
Sisyrinchium striatum
Pale yellow-eyed grass
This is a clump-forming perennial bearing fans of iris-like foliage, topped by clusters of pale yellow flowers in June and July. It thrives in sunny positions and well-drained soil, so works well in gravel gardens.
height: 0.6m
spread: 0.25m
aspect: full sun
Vaccinium corymbosum
Blueberry
Blueberries are perfect for ornamental gardens. The plants themselves are compact, with pretty white flowers in spring and delicious berries in summer.
height: 1.2m
spread: 1.2m
aspect: full sun / partial shade
Seasonal theme
Allium paradoxum var. normale
Few-flowered leek / garlic
Small, bell-shaped, white flowers are produced in clusters during early to late spring on upright stems. Narrow, glossy green foliage appears in early spring and dies back after flowering.
height: 0.3m
spread: 0.3m
aspect: full sun / partial shade
Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'
Siberian bugloss
In early spring, large, mid-green, heart-shaped leaves that look as though they have been dusted with silver appear, followed by tall sprays of tiny, bright blue, forget-me-not-like flowers.
height: 0.4m
spread: 0.6m
aspect: light shade
Deutzia Rosea 'Yuki Cherry Blossom'
Rose Deutzia ‘Yuki Cherry Blossom’
This pretty shrub is smothered in bi-coloured creamy white flowers with pink outers looking just like a carpet of spring cherry blossoms.
height: 0.6m
spread: 0.6m
aspect: full sun
Geum 'Totally Tangerine'
Avens ‘Totally Tangerine’
Bright orange flowers appear from late spring to autumn, creating months of vibrant colour. The blooms rise above scalloped foliage adding texture to borders.
height: 0.9m
spread: 0.5m
aspect: full sun / light shade
Lamprocapnos spectabilis 'Alba'
White bleeding heart / Dicentra
Easy to grow arching sprays of dainty, pure white, heart-shaped flowers appear in late spring above fern-like, fresh green leaves.
height: 0.9m
spread: 0.45m
aspect: full sun / light shade
Polemonium y. 'Bressingham Purple'
Jacobs ladder, purple
This delightful jacobs ladder produces impressive, dark purple, fern-like leaves, which show off the early summer sprays of pollinator-friendly, violet-blue flowers. Ideal for edging a partially shaded border.
height: 0.7m
spread: 0.45m
aspect: full sun / partial shade
Pulsatilla vulgaris 'Alba'
Pasque flower
Unusual and eye-catching, clear white, goblet-shaped flowers with golden centres and a soft, velvety texture. The blooms nod in the breeze, opening from furry buds between March and May, above silvery-grey, downy foliage that persists from February to November.
height: 0.3m
spread: 0.3m
aspect: full sun
Salvia officinalis
Common sage
The aromatic leaves of this decorative perennial can be used to enhance the flavour of savoury dishes – and will make sublime stuffings. The lilac-bue flowers are edible too.
height: 1m
spread: 1m
aspect: full sun / light shade
Tulipa 'Amazing Parrot'
Amazing parrot tulip
Belonging to the renowned Parrot group of tulips, the wonderfully raucous Tulipa ‘Amazing Parrot’ has vivid pink flowers flushed with golden, apricot-orange. Parrot tulips are among the last to flower each year, blooming in late spring.
height: 0.6m
spread: 0.15m
aspect: sun / light shade
ground cover
Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea'
Wood spurge
A compact, shade-loving euphorbia that has long-lasting, acid-yellow flowers in spring that contrast beautifully with the deep purple foliage.
height: 0.5m
spread: 0.3m
aspect: full sun / part shade / shade
Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'
Black mondo grass
This small evergreen perennial has strappy, inky purple, grass-like leaves. In summer, small spikes of bell-shaped, pale mauve flowers appear, followed by spherical, dark blue fruit.
height: 0.2m
spread: 0.3m
aspect: full sun / light shade
Origanum vulgare 'Variegata'
Oregano
Oregano is great for edging, in tubs or to brighten up shady areas of your garden. The leaves are pleasantly aromatic and good for cooking meat, fish, and pasta.
height: 0.3m
spread: 0.5m
aspect: full sun / partial shade
Sesleria autumnalis
Autumn moor grass
Both easy to grow, and tolerant of a wide range of soil types, this evergreen grass works for large and small gardens alike. Unlike many other ornamental grasses, this is a cool-season grass
height: 1m
spread: 0.6m
aspect: full sun / partial shade
filler plants
Primula vulgaris
Primrose
Our native primrose is held in deep affection, partly because it’s one of the first spring flowers. Clusters of pale lemon flowers with centres the colour of egg yolk appear among rosettes of large, bright-green leaves. Primroses are suitable for most shady garden sites.
height: 0.2m
spread: 0.35m
aspect: full sun / light shade
Thalictrum 'Black Stockings'
Meadow rue
Flowers are held high on jet-black stems. Each small flower is made up of tiny strands, giving the plant a hazy, fluffy effect. The foliage is pretty, too, scalloped and lacy looking.
height: 2m
spread: 0.75m
aspect: light shade
Cirsium rivulare 'Atropurpureum'
Plume thistle
Spectacular, deep crimson thistles appear on erect stems in July and August above spiny, dark green leaves. A valuable addition to a summer garden.
height: 1.2m
spread: 0.6m
aspect: full sun
Our Sponsors
We would like to thank JA Jones Tree Nursery and Moss & Moor Garden Centre for providing the wonderful selection of trees and perennial plants used in this show garden.
