Make a Metre Matter

The Salad Bar Garden is a creative and functional design that incorporates a wooden salad tower made from posts and suspended planks. These planks are designed with holes to support and hang pots filled with fresh herbs and greens. A ‘Veg Scrap’ tray showcases sprouting vegetable tops such as celery and carrots, highlighting the potential of kitchen scraps. Clear storage boxes, used as mini greenhouses, protect tender plants, while edible flowers and tomatoes in pots add vibrant colours. A small olive tree adds a touch of Mediterranean charm, making this garden both practical and aesthetically pleasing.

A tranquil Woodland Garden features a shade-providing shrub, complemented by log slice stepping stones that meander through the space. This garden includes branches and logs, possibly adorned with moss or transformed into a charming stumpery, creating a rustic woodland atmosphere. The garden’s lush groundcover plants, chosen to thrive in shaded environments, enhance the forest-like effect and provide a rich habitat for local wildlife. This serene setting is perfect for those seeking a peaceful retreat that mimics the natural beauty of a woodland.

In the Habitat Garden, a log pile in one corner, possibly topped with sedum, creates a natural shelter for insects and small animals. A ‘Hibernaculum,’ an underground wildlife den filled with various rubble and wood, occupies another corner, providing a safe haven for a range of creatures. Wildflowers planted around the garden are complemented by wooden spoons, forks, hooks, and perches, which hold food and create an inviting space for birds and insects. Wildflower turf planting and strategically placed bug houses enhance the garden’s biodiversity, making it a vibrant and sustainable habitat.

The Vegetable Patch Garden is designed for maximum productivity within a compact space. A sturdy cane frame supports climbing plants such as beans, while a trellis box growing support allows for vertical gardening. A hanging basket, suspended from the trellis frame, adds additional planting space for trailing plants. Various vegetables are planted alongside mint in pots, ensuring a diverse and plentiful harvest. This efficient and well-organized garden layout is ideal for those looking to grow their own produce in a limited area.

A Mini Pond Garden adds a touch of water to the garden landscape, using an old tub, bucket, or waterproofed drinks holder as the pond base. Water plants thrive in the pond, while a nature ladder ensures that small creatures can safely enter and exit the water. Pebbles and stone pieces create a natural-looking pond edge, and protective planting around the perimeter provides shelter and habitat for garden wildlife. An old tyre can also be repurposed to form the pond, adding an innovative and environmentally friendly twist to this charming garden feature.

Designed to attract and support pollinators, the Pollinator Patch Garden features a willow ‘Wigwam’ that provides shelter and structure. A bee bar and mini bee hive box invite bees to make this garden their home, while a butterfly house and clover lawn entrance attract butterflies. The garden is planted with species specific to pollinators, creating a vibrant and colourful space that supports these vital creatures. Seed bombs are included as a prop, demonstrating the simplicity of encouraging pollinators in any garden.

The Compost Heap Garden promotes sustainable gardening practices with a mesh or chicken wire bin staked into the ground, providing a place for organic waste to decompose. A recycled plastic box with holes is buried underground to facilitate composting. Trays display items that can be composted, such as green waste and brown waste, offering an educational element that inspires visitors to embrace composting in their own gardens. This eco-friendly garden is both practical and educational, showcasing the benefits of recycling organic materials.

This garden showcases how alpines can introduce a diverse range of plants into a compact space. Alpines thrive in various climates, even harsh conditions. Succulents, in particular, flourish without daily watering and can be placed indoors or outdoors. This metre demonstrates creative display options, using slate pieces to separate plants and loose aggregates to reduce maintenance and suppress weeds. Pots can also be used to add height, enhancing the beauty of these small, delicate plants.

Growing mushrooms is increasingly popular due to their beautiful shapes, textures, and colours. They are easy to cultivate, low-maintenance, and space-saving, yielding an organic harvest in approximately two weeks. Mushrooms can be hung up or displayed in pots, and even made into organic hanging ornaments that provide a crop. This metre demonstrates creative ways to grow mushrooms, showcasing how to create something truly special in your garden.