Garden OF THE WEEK
Contrasting shapes, colours and textures create verdant layers in this soothing Wiltshire town garden
Foliage plays a leading role in this dramatic town garden on the outskirts of Devizes in Wiltshire. Owner Teresa Garraud, originally from Vancouver in Canada, is a huge fan of contrasting leaf forms and says foliage can be just as exciting as flowers in a garden, if you know how to use it.
“I really love leaves, which is why there are so many different trees and shrubs here,” she says. “In particular, I’m fond of using golden foliage. You don’t need to have flowers all the time – sometimes the foliage can create the drama for you.”
Variegated foliage really divides the crowd, she says. “Some people think it’s too ‘in your face’, but for me, if there’s enough green around, it can work as an accent to liven things up.”
Favourite foliage plants include acers, hostas, ferns, heucheras, grasses, pittosporum and ivy. “I love putting different leaf textures together,” she says. “Years ago I worked in the textile department of a hand craft centre, and I think that sort of tactile, textural awareness has always stayed with me.”
The garden belongs to an end-of-terrace house built in 1927. At the front is a gravel garden and terrace planted with grasses, salvias and roses, while at the back, a succession of planting areas leads from shade-loving container plants up to a sunny patio area, herbaceous borders and a secluded sun trap at the far end.
“The garden is surrounded by houses, many of them with mature trees offering a leafy borrowed view,” says Teresa. “A very old hedge runs along the right-hand side of the garden – it’s about 7ft high and provides a good privacy screen.” The garden has a northerly aspect and is quite shady in places. “There are trees on all sides and in winter, the house casts a long shadow.
Luckily, because the garden is so long, it still catches the sun further
