Susie’s garden

When I began learning about gardening, I read everything I could find and many of my books came from charity shops and jumble sales.

Some of these books are now out of print, but those by Beth Chatto are so enduring that they have been reprinted. She was an amazing woman and the biography of this world renowned plantswoman, Beth Chatto: A Life with Plants by Catherine Harwood, is a fascinating read.

It was in the 1960s that Beth popularised the idea of “right plant, right place”.

Inspired by her travels and seeing plants growing in the wild, she recognised the importance of selecting the right varieties for the conditions of each garden.

Losing plants because they’ve been put in the wrong place is expensive and we can learn from this.

If you buy lavender and plant it in a damp, shady spot it will struggle and die, and Beth’s advice is wise.

The first thing is to know and understand your own garden. Most gardens have a number of micro-climates; take notice of where the sun falls, where there’s good drainage and identify any wet ground. Then, when you go to the garden centre, check labels, ask questions, and choose plants to match your conditions. That’s the way to help your garden thrive and not disappoint you.

Dry Shade

My own garden has widely varying conditions from dry shade to full sun. If you look at how plants grow in the wild for inspiration, you can make a garden anywhere.

Mediterranean scrublands are scented by rosemary, myrtle and lavender, all revelling in the baked, rocky soil. Woodland boggy areas in the Lake District are lush with ferns, mosses and shade loving plants.

Dry shade is one of the most difficult places to plant up. It’s not moist enough for hostas, but it is perfect for epimediums which have sprays of white, yellow, or pink flowers in spring and pretty heart-shaped leaves. It’s also suitable conditions for early bulbs such as snowdrops or winter aconites and for hellebores, lily of the valley, lily turf, astran