I have been reviewing Our garden@19 with an emphasis on reducing the need for watering which I wrote about here: Drought tolerant planting and secondly looking to reduce the work in maintaining the garden without losing its appeal. With this second aim in mind, I decided last winter to redesign the White and Green garden along with the seating area in front of it. I hope small steps in different areas of the garden will help to achieve this aim.

I also took the opportunity to raise the height of the white wooden fence, in this picture, along the perimeter to discourage the badgers from ploughing through the hedge by adding a gravel board.

This garden room is not very big it is divided in half by a path bordered with box hedging.
First I removed the internal box hedging, then the plants within the W&G garden were lifted, and some were retained and replanted creating borders around the edge of the garden. A soaker hose was laid to help the moved roses fully establish during the summer.

The left half of the garden was measured to allow the seating area from just outside to be moved into this area, it is an ideal place to catch the morning sun.

The right-hand side was designed to have a brick-edged lawn covering a similar area. I was then able to turf the original seating area. Sadly the large Clematis Montana Wilsonii on this fence died last winter. (Next winters project to remove it!)

Some of the plants now in the garden.

Trained on the trellis behind the bench is Rose Climbing Iceberg.

Rose ‘William and Catherine’ edge this bed with Paeonia Lactiflora Duchesse de Nemours  

Planted behind the bench.

I love Pulmonaria Sissinghurst White, I have weaved it in-between the roses.

Spring time with Tulip ‘Très Chic’.

June with the Camassia flowering just above hedge height.

The new turf settling in, thankfully the badgers did not try to dig it up looking for food.

I hope with time it will mature to be as attractive as before with a little less work.