English Garden Notes: Bunny Guinness


Whilst living in England, I want to appreciate the English Garden 
as much as I can. Who knows what will come next. With that in mind
I have been busily filling up my English Garden Notebook.
I have a few more plants to pop into the garden today, thanks to Bunny.

Bunny Guinness is an English gardener I admire. 
I loved her creation at the recent Chelsea Flower Show, 
The M&G Garden. It was given the Silver Gilt Award.
In my mind it was all Gold.



She was inspired by the traditional kitchen garden, 
adding a modern spin into it. What I liked about her garden
were all the areas that could possibly and realistically 
be duplicated in a home garden. Maybe not quite as large 
and grand but there was something for everybody, 
right down to the simple row of terracotta pots on a garden wall.


She had it all:
Fruits, herbs, vegetables and flowers,
Raised beds with flowers and vegetables mixed together
All in perfect balance
Cabbages and beans alongside clematis and roses
Lavender and herbs for fragrance
Large terracotta pots filled with fruit trees
An upper glass deck framed by pleached trees 
A built in log fire with lots of space for entertaining
Long sweeping pathways of natural tile.
Calming water feature in the midst for all to enjoy, including the birds.
Sustainable garden features including raised beds built from willow 
 English Garden notes...of the very best kind.

From Bunny:
"The M&G Garden is a garden which you can live with and live from,
combining the practical with aesthetic and innovative garden design elements
that can sustain and nurture the modern gardener."

"Nurture the modern gardener" and so it does.







Her plantings included:

Bulbs:
Lily of the valley, tulips and lily 

Climbing roses:
Rambler and Worcester Rose

Shrub roses:
Tuscan Rose

Plants:
Clematis, Lavender, Loosestrife, 
Ornamental Thistle,
Wood Spurge, Sweet Rocket, 
Knautia Macedonia, Mathiesella
Tobacco Plant, Pelargonium, Perilla, 
Rosemary, Yew hedge

Trees:
 Lemon, Fig, Bay, Apple, 
Medlar, Pear and Pleached Lime 

Vegetables:
Courgette, Chard, Chilli pepper, Lettuce,
Mustard, Cabbage, Horned Melon, Squash, 
Red Spinach, Kale.
Red Perilla, Squash, Chard, Globe Artichoke, 
Beans- Runner, French Climbing, Broad and Dwarf French

Herbs:
Chives, Lemon Verbena, Dill Angelica, 
French Tarragon, Thorow-Wax, Chervil,
Fennel, Silver Mint, Ocimum Kilimandscharicum, 
Perilla-Purple Shiso, Parsley and Clary Sage

For up-to-date planting guide, and more information 
about M&G or 'The M&G Garden'


What you can not fully appreciate in my images is the 'floating deck'.
To appreciate the full garden view from all angles, see video, here
 More on the garden and Bunny's comments about creating the garden,  here
The videos are a fantastic way to enjoy the intricacies of this garden...in fact any garden.
Add a view out to sea and I will hang my hat for good!




I am tying into Diane @ The Tablescaper Seasonal Sunday meme today.
I joined in last summer and so enjoyed the journey I am back again!
Thank you Diane for creating a reason to celebrate the seasons :)
My 2010 Summer meme's:
 Summer Sundays and the Sea, here
Summer Sundays and Ina Garten, here
Summer Sundays, here
Summer Sundays and a Parade, here
Summer Sunday and Quiet, here
Summer Lovin and it tastes so good, here
Seasonal Sunday and a to do list, here

Image of Bunny Guinness here
Planting image from The M&G Garden handout
Seasonal Sundays here
all other images~me



Comments

  1. Than you for sharing Bunny's garden. It is fabulous. One can dream...

    XO,
    Jane

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  2. What a gorgeous garden. Those raised beds are amazing! And that outdoor bench, how fun!

    I miss coming around here! I hope you are well!

    megan

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  3. The perfect garden room. I could sit there for hours! Lucky you to visit in person, and thanks for sharing!!

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  4. Wow! What a spectacular place to spend a Sunday afternoon with a book.

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  5. I love this garden! What a wonderful space, and as you mentioned, something for everyone no matter the size of your own garden. I love the pots along the wall. Again, thank you for letting us travel along with you to these beautiful gardens.

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  6. Dear Jeanne,
    I'm a first time visitor to your blog. Collage for Life has just been added to my "favourites". I'm totally in love with Bunny Guinesses' garden at Chelsea. Thank you so much for a truly beautiful post.
    Cheers
    Anita

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  7. What a spectacular space. Thanks for sharing. I've always wanted to attend the Chelsea Show. Someday! ~ Sarah

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  8. Spectacular gardens!! I can sit here and dream....

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  9. What ana amazing garden. So inspirational. Such a green thumb.

    - The Tablescaper

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  10. Bunny is one of my gardening heroes. Isn't her garden out of this world amazing!

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  11. Simply beautiful...Bunny Guniness is inspiring...what a talented lady.
    Have a good week.
    http://wwwcatherinerobinsoncashmere.blogspot.com/

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  12. Thanks for sharing Bunny's garden, I watched the video, the glass deck is just amazing. I love the raised beds and they are just crammed full of just about everything you could wish for in a garden.


    Inspiring indeed.

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  13. What a lovely and beautiful space!! On a day that I'm working, guess where I would love to be?

    I hope your week is off to a good start!!!

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  14. Astounding garden! Thanks for putting it on your blog, which I enjoy immensely.
    nadia

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  15. A stunning garden with much thought put into it. Some people just have the garden design gene & by gosh Bunny has it big time!
    Millie x

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