Equinox Garden

This garden was one of Lesley's projects and, although it looks attractive for most of the year, it is designed to be at its best around the spring and autumn equinoxes. This garden is round the corner from the courtyard garden and its walls and steps were built at the same time. There are two borders and a small central bed in front of the living willow arbour. Andrew Saunders, who specialises in growing willow and making living sculptures from it, built the willow arbour.

The garden is planted with a range of daffodils, tulips, herbaceous plants and shrubs that are good for spring and autumn colour. Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' is a real beacon in the autumn along with Sedum spectabile (the ice plant), a plant which is also recommended by Lesley for its wildlife potential. One of the real stunners in this garden is a rose called 'The Fairy'. It is a small shrubby rose about 3' tall that is smothered in dainty clusters of pale pink flowers all summer long and, it seems to be fairly disease resistant too.

Some of Lesley's favourite plants for this garden include:

Spring
Narcissus 'Jetfire'
Narcissus 'Quince'
Narcissus 'Topolino'

Autumn
Crocosmia 'Dusky Mainden'
Cercis 'Forest Pansy'
Vitis coignettii 'Claret Cloak'
Tradescantia 'Concorde Grape'
Sedum 'Ruby Glow'
Cotinus 'Golden Spirit'