Passionate plant lover, these clients wanted a soft, cottage style in this part of their garden.

South facing, this side of the house is a suntrap and ideal for many varieties of fragrant plants.  This simple terrace of natural stone, just big enough for a table and four chairs, is not only the focal point of the garden but is used regularly as a family dining room in good weather. 

The carefully chosen planting provides year-round colour and texture and even, in this case, fragrance and some protection on a windy day. 

The main planting here is two varieties of lavender;

Lavandula stoechas (french lavender) - occurs naturally in the Mediterranean region and is a perennial shrub with greyish leaves and pink-purplish flowers. 

Lavandula angustifolia – more fragile and more resinous with its oils.

Other plants include:

Filipendula purpurea – Japanese meadowsweet; a large perennial with large, dark green leaves and dramatic pink bursts of flower

Crocosmia Lucifer – dense clumps of upright, iris like leaves and  bright, red flowers

Anemone x hybrid ‘Honorine Jobert’ – windflower; white single blooms amongst dark green foliage

Dicentra ‘burning hearts’ – bleeding heart: heart-sha[ped, red flowers with blue-gray, fernlike foliage

Rudbeckia goldsturm – black eyed susan’; daisy like yellow flowers with black centres

Hemerochallis ‘stella de oro’ – day lily: bright yellow trumpets emerging from delicate grass-style foliage

Geranium ‘Johnson’s blue’ – very free flowering

Salvia officinali – sage; silver

Rosmarinus officinalis - Rosemary - a traditional herb, fragrant, with spiky leaves and pretty blue flowers

Convallaria majalis - Lily of the valley;  white and fragrant ground cover plant

Thymus vulgaris ‘silver posy’ – thyme; this variety has silvery leaves

Matricaria racutita - chamomile; fragrant when brushed against