This week I was invited to the Churchill Estate in Helensburgh, this is an MOD housing estate and the house that I worked on was at 2 Frobisher Place. This house is currently being used as temporary accomodation for families whilst their own houses are being renovated. Each house has an identical garden, and each garden is joined to the next by a low fence. There is very little room for either privacy or individual creativity. With permission from the provost to change the lay out of the garden and break the normal rule that 80% of the Garden should remain as grass (to facilitate care when the house is empty/changes hands) I decided to try and design a low maintanence garden that would offer interest througout the year and might eventually offer a little bit if private space next to the house. Norrie Duncan and his helpers Derek and Timmy came to help me with the landscaping (moving the path to form a curve and rotivating in the old grass) and then Calum, John and the local children helped me plant the new beds. I used mainly shrubs and perennial plants which should survive with very little care. I had kept the location of the 'whirly-gig' washing line and below this planted herbs to perfume the washing. By the house I planted rampant climbers to give fast coverage and flowers.
If you would like to contact me about the garden you can email me at: nina@somewhere.org.uk More about the MUSTER project More about SOMEWHERE HOME