Ideas for a spectacular and functional walled garden

It’s that time of year again, when the lighter evenings and warmer weather makes us want to dust down the gardening gloves and get ensconced in our outdoor spaces. If you are lucky enough to own a walled garden, defined by high walls typically made from stone or brick, now’s the time to get to work on it to inject some springtime magic into this secluded bucolic space.

Check out the following ideas for a spectacular and functional walled garden, fit for those long summer evenings ahead.

A water feature
Walled gardens are the perfect spot for a water feature. From an ecosystem pond to a majestic fountain, adding a water feature to a walled garden will not only create a focal point, but will help promote wildlife, while bringing a desirable fluid element of soothing water to the outdoor space.

Tall grasses, trees and climbers
Walled gardens really offer the opportunity to go overboard with foliage. Plant trees and tall grasses, climbers, and trailers to adorn the walls and add colour and maturity to the garden. Cercis, commonly known as redbuds, are grown for their spring and summer blossoms. Another good option is Japanese dogwood, which bears masses of tiny flowers in the early summer and then turns a stunning shade of crimson accompanied with strawberry-like pink fruits when autumn arrives.

Go to town with a vegetable plot
Walled gardens are synonymous with stately Edwardian homes, harbouring hordes of vegetables and fruit trees. This typically secluded space provides the ideal spot for growing vegetables. Trailing edibles, like tomatoes and squashes, are idea for the walled areas, providing they see some sunshine. As are cut and come salads, which don’t require much root space to grow.

Think about paving
Amid the bustling foliage, a walled garden must be home to some kind of paving and pathways, to act as a place to put out the garden furniture and enjoy the balmy spring and summer evenings. For a Mediterranean feel, opt for terracotta tiles. For a more traditional reproduction of historic English estates, choose beige millstone. Or for a modern take on the walled garden, use dark or light-coloured porcelain tiles.

Now chill the wine, dust down the outdoor cushions, and sit back and enjoy your heavenly walled garden.