The flower-packed garden

Roy Larder’s Worcestershire garden isn’t the biggest we’ve visited, but what he has is packed with colour, fun and lots of containers, as Sue Bradley explains

- Sue Bradley

THERE’S no room for dull spots within Roy Larder’s highly colourful garden. His passion for planting means he makes the most of every opportunity to add even more growing spaces to the small but flower-packed plot around his Worcestershire home.

Old kitchen colanders, teapots, kettles and Belfast sinks have all been pressed into service alongside his large collection of terracotta pots, and he’s even found a use for a pair of old toilets that look spectacular adorned with summer foliage.

“I enjoy planting up anything I find that’s worn out and a bit quirky,” laughs Roy. “I acquired the first of my toilets after my bathroom was modernised – my sister-in-law’s was done at the same time so I had hers, too! They fill a space that used to be occupied by an oil tank.

“I like to keep my garden tidy. I love having lots of flowers around me – they make me feel cheery.”

Even the walls of Roy’s house have been turned into a canvas for plants, whether it’s a trellis holding a clematis, hanging baskets filled with bedding or small shelves supporting recycled containers filled with profusions of colourful blooms.