In Kent, Nantawan Staples has mixed the garden styles of her Thai heritage with her love for English gardening. For the past 20 years she has shaped her plot into a place where friends and family can gather to eat, drink, play games - or just relax in the traditional Thai hut. Our judges loved how her garden is full of personality and charm, not least because Nantawan has added meaningful ornaments and plants that bring back special memories from over the years.
What was the garden like originally?
It was very bare and open when I moved here in 2003. But it was the size of the garden and the opportunity I could see that drew me to the house in the first place. The garden looked like it had potential and it was an opportunity for me to express my creativity. Originally there was a lot of open space, which didn't make it very cosy, and a harsh divide between the grass area and the hard paving. There was also a big pampas grass in the middle of the lawn, which dominated the garden and just had to go.
I had an extension built onto the property and as part of that I had some new paving laid at the back of the house leading onto the garden. My son built a decking area and a brick barbecue, so I had social areas in the garden to cook and entertain - something that is really important to me. He also built two traditional Thai-style huts (sala Thai) for relaxing in.
Did you have an interest in gardening when you moved here?
Denne historien er fra March 2022-utgaven av Gardeners World.
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Denne historien er fra March 2022-utgaven av Gardeners World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A new plot for tasty crops
Taking on a new allotment needn't be hard work. By simply following a few easy tips you can have bumper crops in no time, just like Alessandro Vitale
We love July
July is an island floating between the joy of June and the slightly fatigued month of August. It's a grown-up month: the year has shrugged off its adolescent exuberances, the weather is (hopefully) warm enough for ice cream to be one of your five a day, the sea should be swimmable without (too much) danger of hypothermia and thoughts will be of holiday shenanigans and family barbecues. School's out this month, the next tranche of glorious summer colour is washing across our borders and it's my birthday. Lots of reasons to give three rousing cheers for July!
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
Now, at the height of summer, Frances Tophill shows how to boost your plants' health and productivity with a timely cut
Hassle-free harvests
Flowers are out in abundance this month and for Jack Wallington, many of these blooms make delicious, low-effort pickings
Bite-sized bounties
Glorious doorstep harvests can easily turn into gluts, so let Rukmini Iyer's recipes help you savour every last bit
Upcycled outdoor living
Create unique and stylish garden features for minimal cost using reclaimed materials and simple DIY skills. Helen Riches shares four step-by-step projects and more inspiring eco tips
Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN
Buildings and landscapes can play a vital role in supercharging your space, as Nick Bailey demonstrates
Greening up a city balcony
Looking for sustainable, small-space gardening ideas? Take inspiration from Oliver Hymans' transformed balcony garden in north-east London - now a lush, green haven for humans and wildlife
The dry and mighty garden
As we adapt our gardens to a more volatile climate, Alan Titchmarsh reveals how to create a drought-tolerant plot and picks his top plant performers
Nature knows best
Carol Klein explains how to choose plants for specific growing conditions, based on what has naturally adapted to thrive there
