One person’s love can be another’s loathing. Letting weeds float in and out of borders might please some, but offend others. Creating a garden is very personal, so it’s no wonder that gardeners might struggle to share a space, spending many precious hours arguing over plans and plants.
Michael Marriott and Rosie Irving met 14 years ago through their work in horticulture, and have shared their Shropshire garden for the past ten years by having their own designated areas. Their decision to divide the garden and the success of this idea has proved that two gardeners can successfully transform a space into something magical that reflects their personalities.
“When I first gardened alongside Michael, I would say things like ‘Oh dearest, wouldn’t that look better further down?’ He would never reply, he’d just smile and then carry on, so this was when I thought of the idea of having our own areas. This way we have harmony,” explains Rosie.
Michael was the leading rose expert at David Austin Roses for 35 years, and is the most knowledgeable rosarian in the country, if not in the world. “Rosie didn’t like roses when I met her, but I have changed her mind,” he says. Rosie is a
Denne historien er fra June 2024-utgaven av Gardens Illustrated.
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Denne historien er fra June 2024-utgaven av Gardens Illustrated.
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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STEPS TO SUCCESS
Enclosed within a rustic barn conversion, this courtyard garden contrasts riotous Mediterranean-inspired gravel planting with clean lines and a reflective pool
ANNIE GUILFOYLE
The garden polymath on the pleasures of passing on knowledge, the rewards of close observation and the circuitous route towards grounding her itchy feet
HEAVEN SCENT
As summer adds a new dimension to his garden, Nigel Slater reflects on the rewards of planting for perfume
Colour therapy
Ann-Maree Winter's joyful Australian garden became a place of solace and nurture in hard times
30 plants with interest all year
These hard-working plants provide several seasons of interest in your garden through flowers, fruit, foliage, bark and even spring shoots
PERFECT HARMONY
Rosarian Michael Marriott and TV producer Rosie Irving have very different ideas on gardening, but they have discovered the secret to sharing a single plot amicably
SUMMERFLOWERING ALLIUMS
Loved for their showy spheres, alliums have long been stalwarts of late spring, but now new introductions are extending the party through summer
Faith in the future
Marian Boswall's contemporary design for the garden of a former chapel respects the property's history while looking to the future
Summertime at Sissinghurst
Ensuring Sissinghurst’s famous roses look fabulous throughout the season is one of the many tasks keeping head gardener Troy Scott Smith and his team busy right now
FRESH APPROACH
Colm Joseph’s design for this new garden, which surrounds a modern house within a heritage setting, uses clever planting to give a historic site a contemporary feel
