Ranulf Road - Head Space
Project Details
Garden Design: Marcus Barnett Studio
Garden Planting: Alaster Anderson
Head Gardener Service: Alaster Anderson
Planting completed: January 2020
The GARDEN
This beautiful garden in Ranulf Road, West Hampstead, is a fabulous example of our Head Gardener Service. Marcus Barnett Studio was appointed to design a contemporary garden and we were then engaged to provide a maintenance service that would allow the design to develop into something really spectacular.
“Really spectacular”
THE CHALLENGE
For the planting to mature over five or six years to fully reflect our client’s aspirations would require highly skilled maintenance. Our client wanted to both keep their existing gardener and keep maintenance within a modest budget … the answer was our Head Gardener Service, bringing in our knowledge and expertise at pivotal points in the garden’s management.
“Alaster Anderson were a huge asset to us in their ability to advise on a diverse range of items regarding landscape, drainage and maintenance.”
Our Head Gardener Service is all about adding value.
Alaster made four personal visits during the growing season in the first year to overview the garden and make recommendations based on the maintenance plan agreed with our client at the outset. Our specialist team of gardeners undertake particular work requiring skilful artistry and shaping, such as clipping evergreens to create waving mounds of foliage.
Highlights of our specialist expertise at Ranulf Road include:
MANAGING SOIL MOISTURE
Managing soil moisture, which is vital to plant health and establishment. The soil drains quite slowly in some parts of the garden and it was essential to avoid over-watering. With very hot weather forecast we supplied the gardener with an auger, a device for taking soil moisture measurements, and trained him to carry out soil tests. From this sample of the soil profile we recommended the right level of irrigation. We also upgraded our client’s irrigation system so that we could control it remotely from our office and tweak the watering programme depending on the soil results. Thanks to this level of detail in our garden care the plants have flourished.
ADVISING ON PLANTS
Advising on plants that are particularly vulnerable to dry soil, such as several majestic 5-metre Arbutus unedo trees costing over £3,000 each. This Mediterranean tree is commonly called the Strawberry Tree for its attractive autumn red fruits. These specimens were craned into the garden, so if they were to fail their replacement would be difficult and very expensive. Read about our expertise in soil management here.
FORMATIVE PRUNING
Using formative pruning to create a stunning display of Wisteria floribunda Macrobotrys. Formative pruning is where we shape trees and shrubs when they are young to establish the structure of the plant as it matures. Wisteria is a wonderful flowing climber with long racemes of flowers hanging gracefully down from the plant in late spring. Even better, mature plants that have been carefully pruned, trained and managed have an architectural beauty unsurpassed by almost any other climber and it is this character that can be particularly enjoyed in the winter when the wisteria loses its leaves.
To train and develop this shape requires a vision and skill that not all gardeners have and this is where our specialist team step in. At Ranulf Road we allowed the wisteria to grow rapidly over the summer, then this winter we will take it off its wires and thin it out with careful pruning. This will create a show-stopping framework of stem and branches in a beautiful natural shape only attainable through our skills and design finesse. Once the framework has been established we will coach the gardener to undertake the routine pruning tasks to maintain it. Formative pruning also develops flowering spurs that burst into abundant bloom every year.
GUIDING THE CLIENT’S GARDENER
Guiding the client’s gardener to keep borders and perennials looking fabulous by deadheading Salvia nerosva (sage ‘Caradonna') and Penstemon ‘Raven' to encourage longer flowering, or clipping Lavandula angustifolia (lavender 'Munstead') in August to encourage its soft fresh new growth so the impact is amazing all winter long.
DEVELOPING AN ARTISTIC FRAMEWORK
Developing the artistic framework of clipped evergreen form, in this case Lonicera pileata Maygreen. Through clipping our teams create the basis of the shape (the template), and once this shape has been defined then the client’s gardener will be coached to take over.
ENCOURAGING GROWTH
Instructing the gardener to make regular applications of organic seaweed liquid fertiliser in key areas of foliage to improve the vigour of the planting, particularly to encourage the beech hedge surrounding the garden to become thicker and denser more quickly.
“Unsurpassed architectural beauty”
THE RESULT
Our Head Gardener Service allows our client to control costs with a monthly fee, retain their existing gardener, have the gardener trained in skills targeted to overcoming the specific challenges in this garden, and ensure our continued involvement to realise the long-term creative vision.
ONGOING MAINTENANCE
This service ensures ongoing joy for our client – not the disappointing compromise that results when specialist maintenance is neglected, but an exceptional evolving, living work of art.
To find out more please contact us on 0207 305 7183 or via the website.
