The speaker was Janine Pattison whose talk was entitled Big Ideas for Small Gardens. Janine began her working life at Eltham Palace, an English Heritage property where she helped to restore the historic gardens and dry moat.
During her time there she gained qualifications in horticulture and landscape gardening. She is now head of her own award- winning landscape and garden design consultancy.
Janine focussed on the development of a small garden plot measuring 40 metres by 30 metres. She remarked that the smaller plot can be carefully managed and the costs of ownership are relatively low. Among her many tips, Janine suggested that synthetic decking is a good substitute for traditional wooden decking and boundaries of gardens can be enhanced by a range of climbers and by flower walls. An arch made colourful with honeysuckle, roses, and jasmine will lend height and trees such as acer, silver birch and cornus can be planted in containers. Lights can be introduced to accentuate key features of the garden and to add a touch of magic.
After an absorbing session of questions and answers, Janet Hinxman concluded the session by proposing a warm vote of thanks to the speaker.
At the conclusion of the meeting the chairman described the arrangements for the Christmas meeting to be held on the 10th December.
