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Monty’s Paradise Garden Progress...

NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
in Garden design
Having just caught up with Friday’s programme, I was looking forward to seeing how the Paradise Garden was getting on. Was I the only one disappointed with his choice of plants? Swathes of Stipa grass that he plans to add Verbena Bonariensis to. Really?? How un-paradise!

To me, a PG (and I have see a few) is redolent with aromatic shrubs and herbs like mytle, bay, rosemary, lots of old roses including red and yellow, not just white and pink, fruit trees such as oranges, lemons, pomegranates and figs, often contained within neat box borders. OK he has a few roses and the tulips are appropriate.

I know some of those fruit trees wouldn’t be hardy in the UK, its his garden, he can plant what he likes and the layout is typically paradise (and will look much better when he paints the bus stop!) but still...

What do others think? No Monty bashing for the sake of it please!!!
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Glad it wasn't just me @Nollie ! When he started planting out all those stipa, l was thinking "noooo", then the verbena?  I thought that was more prairie planting like Piet Oudolf does. Fair enough at the end of the day it is his garden, but l wouldn't call it "Paradise planting". 
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    What are paths, I thought were going to be rills. Every paradise garden I've seen has rills, not just a central bowl.
    IMHO they're far too narrow to function as paths.
    Devon.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I don't like grasses, and was expecting exotic plants like said already. Citrus, maybe large leafed exotic, olive yes. Maybe paint and mirrors on the bus shelter blues and golds.....
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    It's not really my idea of a paradise garden, and I'm not a huge fan of grasses either, but each to their own.  I look forward to seeing it in a few years when it's matured.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    I agree with you all, I'm not a an of grasses either, but I suppose it's his garden and he can choose what he plants. On the other hand we have to watch it on TV! I think it's very dull.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    My f isn't working properly and the Edit won't work, meant fan.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I like grasses, lots of them, but why call it a " Paradise Garden " when it's , well, not??

    Devon.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    I must admit I was a bit taken aback at his choice of plants but he does have quite a difficult site so I suppose he chooses what he knows will grow there - although having said that I wouldn't think the stipa would do well.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,527
    I quite like the idea with the stipa grass , if I remember correctly he visited a garden in Iran or somewhere similar where stipa T was heavily used, I assume that's where the idea come from.  

    I agree with hosta the paths pointless , should of been either slightly wider to be usable or made into a rill.

    Its the choice of tree which I find disappointing, bit common malus tree even though nice but not something I would of used , I would of used arbutus or other something which has a exotic feel. 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Doesn’t the idea of using malus come from apples having grown in the Garden of Eden ... a myth common across the range of Middle Eastern religions? 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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