Hi GPODers!
All garden journeys start somewhere. In today’s day and age some gardeners might begin from the information and inspiration they gain online, but many will still start from the experience of growing up with a family member’s garden. That was exactly the case for Laura Axel in England. Laura’s mom created abundant gardens for her children to grow in, which also allowed her to easily pass down her passion for plants. Now that all her children are grown, Laura’s mom continues to tend a luscious landscape that Laura still finds joy and inspiration in whenever she visits.
In the tiny seaside town of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, my mum has gardened for some 60-plus years. My brother, sisters, and I grew up not far from her current house and remember fondly a family home of about an acre that had an informal grass lawn for tennis, a summer house for us four children to play in, a swing set, and lots of trees to climb. A huge vegetable garden provided us with a myriad of produce—rhubarb, black currants, pole beans, strawberries, raspberries, and cabbages, to name a few. There was a rose garden in the front, and a long driveway lined with a dozen horse chestnuts that led to a double car garage. It was a great place to grow up.
It’s no wonder that along the way my mum shared with us her love of gardening. All four of us went on to garden in some form or another after leaving Leigh-on-Sea. My mum is now in her 91st year and still enjoys her garden, tinkering alongside a great garden helper that often considers a cup of tea as important as pruning the eucalyptus tree. Here are some photos of Mum’s current garden of 20-plus years.
Laura’s mom planted a dense tapestry of textural beauty, in a classic English garden fashion. A compact white agapanthus, dusty miller (Centaurea cineraria, Zones 8–10 or as an annual) and a mix of seed heads stand out among larger foliage shapes in the background.
An English garden is not complete without a water feature, and in smaller spaces a tiny pond will instantly become a fabulous focal point. Even with dense greenery inside and all around this small structure, it still manages to draw the eye.
Laura’s mom no longer has an expansive landscape to divide into distinct garden spaces, but she still manages to pack plants and garden whimsy into every available crevice. Pots of various sizes and a sprinkling of garden art continue the interest on her patio.
While the garden has the abundance of the English cottage garden style, there are also color and plant selections that give it a Mediterranean vibe. Plumes of grass give the garden tons of movement and even more textural interest, while complementing the gravel path that cuts through the middle of the space.
More grass and lush greenery collide in this shadier corner of the garden. Laura’s mom must have an incredible collection of antiques, as even her piles of pots and glassware are interesting elements in her garden.
What an ingenious way to plant succulents in a metal hanging basket! The coconut coir liners we traditionally see in these kind of planters would retain far too much water for succulents, but broken terra-cotta pieces will keep the substrate in place while keeping everything well-draining. The bright purple clematis in the background is just a gorgeous companion.
Various shades of terra-cotta, clay, and brick bring a level of warmth to this garden that you might associate more with Spain and Italy than with England. It’s another fantastic example of the way Laura’s mom has perfectly fused English and Mediterranean garden designs.
Thank you so much for sharing your mom’s gorgeous garden with us, Laura! It’s easy to see why you and your siblings have also caught the gardening bug; it would be hard to resist the magic of plants when surrounded by abundance like this in your childhood.
Who inspired you to get into gardening? Do you come from a long line of gardeners, or did a close friend introduce you to the hobby later in life? Let us know in the comments where your garden journey began, or consider sending photos of the garden that inspires you (with permission of course) to Garden Photo of the Day. Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
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