October – the seaside comes to Gasper
Regular readers of the blog may remember our post back in February, when we shared Bella's plans to transform the front garden of a farmhouse next to the main Gasper Cottage dwelling.
Following several months of clearance and ground preparation, the past few weeks have seen the garden begin to take shape, with finishing touches now made and the first wave of planting finished. Completely open to the lane, it was always going to attract a degree of local attention, though the unconventional planting medium has really proved a talking point among friends and neighbours.
With curiosity about the 'what', 'why', and 'how' running high, we thought this month's blog would be a good opportunity to explain a little more... So, what was it about this bit of garden that made Bella think 'sand'?
From experience with the front garden next door at Gasper Cottage, she knew just how hot and dry the ground could become in this south-facing spot, particularly given the complete absence of a hedge to provide shade or shelter.
With summers predicted to become hotter, the obvious choice might be a palette of tough, heat- and drought-tolerant plants, though our soggy West Country winters make this a less straightforward prospect than it may first appear. Many plants suited to searingly hot, sunbaked conditions originate in lean, mean places such as Mediterranean coastal regions, South African savannahs, and Californian deserts. They're accustomed to low-nutrient, extremely free-draining conditions, which means they can quickly come a cropper when faced with our rich garden soil and plentiful rain.
The problem may be that they simply fail to make it through the winter, or grow so tall and lush that they flop over, wearing themselves out in the process and shortening their lifespan considerably. Traditionally, UK gardeners have worked around these problems with staking and regular replacement; sometimes replanting as often as every year. But there is another way – one that's increasingly being embraced by gardeners and designers looking to adapt to a changing climate and garden more sustainably.
Planted into pure sand, plants tend to grow shorter, stockier, and tougher. As moisture drains freely through the surface, their roots are encouraged to search deeper into the ground, making them less vulnerable to summer drought than plants whose roots have everything they need within the top few centimetres of soil. There are winter benefits, too. The free-draining nature of the sand prevents water from lingering around plant crowns and roots – something that can prove a death sentence for many dry-loving species – while the sand itself also offers a degree of insulation when temperatures plummet.
Always keen to try new things, Bella set about researching the approach further, visiting the established sand garden at West Dean and exploring the work of leading horticultural figures such as James Hitchmough and Sarah Price, both of whom have used the technique in their own gardens. The findings were compelling: better winter survival, less need for watering, staking and weeding, and plants normally considered short-lived persisting for many years. Convinced by its potential, Bella resolved to put the theory into practice.
Next, it was over to the garden team. Once contractors had cleared and levelled the existing ground and installed new fencing, the team planted the handful of woody plants with large, deep rootballs directly into the soil.
They then bought in 25 tonnes of sharp washed sand which they spread to a depth of around 20-30cm, raked level, and compressed with a roller.
The next step was to lay the meandering path directly into the sand.
After this, it was Operation Plant. Certainly the easiest ground we've ever planted into, the task had more than a touch of bucket-and-spade-play about it. With no weeds or stones to remove, nor compacted clods to break through, the only real challenge was to make sure as little soil or compost as possible found its way into the sand. This meant knocking as much compost as we could from around the roots into a bucket.
Bella suspects the tree – Cercis canadensis 'Merlot', seen here in the middle of the photo – won't enjoy being as dry as everything else, at least not in its first few years of establishment. Her plan, therefore, is to divert the flow from a downpipe to its base, creating a miniature rain garden of sorts.
At the moment, the sand is a prominent visual feature, but as the planting matures and knits together, it will become barely visible. We're all very excited to see how the area develops, and it will be a valuable learning opportunity for everyone involved. Some of the time saved through reduced watering and staking will, of course, be spent removing fallen leaves and stems to maintain the integrity of the sand. Just how much time this will take remains to be seen.
Is sand gardening a passing fad, or the future of British horticulture? This experiment will help us find out first-hand, and we'll of course continue to share our experience along the way.
A reminder for anyone who didn't catch it, there's still time to watch Gasper Cottage on episode 29 of BBC Gardeners' World.
Until next month!
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