episode 190 | show notes & advice
episode description
This episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ takes us on a tour of Tom’s garden, brimming with inspiration for us all to plant more in pots to breathe life into compact gardens.
Town gardening often demands that we as gardeners use our spaces wisely, and Tom Stimpson’s use of pots can teach us so much about creating a vibrant ensemble in the most modest of spaces.
In this episode, discover
- Which flowers have best transformed Tom’s space over the 20 years he’s been there into a vibrant, aromatic haven
- Tom’s use of topiary and architectural elements to create structure in his stunning garden
- The flowers with unbeatable fragrance for picking and bringing into the house
links and references
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Pots
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Veg
Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook | Sarah Raven
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website
Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Episode 190 advice sheet
How Tom found the house he’s in, and why he loves it (3:00)
Tom’s been in his house for around 20 years now, drawn to it for its location by the river and proximity to a train station. Given the garden’s dimensions, Tom has been able to craft a garden which is perfect for impact, while remaining compact.
Planting around the edges of his garden (6:00)
Scent is at the heart of so much within Tom’s garden, and one of the best providers of this is the trachelospermum which has been growing for about 10 years. It’s fantastically fragrant, evergreen, and can be found all over the house.
Another of the more surprising varieties that Tom vouches for is the Rose Francis E. Lester, whose flowers might not be on display for all that long, but the whole plant and its leaves ‘puts on a show’ for a good six months.
Amelanchier is another great performer in a large container, bringing a flair to small gardens particularly when underplanted by anemone blanda.
Standout flowers in Tom’s pots, and perfect plants for picking and bringing indoors (16:50)
The right flower in a pot brings a small garden to life, and among the standout varieties are the likes of Cosmos ‘Chocolate’, with a scent that matches its name, the remarkably strong, quick-growing Heliotropium ‘Reva’, and a Nemesia ‘Wisley Vanilla’ which is just so easy on the eye, as it is on the nose too.
Many of Tom’s pots are also planted with picking in mind, and among those which he loves most are Scabiosa ‘Black Cat’ with its rich velvety crimson, and the dahlias of ‘Rhubarb and Custard’ and ‘Strawberry Bon Bon’, both of which have such a gorgeous watercolour painting look to them.
