The Corten Garden

The Corten Garden maximises the plantable area while causing minimal disruption to an existing outdoor space. Designed with a busy family in mind, this garden uses Corten steel to create a series of clever ‘rooms’ that add height and interest, and provide valuable growing space, while eliminating the need to dig up or remove any paving that may already be in place.
 
Raised beds made from durable, contemporary, architectural Corten steel feature prairie-style planting, while a central arch extends the available planting space skywards.
 
A multi-stem Amelanchier lamarckii AGM (snowy mespilus) tree, chosen both for year-round interest and its value to wildlife, is underplanted with frothy inflorescences of Stipa Tenuissima (Mexican feather grass) and maroon bursts of Sanguisorba officinalis ‘Red Thunder’ (great burnet). Verbena bonariensis AGM (purple top) adds height and attracts pollinators, while Trachelospermum jasminoides (star jasmine) makes for an evergreen, sweetly-scented backdrop.

At a glance:

Who is this garden for?
Families.
Where is the garden set?  
North-West.
Who or what is the design inspiration?
Use of corten in a family garden, minimal-dig garden to create a usable, visually pleasing garden of interest.

Key sustainability points

• The purpose of the raised corten planting beds is to show that there is no need to remove all the exhisting surfaces to add planting into the garden, thereby reducing waste.

Relocation and repurpose

The garden will be rebuilt in its entirety at Cogshall Nursery, Hough Lane, Comberbach, Northwich.