Punk Rockery

In more detail

• Builders' rubble and brick dust create perfect conditions for drought-loving Mediterranean plants, while discouraging weed growth
• Almost the entire garden is made from recycled materials, including a clever pallet shelf which is used to display small potted succulents

About the garden

This is an unconventional, almost ‘anti’ Show Garden in that it uses all the waste products usually taken out of a garden. Concrete, old paving, poor soil, broken brickwork and hardcore: the most unlikely, but perhaps more realistic, of starts for a beautiful, colourful, thriving garden that’s a joy to be in. It’s inspired by the experimental technique of growing into brick dust trialled by the team at the University of Sheffield and plantsman Peter Korn, along with the theory and practice pioneered by the late Beth Chatto.

Punk Rockery is all about making a DIY garden from scratch, out of what you’ve got and whatever you can get hold of. It’s about turning a disadvantage into an advantage and creating low-maintenance, high-interest planting that really won’t mind if you’re a complete beginner. And because gardens aren’t ‘instant’, you’ll find tips on sowing and growing plants in poor soil, easy ways to get more plants for free, and the reassurance that things don’t have to be perfect to be just right for you.