Built in 1892, this steel viaduct used to bring heavy rail traffic in and out of the Great Northern Warehouse, but has been unused since 1969.
It has now been reclaimed for public use and turned into a ‘sky garden’ by the National Trust. It recently opened, allowing just 100 people per day to have a guided tour and give their feedback.
One of our team recently visited the site and the planting was stunning as expected, with trees chosen for their specific historical uses, as well as lots of bountiful flowering borders.
It’s brilliant to see another visitor attraction which gives city dwellers the opportunity to see greenery and planting design.
Below are a few photos taken for inspiration in planting design.
The above planting combination works in any garden as it can cope with periods of dry weather and has a long flowering period.
For a similar look, I would recommend Perovskia ‘Little Spire”; Rudbeckia ‘Prairie Glow’ and Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’. The purples and oranges work really well for a contrasting colour scheme.
This is also a great border to use for inspiration. The corten steel planter is beautiful and contemporary, perfect for the industrial setting. The trees give height while the full underplanting gives a lush overspilling effect, with colour and texture. The purple hardy geranium is a great plant and is especially long-flowering and heat tolerant.
There is a heuchera to the left of the image (Heuchera ‘Black Pearl’ and Heuchera ‘Wild Berry’ have both been used in the planting scheme). Hanging over the planter is a Lysamachia nummularia (although be wary this is a spreading plant and can run wild). The combination of feathery frothy plants here are a perfect way to underplant small trees.
What am I reading?
This is a really useful article about how homeowners can protect their gardens from the increasing heat.
Firstly, it’s really important to take a look around your garden right now and make a note of what is surviving and thriving and which plants have suffered the most. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, and simply replace plants that cannot tolerate a hot dry summer.
The plants that I specify in a garden design have to be both tolerant to drought but also hardy during a cold or wet snap. The article gives some really good suggestions on how to use compost and mulching to protect and improve your soil, and help stop moisture evaporating.
Read the full article here:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/aug/15/six-ways-heatproof-garden-provide-shade-make-compost-leave-weeds