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The Piggery Garden Design
This is Carol's family garden. A personal project, it showcases a charming garden in Cork City, where the beauty of naturalistic perennial planting harmoniously coexists with the structural elegance of espalier apple trees and a working vegetable garden. The design aims to promote sustainable city gardens while providing aesthetic satisfaction.
View of naturalistic perennial planting towards decking
Naturalistic Perennial Planting
Carol has been interested in naturalistic planting design for a long time- well before it gained the well deserved traction it has now. The use of naturalistic perennial planting in garden design brings a dynamic look to the garden. These plants not only bloom beautifully throughout the seasons but also attract pollinators, enhancing the biodiversity of the area. The move towards more ecological horticulture practices also means that the pressure is off gardeners to achieve a "neat" garden, a win-win for all users of gardens!
Mix of perennial and ornamental grass planting
Fruit and Vegetable Garden
Carol included a fruit and vegetable garden as she believes that there is nothing like eating something that you have grown yourself.
Overall, this garden design is a perfect example how to unite beauty, functionality, and sustainability in an average sized suburban garden.
Cork Limestone paving and steps leading to lavender hedge
Designing with different Levels
Carol created a dual-level garden design that enhances its visual appeal and can make a small space feel larger, which is what was achieved here. Also, the level changes were pre-existing, so rather than bring or remove more soil Carol decided to embrace the different elevations which allows for diverse plantings and can highlight certain areas, making your garden a vibrant, dynamic place.
Indeed, slopes are very common in Cork gardens and offer challenges but also numerous advantages, so if your garden has a ‘levels’ challenge contact us to discuss your project.
Carol O’Sullivan, Horticulturist and Garden Designer said:
This is my own garden and is actually typical in size for a suburban garden. Therefore, I had to be very mindful of not wasting space for unnecessary elements in the design. It is beautiful and very practical- there is a veggie garden, a fruit section, a greenhouse and no lawn at all! I designed this when we didn't have children and I never had any regrets about not including a lawn. If I had, it would have taken over the whole site and made including other elements impossible. I'm a big fan of not making a lawn the most important thing in the garden for many practical and aesthetic reasons. Carol, founder of The Planting Consultancy