St Margaret's Road, Number 22, Fletton

Recently the owner has created a meadow-like effect in a small garden by using a wide range of perennials and grasses. The idea of bringing an idealised countryside under the control of a gardener is gaining momentum. Thus avoiding regular mowing and encouraging perennials and annuals, little rainfall is required and no fertilisers are needed.

The perennials used include verbascums, achilleas, knautias, red clovers, and asters thereby achieving a long season of interest. The grasses included festucas, calamagrostis, stipas, mosquito grass and deschampsias for their clump forming habits. The few gaps are filled with camassias, alliums, and nectaroscordums; violets and lupins also are successful for seeding. This meadow is 18 by 22 feet and the plants grow much higher than the average lawn.