Wivelsfield, 2015 

Deer & rabbit resilient borders needed 

This front garden, on a steep slope alongside a large natural pond, is waterlogged for much of the year. Hungry deer, rabbits and geese roam at will.

This busy professional couple with a young family asked for high impact, low maintenance scheme, with year round colour and interest, and fruiting shrubs. They wished to engage their children’s interest in growing things, but also needed ball-play resilience built in. 

The layout offers the opportunity for the garden to be self-irrigating, with beds located around the lowest, wettest areas. The plants offer great seasonal colour with trees for long-term impact. A range of species unpalatable to deer and rabbits is thriving. Their hoof prints are visible in the mulch. Deep mulching offers additional protection against damaging frost pockets in the shaded north facing beds.