Wind is a strong feature on the fells and coast, but it also affects many inland gardens such as mine in Brampton, which is surrounded by fields, and town gardens in Carlisle and Hexham which have wind tunnels between the buildings.
All my designs for exposed gardens include shelter belts to act as wind breaks to protect plants and create mini microclimates within the garden.
The best way to deal with wind is not to put up a fence but to use plants to create a living windbreak. Hedges are good at filtering the wind whereas walls and fences will make the situation worse by increasing the turbulence on the planted side of the fence.
The brief for this case study was to create a beautiful garden with shelter for the vegetable and hot tub area while maintaining the views. In this design, a balance must be made between creating shelter but not enclosing the garden too much and losing the view. Save
The first thing we did was plant a native hedge. The good thing about a hedge is that you can keep it pruned to the height you want, and it is a lot cheaper than a fence. In my Cumbrian Garden Design I have Hawthorn. Hawthorn is great in exposed gardens because it has flexible branches that do not break in strong winds.
The shelter belt borders were prepared in the autumn and left empty until spring so that plants were not sat in wet soil over the winter.
Creating the perfect garden can take a considerable amount of time and patience but the results are very rewarding. For a free consultation, please get in touch either by calling 07775 611047 or email sam@fellsidegardendesign.co.uk
The design is the blue print but the planting is phased in to allow for shelter belts to grow
Where hedges are not wanted, open structures are better than solid fences
Trees are planted after the hedge reaches 5ft
The hedge was planted first and then a few years later the perennial border.
Protective surrounds are built to house BBQs and freestanding furniture
Plants are used that will not be damaged in the wind
Perennials used that can support each other and do not need staking
Perennials often can take the brunt of the wind better than shrubs
Measuring the garden at survey stage
