Tall Story

How to raise your garden game by playing with height

Recently, I was chatting with the wonderful Christina Cobb. She is an RHS Chelsea award-winning designer and will be there again at the 2026 show with one of five gardens in the ‘All About Plants’ category, championing the positive impact plants can have on our lives. I can’t wait to see what she achieves – I know the theme is ‘Time for Creativity’ sponsored by Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and is aimed at encouraging us to disconnect from technology and get in touch with our arty side.

Obviously, I couldn’t wait to ask her some thoughts on front gardens and she pointed out that in a small area you shouldn’t forget the value of vertical space. “There’s no denying front gardens often have to serve functional purposes, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be beautiful. If you need to store bins there, screen them within a timber store and grow climbers up the sides,” she says. “A climber can also add character to the facade of a property and you can frame a garden path by training one over an archway.”

Aiming high as well as low is a great strategy because it not only maximises space but also provides a backdrop to any other plants placed in front, creating an overall picture that has much greater dimension.

While my springtime garden is full of tulips, in summer, I certainly like to experiment with tall flowers that can be grown in pots. I’ve found it’s surprising how many varieties you can cultivate in a container, as long as it’s deep enough. For instance, I love the long, elegant spires of delphiniums or even hollyhocks, although they can go a bit crazy in their never-ending attempts to touch the sky. There are also plenty of flowers you can grow up trellises, canes and obelisks, such as sweet peas and clematis. So next time you’re planning and planting, think about raising the stakes.

Growing Friendships

By Jan Masters • August 26, 2026

Gardens are as much about people as plants The Fritillaria imperialis were hi-vis drama queens (in the best possible way). The ‘Tiny Tails’ fountain grasses, with their arching pink plumes like the fuzzy brushes of exotic foxes, brought texture and movement. And in May, a chorus line of showgirl amaryllis bloomed en masse, which cheered up the recycling cupboard no end. But the best things I’ve grown this year have been new connections. My little urban space has encouraged even more passersby to stop, look and chat. Some have shared horticultural knowledge. Others have become true friends, proof that the potential to grow the community spirit exists on your very doorstep - or just to the side of it, wherever your garden grows. I have a little courtyard out back which my husband calls the flower factory and I often heft plants from there to the front. For instance, a potted cerise tree peony is so spectacular, my feeling is why not share it. I’d only see it a couple of times a day but when it’s in full-on flirty flower, it gets to greet hundreds of people. That’s more bang for your bloom.