Hilltop House, Devon

An old vegetable bed had gradually become tired and difficult to manage, with poor soil and an increasingly unproductive growing space. The decision was made to turn it into an ornamental border that would be easier to look after while still feeling full, colourful and dynamic.

The design uses a relatively simple planting palette, with ornamental grasses providing the movement and softness that the old vegetable bed was lacking. Stipa ‘Pony Tails’ are repeated through the border, catching the light and moving in the breeze, while variegated Hebes provide evergreen structure and help give the planting a clear framework through the year.

Seasonal colour comes from drifts of Alliums, Lavandula and Scabious, bringing strong purple and blue tones through the summer and providing valuable flowers for pollinators. The planting is deliberately naturalistic, allowing the grasses and perennials to mingle and soften into one another rather than relying on rigid blocks of planting.

The result is a border that feels relaxed and abundant, but requires far less input than the vegetable garden it replaced. It has also brought a little more life and movement to the garden, with the planting changing noticeably through the seasons while remaining relatively straightforward to maintain.