The joke is that Bristol
claims to be built on 7 hills
‘like The Eternal City of Rome itself’
but there the similarity quite definitely ends!
You would look in vain for all the fabulous history, the Mediterranean climate or the oozing style for which Romans are globally famous.
(Oh, except for style perhaps in the privileged enclave of Clifton – that is def the smartest bit of Bristol architecture and lifestyle – wise!)
However the great plus of Bristol’s hills is that on your travels you do find yourself rising and falling steeply in a way which can be quite exhilarating, with both close and distant prospects as you move around.
Of course as garden designers we are always drawn to the plants which we see in passing. They are like tiny, horticultural amuse-bouches which add vim and zest to our travels.
And on one of my familiar hilly rat runs ( usually an emergency dash to the nearest Tesco Express ) I am passing at the moment:
Sorbus cashmeriana
The insane ground levels in this locale mean that driving along this tiny street I look delightfully straight into its upper branches as tho from a first floor window.
This tree, ideal for small gardens, has been in full berry for weeks and weeks. Of course I say full berry, but it is the airy restraint in its display which is one of its key delights. I.e. it is not ‘a mass’, the spaces between the clusters of berries being as important as the berries themselves.
Natch we are drawn to the plants we see. Who would not snatch a glance at this as they went by? But we are even more drawn to space and its landscape possibilities.
And looking down into this sunken space you sense a complete absence of any grasp as to how to use it.
Of course there is the obligatory British lawn and yet the bizarre placement of cheap, placcy pots of conifers on stepping stones which must make mowing a nightmare.
You long to make this sunken, sheltered south and west facing space into a gravelled Mediterranean courtyard.
You can then forget all that mowing!
Forget too the grim ‘leylandii – castlewelliana’ conifers both in pots and in the background. Emergent shrubs like Cistus, some silvery Helichrysum, Eremurus, Hedychiums….. Well I could quite possibly go on indefinitely with the plant list but you get the message.
There would be some café tables and chairs, most likely a petanque court……………….
Yeah maybe a Mediterranean existence might yet be possible in Bristol!
But what about ‘real structure’ you ask.
Well, I am guessing Cypresses. Why? Because they would be neat verticals to juxtapose with the Sorbus giving the all important dark contrast for those winter berries. Yes they did get that right. Background is all. Well placed these blissful wintery treats can fairly sing out.
R
PS Happy New Year BTW!
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