Last October I planted up my Dog Friendly Back Garden design in North Finchley. All the plants had to be non-poisonous to dogs and suitable for heavy clay soil and a North facing aspect.
The plants also needed to be resilient to potential dog trampling so hardy evergreen shrubs including Viburnum tinus and Choisya dewitteana 'Aztec Pearl' were supplemented with ornamental grasses and hardy ground covers including Persicaria affinis 'Superba' and Ajuga reptans 'Purple Giant'.
The boundaries and sandstone perimeter path have been softened using Trachelospernum jasminoides and fragrant climbing roses and the Persicaria has been allowed to spill over the border boundaries.
Height is achieved using Miscanthus sinensis which provides a semi - screen between the deck and the rest of the garden, with Veronicastrum virginicum 'Erica' punctuating the planting with pink flower spikes. A restrained colour palette of pinks, whites and purples has been used to link different plants within the design.
The bench seating area at the back of the garden is a sunny spot, with a mature Apple tree underplanted with fragrant Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' and Geranium Rozanne.
I really pleased with the overall aesthetic of this planting design just one year on and look forward to seeing it develop further over the years.