There's nothing more romantic than a crumbling stone wall with tiny flowers and errant strands of ivy growing through. The charmingly unkempt style has been a staple of British and European gardening forever, surging in popularity as we pivot towards more relaxed outdoor spaces. John Lennon and Yoko Ono's garden is the perfect inspiration.
The couple bought Tittlehurst Park, a Georgian mansion in Berkshire, in 1969. It features a white facade with stylish curvature and pretty columns. However, John and Yoko's Georgian garden is the most notable part of the home. It is replete with verdant grass and trees, and formalized with stone planters and a brick wall. The latter is home to a collection of cascading herbs and flowers for a wild feel.
Thom Rutter, a master gardener and Content Editor at Homes & Gardens, notes: 'While the garden layout includes expansive walls and traditional bedding plants, including spring tulip displays as we can see in the image here, there are also several Mediterranean herbs growing in and across the old stone wall.'
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According to the experts, John and Yoko's planting is the best way to upgrade a boring stone wall into a work of art.
Thom explains: 'Crevice gardening, as we can see here, is a charming addition to any backyard, and using corydalis, lavender, or spurge plants to grow alongside or cascading over sun-drenched walls is a clever way to add flora and color to hard landscaping elements.'
Part of what works so well about this style is how relaxed and inviting it makes the atmosphere. Thom states: 'It also has that cottage garden feel, with tumbling tiny flowers that are buzzing with insects in summer. And who wouldn't want that from their garden?'
Replicating the couple's garden wall idea requires know-how and a little bit of luck.
Thom advises: 'You can try growing poppies or other wildflowers alongside rockeries or stone walls, just be sure to leave a few old flowers to set seed, which hopefully will germinate and grow in small gaps and cracks.'
The gardens of yore are the best inspiration for the gardens of the future. Tricks like crevice planting have that subtly romantic look you can't find anywhere else.
