Get their look: Cottage garden in the sky

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Today’s Get their look subject is a located in downtown Vancouver, so it gets the gamut of weather conditions; from long, hot summer days to hail and snow during those sub-zero Western Canadian winters.

Stanley Luk, his husband and their cat, Yoda have lived in their condo since the end of 2019.

Stanley has referred to the space as his cottage garden in the sky and Crayola box on the roof. The condo is multi-level and has both an upper and a lower balcony – about 45 square metres in total. Obviously, there’s no soil up there, so everything has to be grown in pots, troughs and raised beds.

Stanley is a professional plantsman and has designed the roof terrace to be in flower all the year round. His huge collection of stunning orchids, which are kept under cover in greenhouses, flower throughout the winter and spring. He has hellebores in February, anemones and crocuses in March, tulips and ranunculus in April, sweet peas in June & July, dahlias and pineapple lilies in August. In addition, there are masses of poppies, roses, alliums, clematis, nasturtiums and lilies – all taking their turns to shine.

It’s not just flowers – the vegetable garden contains courgettes, peas, brassicas, tomatoes and peppers. Making use of available height as well as the width, he’s cultivated a vertical wall of strawberries.

As if that wasn’t enough, he’s still found the space to fit a barbecue, 6-seater dining table & chairs, massive parasol and a couple of sun loungers!

To say I feel in awe of all he’s achieved in this challenging space would be an understatement!

Get their look

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Tulip bulb collections

6-seater table with parasol and chairs

Aluminium sun lounger

Plastic walk-in greenhouse

Hanging planters

Tulip bulb collections

6-seater table with parasol and chairs

Aluminium sun lounger

Plastic walk-in greenhouse

Hanging planters

Tulip bulb collections

6-seater table with parasol and chairs

Aluminium sun lounger

Plastic walk-in greenhouse

Hanging planters

On our radar: Wildflower seeds

Some packets of wildflower seeds are on our radar this week… are they on yours? Do you want to create a ‘mini meadow’ in your garden? You certainly don’t need a couple of acres to get a beautiful display of cornflowers, poppies, yellow rattle, daisies, red campion, borage and the like.

Just identify a suitable area – it will need decent light, but size isn’t important – and neither is rich soil. In fact, wildflowers such as the ones listed prefer poorer soil. Give it a good rake and scarify to prepare the ground (now is the perfect time of year to do it, which is why it’s come to mind). Then simply scatter your seeds.

You can get packets of wild flower mixes very easily in garden centres or online; companies such as Thompson & Morgan, Landlife Wildflowers and Meadowmania. You can also add small plug plants or bulbs if you like. Hopefully, next summer you’ll have an amazing spectacle to enjoy.

Wildflower meadows not only look good, but are great for nature too. We’re really keen to give it a go and are hoping to create mini meadows on the rough ground that surrounds our cottage.

Price Points: Yellow climbing roses

The exterior of our cottage is whitewashed with bright yellow doors and window frames. Since moving in last Autumn, we’ve been watching the plants and shrubs in the garden come into flower. We’ve been trying to hold back on buying any new ones until we know exactly what we already have. One thing we know we want to get is a climbing rose, to be planted in a vintage zinc dolly tub, outside our front door.

We’re carrying through the colour of the house into the nearby planting. Last year, we added in a few cheery pots of pansies and put in a selection of dwarf daffodils that we hope will spread and naturalise. The three yellow climbing roses below are on our short-list for adorning the front of the house.

Climbing rose ‘Climbing Arthur Bell’, in 4L pot: £19.99, Amazon
One of the best yellow roses released, and thus awarded an RHS Award of Garden Merit, Rosa ‘Climbing Arthur Bell’ is repeat flowering right up until autumn, with large, golden-yellow floribunda blooms and glossy green foliage – it will look wonderful wherever you decide to plant it. Perfect for growing in containers and small spaces, this robust, semi-double rose is a real winner. Make sure you plant it somewhere that you can enjoy its strong rose-fragrance which sets the blooms off beautifully. As a recipient of an RHS AGM, you can be sure that this is a garden-worthy plant which will perform as expected. Climbing roses bring height and a sense of plenty to the garden, where they are normally grown along house walls and fences but are also perfect for growing up obelisks, arches and trellises. Growing to a height of around 3m, Arthur Bell will repeat flower throughout the year, adding much needed colour to the garden when other plants have finished. Supplied as a freshly potted, British grown, professional quality plant in a 4L pot.
‘Golden Showers’ climbing rose gift: £27.98, Tree2MyDoor
Golden Showers Climbing Rose Gift flaunts radiant flowers all summer long, bringing natural style and wonderful fragrances to your loved one’s garden. Its enduring symbolism of friendship and joy make it a thoughtful gift to give.
Early spring encourages glossy, dark green leaves, shoots, and buds to grow. Soon after in the late spring and summer, the buds open to reveal golden yellow blooms.
• Deciduous rose bush (no leaves between Nov-Mar)
• Arrives with a height of 40-50cm
• Shoots and buds arrive in spring, flowers arrive in summer
• Blooms have a delicate scent
• Recommend planted growth against a sunny wall
• Fully hardy in UK climates
• Pot size from 3.5L to 4.5L dependent on season
Rosa ‘Gardener’s Glory’, 4L climber: £29.99, eBay
A repeat-flowering climbing rose that produces very fragrant golden-yellow blooms continuously throughout the season. The glossy mid-green foliage has excellent disease resistance. 4L pot. Suitable for walls, pergolas and obelisks and easily trained.

shop yellow climbing roses

Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.