Ian Millichamp’s Garden in Whickham, Tyne & Wear
We moved here in 1996 and had to pull out a number of overgrown shrubs and trees before we could start, the worst was a willow – what a nightmare to remove! There is now a front plot of mostly perennials (purple-pink colour range) with a few smaller shrubs (Mahonia, Berberis, Cornus, Viburnum) and a larger, sunnier back garden with herbaceous borders, colourful leaved shrubs (Actinidia kolomikta, Copper Beech, Cotinus coggygria, Physocarpus opulifolis “Dart’s Gold”), a vegetable plot, greenhouse and sunny patio (where my wife often finds me asleep). The colour range at the back is my preference: bright yellow-bright red (being a man I suppose).
I have opened it once for the HPS NE group – what a frightening experience that was. We served everyone with home-made wine to try to stop them looking too closely!