Last weekend we spent some time with garden designer, Pip Probert where she showcased a feature garden at BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair. 

Within this blog, we will highlight the use of your garden during autumn and the colder months, along with how to create the perfect garden for you featuring Charles and Ivy.

Charles and Ivy composite fencing in the spotlight

When Pip asked us to feature in this garden, we knew that the end result would be an amazing way to showcase our product whilst creating a practical garden that you could recreate at home. 

Our Composite Aspen Fencing was used as a border as well as a backdrop. The slatted fencing allows light to flow whilst still providing privacy within your garden. 

Over the weekend, we caught up with Pip to ask her some garden tips and tricks along with some insights into ‘Summer’s Last Hurrah’ feature garden.

‘So Pip, why did you choose to work with Charles & Ivy Fencing again?’ 

“I love using products because there is such a range of patterns and colours that it doesn't matter what the scheme is, I can always find something that fits.”

‘Could you explain the concept of the garden?’ 

“The idea is that there's lots of bright colours. To make those colours really stand out we went for a really dark coloured backdrop so the fence meant that there was quite a large amount of material. It's not too heavy so you have got some gaps that come through, but it's heavy enough to make everything else just really pop and stand out.”

‘We’re so pleased to be at BBC Gardener’s World Autumn Fair, why do you think it’s important to design a garden for the whole year and not just for summer?’

“This garden really brings out the colours of autumn with the oranges and the yellows, but we also generally think about the garden in terms of the summer. And as we go into the autumn and the colour starts to change, the black backdrop is just going to make those oranges, reds and yellows all stand out really really well. Also, with Charles and Ivy Fencing, they’re the perfect product going into the winter season. You don't have to oil them and stain them - they look good all year round!”

‘Pip, why is fencing such an important element to the gardens?’ 

“Fencing is so important for any garden but to have it as your boundary, as your backdrop, it's not only a functional practical backdrop it's actually a sculptural one so therefore you’re bringing in something at a really good cost to make sure the garden is really different and unique and quite special.”

‘And why is it important to you that our composite fencing requires no maintenance and ultimately will still look amazing in 20 years?’ 

“All of my clients are after low maintenance gardens and the best part about these products is that they've got a 20-year guarantee and you don't need to paint them, stain them, maybe a little bit of cleaning with the jet wash and that's all you have to do!”

‘Whilst we’ve been here looking at this lovely garden, we’ve noticed that there’s a blend of modern yet traditional styles all happening at once. Can you explain why you’ve designed the garden in this way?’

“As a designer, I like to work with quite contemporary designs. I like the hard landscaping to be quite minimal and the materials in the main structures to stand out in their own right but not take over the planting. It is a slightly different feature that's a little bit more traditional but, against this backdrop of slatted fencing, it just blends everything in and overall we've got quite a contemporary look."

‘We have noticed that you’ve chosen two different heights of fencing, why is that?’

“In this garden, we've got a fence set of two different heights and that's so that the main seating area is a little bit higher. I feel a little bit more enclosed and a bit more private but as we walk out into the main bit of the garden the height drops and that's so that we can see out. We can use the borrowed view and the backdrop beyond. It's also not too overpowering and I don't feel like I'm hemmed in.”

‘Finally, we wanted to ask, what made our slatted fencing stand out to you? We have such a wide range of styles and colours, what was it that drew you into our Aspen Fence?’

“Slatted fencing is really popular at the moment and that's because, although you've got the privacy, it's not too dense, it's not too overpowering - it works really well as an internal boundary so you can get glimpses of the garden beyond and be enticed to go into the next area. You do have that privacy and that kind of arms wrapped around you to make this a quiet secluded area within the exterior of your home.”

It was so much fun to catch up with one of our favourite garden designers at the Autumn Fair! 

Highlighting the best tips and tricks for you to design your perfect garden this season, if you’re unsure where to start, make sure you take a look at our samples to make that all-important decision. 

Exclusive to Charles & Ivy, shop composite fence panels today.