Interview with Senior Gardener at Borde Hill | Julia Burton

Overseeing one of the UK's most beautiful productive gardens, Julia brings a wealth of horticultural knowledge and a thoughtful approach to combining ornamental planting with abundant harvests. We caught up with her to talk all things 'edimentals', the importance of garden structures, what should be top of the gardening to-do list this summer and her favourite climbers for bringing arches, pergolas and trellis to life throughout the summer.

One of the most striking aspects of the Borde Hill project is the balance between edible and ornamental planting. What advice would you give to gardeners looking to introduce this 'edimental' style into their own gardens, whatever their space? 

Have fun, experiment and enjoy the process. Perhaps have a think about how you'd like the garden to look. Would you like lots of flowers, or more of an edible haven in a potager style? Think about whether you'd like to harvest actual produce from your green space. There are so many herbaceous plants that we all know and use regularly in our gardens that are also edible — Echinacea, Achillea, Hemerocallis and Sanguisorba, to name a few. They can all be planted around your vegetable plants, or the other way round.

Lastly, if you plan to introduce many vegetable plants, perhaps read a little about companion planting. Some vegetables and herbs will benefit from growing alongside one another, while others are less compatible and may not grow well in close proximity.

Agriframes’ arches and arbours feature within the garden, helping to define spaces and support planting. How important are architectural structures when creating a garden that feels both beautiful and functional?

I'd say they are very important. They add structure and character to any garden and help to maximise growing space. Trellises, arches, pergolas and walls allow us gardeners to utilise vertical spaces for growing climbing plants, vegetables, herbs and flowers. They also create beautiful focal points and help divide an otherwise flat landscape into distinct garden areas. Architectural structures provide excellent year-round interest and, when planted with attractive evergreen plants, can soften an otherwise harsh winter landscape. 

July is when many gardens are at their most abundant. What are your top priorities in the garden during this month to keep displays looking their best while preparing for the season ahead?

Weeding, watering, deadheading and, of course, harvesting any produce that is ready to help keep plants healthy and productive. July is also a very busy month for sowing seeds.

During these weeks, we begin to look ahead while still making the most of the present growing season. It is a good time for successional sowing: as early crops such as lettuce, radishes, peas and some salad leaves are harvested, their space can be used for new crops.

Many fast-growing vegetables and salad crops can still be sown in July and harvested later in the season.

This month is also very good for sowing biennials and hardy perennials, because the warm soil, longer daylight hours and generally favourable growing conditions allow many seeds to germinate quickly and plants to establish well, grow on and establish before winter, ready to flower the following year.

Climbers really come into their own during summer. Do you have any favourite climbing plants to grow over arches, pergolas or trellis structures, and what combinations do you find work particularly well?

I might be boring, but I really like roses. I genuinely believe that there is a rose out there for every garden, and with a repeat-flowering variety, you can enjoy flowers and fragrance from May through to August. There is also something wonderfully meditative about winter pruning; the crisp air, the sunshine, the birdsong and the joy of creating something beautiful for the season ahead. Oh, and homemade rose jam is delicious in pastries.

I also enjoy using vertical structures to grow squash. Trailing courgettes, Uchiki Kuri squash and Tromboncino are always a beautiful sight in the garden and growing them vertically is a great space-saving trick.