A gardener's garden

Lush planting characterises the Pottage garden.

 Yesterday afternoon, accompanied by Mark Weathington, Curator of the JC Raulston Arboretum in North Carolina, I visited Matthew Pottage's garden in Withernsea, East Yorkshire, which was open for the NGS. A modestly-sized space around a modest family home, it is rather different in scale to his other garden - he is a Garden Manager at Wisley, with responsibility for the majority of the open-air ornamental horticulture there. Coincidentally, he was named in The Sunday Times yesterday as one of Britains 'young guns' of horticulture, a well deserved accolade. Wisley may be his main patch these days, but it is easy to see where he practised the skills that got him there while still in his early twenties.

The Withernsea garden is now mostly gardened - under strict instructions - by his parents, with occasional visits from Matthew to undertake major work. The arrangement seems to work extremely well, with the garden being immaculate in all respects. It is well-planned to maximise the space available without feeling cramped, and the borders are lushly planted with both flowers and good foliage, while round the house are impressive large pots of succulents. I hope these images convey something of the quality and interest of the garden.

The blue border: Salvia 'Mainacht' and a loosely double Geranium pratense, name unknown.

Persicaria 'Purple Fantasy' with Melianthus major.

Agastache 'Raspberry Summer' is impressive.

A well-placed Sedum morganianum.

The compact vegetable garden is also well-planned for effect.

Not the least impressive thing in the garden: a sculptured leylandii hedge, carefully clipped by Mr Pottage senior.

Mathew Pottage and his partner Kishan.

Stars of the show: a very confiding family of ducklings entertained visitors all afternoon.