Collins Matt - My Tiny Flower Garden: Beautiful blooms in surprisingly small spaces

The term flower garden might seem puzzling at first. Surely, by their very nature, all gardens are to some extent floral, whether they display just a handful of seasonal blooms or a riotous exhibition of colour. So what earns a garden the description of flower garden in particular? In researching this book Ive had the opportunity to look closely at what it is that people enjoy most about growing flowers and the characteristics that unite the gardens they create. Whether they grow them as a cut flower or herb, or strictly for the ground or garden pot, nurturing flowers is for many people an act of immeasurable satisfaction.

Keeping any given area in bloom is no simple task; nearly all plants spend a great deal of their life neither in flower nor bud, the flowers being merely the climactic peak of their lifecycle. Where other gardens might give room to long-lasting evergreen forms, the flower garden devotes centre stage to a sequence of striking performers, creating maximum impact with a range of plants designed to bloom in sequence. This undertaking becomes even more impressive when you consider the gardeners who have applied the same principle to restricted spaces.

Over the course of six chapters, My Tiny Flower Garden explores the remarkable ways in which people have sought to accommodate flowers, often in unexpected circumstances. Whether by maximizing a display with inventive techniques or taking a resourceful approach to repurposing found objects, the gardeners in this book illustrate that no space is too small when it comes to making room for flowers. From jam-packed little borders to rooftop wild flowers, the 25 gardens featured here celebrate the diversity of flowering species and the many different ways in which we can benefit from them.

With practical tips and instructions, this book aims to demonstrate that flowers neednt require a large plot and that there are a great many ways in which to bring their captivating charms right to your doorstep. Ten projects show you how to make your own crafty plant containers, miniature meadows and even tea bags using your back-garden bounty. Celebrating the creativity and skill behind a host of floral triumphs, My Tiny Flower Garden hopes to inspire you to get stuck into your own patch, however large or small.

The act of gardening can be a great way to bring people together. Those without a growing space of their own often look to the community around them, and in so doing create some of the most innovative results. From an Italian floral street competition to community interventions bringing new life to city streets, the features in this chapter show how the tiniest of spaces can provide the loudest of statements. Is your neighbourhood lacking in horticultural spark? You may be the one who is ready to take action.

The streets of Spello are crammed full of flowers during the months of May and June.

Every year, thousands of people gather in the streets of an ancient village in central Italy to witness a spectacular event. Traditionally held on the ninth Sunday after Easter, the floral extravaganza in the little Umbrian hillside town of Spello enraptures visitors. This time-honoured custom, known as the Infiorate, takes place during the Catholic festival of Corpus Christi.

Working through the night on the eve of the celebration, hundreds of local participants group together to coat the roads in a floral carpet. With a mass of brightly coloured petals collected over the preceding months, each team paints a picture with flowers, depicting religious, historical and often philosophical themes. In the spirit of friendly competition, the Infiorate pictures are reviewed by a panel of judges and a winning team is chosen. There is, however, an accompanying Spello competition which offers residents a second chance at victory. It is this that Ive come to see in this authentic, charming town.

Arriving on a warm, breezy afternoon, I meet Claudio, a native of Spello and enthusiastic participant in the contest. As we ascend the narrow, cobbled streets, he tells me how it developed. During the spring period we always have a lot of tourists who come to see the Infiorate. The idea therefore was to dress the whole town with flowers, from every veranda to each tiny side street, to make it beautiful for visitors.

A large number of Spellos doorways and balconies are entered into the competition.

Now in its sixteenth year, its clear that the idea has taken off in a big way. As we navigate slowly through the lavishly decorated alleyways, every direction we turn reveals a new and astonishing display. From brackets and balconies hang liberally planted baskets; doorways are smothered in the bright white blooms of star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) and every ledge available supports a plant pot or three. In late June the gardens are judged, says Claudio. The winning displays are announced on the noticeboard in the main square, and successful participants are given congratulatory plaques.

This is the second year that Claudio and his wife, Emanuela, have entered into the high-spirited festivities. Opening up the private entrance to their old-town Spello home, the couple have adorned their otherwise concealed courtyard with an arrangement of eye-catching plant pots. Last year we won second place, says Claudio, pointing proudly to the plaque hanging beside the apartment stairwell. Taking an unconventional approach to their floral contribution this time, Claudio and Emanuela made a central feature from an ageing garden relic. My fathers friend in the nearby village of Sellano made a wheelbarrow. After many years of use he asked if wed like it for our own garden, Claudio says. When we bought this apartment in Spello we decided to make it a centrepiece; now it works well for the flower competition.

Coping well with the Italian heat, the plants include many varieties of petunia and tall, multi-headed stems of vibrant amaryllis (top).

The competition is a chance for the whole town to get creative with containers, making use of hanging baskets to add height to their displays.