Create own secret garden

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but it’s the details that make the difference. So Mother Nature is delighted to get a helping hand in decorating these two urban retreats.

Lovingly framed with stone pavers and colourful bedding plants, this pond, top right, brings a calming, unanticipated forest element to a compact city yard. Water lilies drift casually across the surface; look carefully just at dusk, and you might even spot fairies using the floating greenery as stepping-stones. Or perhaps simply pour something cool and refreshing, grab the chessboard and pull up a couple of chairs at the wrought-iron table for an afternoon of friendly competition.

Tucked onto a terraced ledge amid foxgloves and heather, this seating area, bottom right, makes a tranquil getaway. A log bench, smooth and stained just enough to enhance the natural graining, reflects the grandeur of stately cedar trees directly behind. Whether alone or with your sweetheart, give in to the invitation to savour time in nature.