For the third year in succession, John Lewis has opened a rooftop
garden, complete with pop-up restaurant, at its flagship Oxford Street store in London. It’s the work of Tony Woods, a
former RHS Young Garden Designer of the year, who created the store’s first
rooftop garden in 2014.
This one has a very English feel, with a palette of pinks, purple, blues and white from plants such as lavenders, hydrangeas and marguerites.
The Secret Garden (above) has a stunning display of alliums,
Standard olive trees in terracotta pots give height and mask the surrounding buildings and cranes.
Planters are full of herbs, all clearly labelled. There are plenty of vegetables, too: the tomato plants are setting
fruits, while the chillies (below) look ready to eat
Colourful varieties of lettuce
nestle around traditional bean wigwams.
As well as brimming with planting ideas, the garden is a sanctuary
away from the hustle and bustle of the busy shopping streets below. Go there for a meal or a cocktail (food is served under a large pergola with both covered and open seating), to simply to sit and relax for a while, or even try the yoga class at 7.30 on Thursday mornings.
And should inspiration strike, you can take some of the
ideas home with you - a tiny shop in a shed is packed with garden accessories. The garden is open Thursday to Saturday, noon - 11pm, Monday to Wednesday noon - 8pm and Sunday noon - 6pm.
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