garden design

GARDEN DESIGN

A well-designed garden is a place which is functional as well as beautiful. Whatever external space you have, it can provide a valuable "outdoor living room", a place to relax, play, entertain and to be in touch with plants and the seasons.

Careful planning and design are essential to create a space which works for you, matching your needs and preferences to the characteristics and conditions of your garden.

Click on to the gardens displayed below to see how this has been achieved in a variety of situations.

GARDEN DESIGN : Contemporary Courtyard

The client, a graphic designer, wished to create a space within the existing triangular shaped yard incorporating decking, a serpentine wall and the use of pebbles and cobbles for texture.

These ideas were drawn together with bold architectural planting and galvanised steel planters to create a courtyard with a very contemporary feel.

GARDEN DESIGN : Family Garden

The existing garden had been neglected for many years and was overgrown with trees and shrubs. The clients, a couple with young children, wanted a garden which would be easy to maintain with a flat usable area of lawn and planting to provide all year round interest. They also disliked the squareness of the existing layout.

The garden was regraded to create a practical level lawn in a pleasing circle with a curved path along its edge to provide access to the peripheral planting beds. Conifers were removed at the bottom of the garden to open up views to the adjacent woodland making the garden feel more spacious.

GARDEN DESIGN : Gravel Garden

A common situation for many people - moving into a newly built house faced with a garden of plain grass and stark boundary fences.

This awkwardly sloping garden was regraded to create 2 distinct levels - a small raised area for an ornamental greenhouse and a larger flat gravel area connected by shallow timber sleeper steps.

The design creates a low maintenance garden by replacing the turf with a surface dressing of pea gravel over a membrane, softened with low, spreading plants.

GARDEN DESIGN : Terraced Garden

This small sloping back garden had a number of problems to resolve: a level 'patio' had been formed outside the back of the bungalow using a wall to retain the slope but the straight lines of the wall were rather severe; the patio too narrow and the planting areas on the steep slope inaccessible and therefore difficult to maintain.

The solution was a much softer treatment of the slope - a series of smaller walls to form terraces in flowing shapes. A set of curved steps visually breaks up the wall and gives access to the upper garden as well as being an interesting feature to view from the house. Layers of interlocking planting help filter views to the neighbour's garden.

GARDEN DESIGN : Decked Water Garden

The client required a complete redesign of the existing layout which included a wildlife pond which had become invaded by the surrounding planting.

The natural slope of the garden was exploited to provide 3 levels incorporating a seating area at the highest point with a pergola for shade and a new summer house on the lowest level. Two new ponds linked by a small waterfall create a central focus to the garden including a variety of new habitats for wildlife.

The use of timber decking and strong geometric shapes gives a contemporary feel but avoids starkness through lush planting.

GARDEN DESIGN : Urban Oasis

The client wanted to create a green oasis within this tiny (6 x 8 metres) urban courtyard.

An offset geometric layout was selected to maximise the feeling of space and provides a seating area in the sun and a screened storage area in the shade.

Small brick setts were used which work well with the small scale of the space and introduce warm tones and a good contrast to the plant material. Plants were used to clothe the boundary fences, filter the sun and the screen unattractive views out of the garden.