This garden had not been touched since before the clients had moved in some years previously. It was very empty and mostly laid to an old 'Astro-turf' surface which had become full of mud and moss. There were some raised beds built from ugly 'new' bricks that did not match the Victorian house bricks and like the fences, they were also in a poor state of repair.

The clients are a very busy couple with teenage children, but had finally decided that they wanted to reclaim the garden as a space of beauty, a place to sit and relax, and also to entertain. Despite the small size the clients were keen that the garden contain some organic curves within the design. It was important that maintenance was kept to a minimum.

Before

Design Solutions

It was clear from the outset that a complete redesign of the garden was required with removal of the old surfaces, raised beds and the collapsing fences. The main sitting room overlooking the garden at the rear of the house is elevated above the garden level, with steps down to it; and this made the two feel rather disjointed. Similarly, the side entrance to the garden was dark and overgrown. Design solutions included raising the level of the lower half of the garden with stepped up circular patios to bring it more in-touch with the house. This effect was further enhanced with the use of raised rendered walls which were also designed to divide the small space into different areas, adding interest, but keeping the space cohesive. The size of the garden was also made to feel larger by the use of horizontal slat 'Hit and Miss' fencing. This has the added benefit of looking great on both sides and made discussions with the neighbours over the new fences very easy. Finally new light grey coloured real sandstone paving with careful attention paid to slab patterns and edge detailing, lifts the whole area and new planting completes the picture. As the plants settle in and fill out they will soften the edges of the hard landscaping and fences making the garden feel much more private and secluded.

After

The garden now looks bright and welcoming; an effect helped by the light grey sandstone paving slabs. A series of circular patios provide lovely sweeping curves, a feeling of rooms and a journey into the garden, despite its small size. A gorgeous curved hardwood bench nestles into the top of the rear-most rendered wall and invites you into a charming space from which to sit and look back over the garden. The larger patio area has cobble edge detailing and provides enough space for comfortable outdoor furniture to relax in. The smaller patios provide more areas for entertaining and seating and the paving stone patterns and detail add more interest and fun. The Jacksons horizontal 'Hit and Miss' fencing enhances the feeling of width in the space and also provides the perfect foil for the flowering climbing plants and shrubs that will soon fill out and soften the whole feel of the garden. A Betula jacquemontii is planted in the opposite corner to the bench seat and has gorgeous white bark to catch the sun. Some of the neighbours gardens also have Betulas and so the use of this tree 'borrows' the wider views of these trees on both sides, adding to a sense of harmony and a wider space within the garden. Finally the side entrance to the garden has been transformed by reshaping, new paving and planting; and it picks up the curves in the rest of the design; leading you past low and raised new planting out into the wider garden.

Note: the garden was planted in November 2016 and so the plants are largely dormant and not fully grown.

Garden constructed by Belderbos Landscapes Ltd.                http://www.belderbos.co.uk