About This Project

This was a lovely garden design to work on: small but perfectly formed, and with plenty of ‘kerb-appeal’.

The existing front garden was damp, dark and dismal, with cracked concrete steps and slippery, moss-covered cobbles. The existing planting was largely unsuitable for the North-facing site, and was consequently failing to thrive.

My design aimed to create a classic, refined front garden that would suit such a handsome townhouse. The layout was restrained: I created a central ‘landing’ space, with paths leading off it, and which directs the eye towards the grand front steps.

In such a small space, attention to detail was crucial: everything had to be just perfect. I used a gorgeous, thick, creamy sandstone for the paving and bull-nosed steps, with a brick edging detail in a mix of colours to tie in with the stone of the house.

The planting was almost all evergreen and low-maintenance, to provide a continually smart impression throughout the year. The three clipped standard Ilex trees, smart Taxus hedging and topiary balls create a sense of drama and formality, and these are interspersed with shade-loving shrubs, perennials and bulbs to provide flowers in every season, in refined shades of green and white.