About This Project

This project involved the total demolition and re-building of a family house and the re-designing of both the front and back gardens. The garden design was envisaged very much as a continuation of the house build, and the outside space echoed many of the materials and stylistic choices of the clients’ new home.

The brief was very clear: there was to be no lawn at all. My response was to create a series of garden spaces, projected out from the architecture of the house, and all linked up by paths. These spaces and paths started out rectilinear closest to the house, and then became more curvilinear as they moved away, giving rise to a generous semi-circular fire-pit terrace, curving steps and a circular path laid around a memorial tree. 

The clients’ choice of materials and colour palette was quite austere and crisp. We used slate paving and light grey granite setts, dark engineering bricks, off-white render and grey resin-bound aggregate. A dramatic back-drop was provided by charcoal-coloured fencing. It was vital, therefore, to fill the borders with plenty of billowing planting that would soften these sharp edges. The planting plan included plenty of romantic Roses, Salvias and Geraniums, frothy Saxifrage, clouds of Euphorbia and blossom-covered Amelanchier and Cherry trees.