The garden is viewed mainly from the kitchen of the first floor of the house so we used height to balance the vista down to the garden. The garden is accessed from the side of the house so we designed an avenue of ‘table top’ trees to guide the eye into the garden. These trees provide a sense of cosiness and add atmosphere to the walk down a clay brick path that meanders through our modern take on a Potage with clean lines and block planting of Lavender, Rosemary and Thyme with the scent punching the air as you drift through the narrow pathways to the main walkway.
The seating area has been designed with great attention to detail to form a feature and provide versatile seating for lounging or dining, avoiding the need for two sitting areas, making the most of the sunny part of the garden and maximising the space for a real lawn for kids and dogs to run around and play.
The planting is varied and includes planting for deep shade under an existing flowering cherry tree as well as sun worshipping and drought tolerant plants. Although not a perfect schematic match we felt compelled to retain the old roses that are part of the gardens history so these were carefully pruned and re-trained. The original walls were left ‘raw’ to expose the character of the various brick types and plasterwork that have been added and amended over the past. Handmade clay pavers in an ebony finish marry the dark brickwork of the house and add a moody colour as a backdrop for overhanging foliage and seed heads.