Adding a contemporary feel to a large garden

These clients are lucky to have a large garden, with swimming pool, plenty of lawn, vegetable beds, but it is lacking interest. This design is very simple, but breaks up the large garden and creates a circular route to walk around the garden getting between the planting areas.

THE BRIEF

• To make the garden more contemporary
• To replace the old deck with modern paving
• Any ideas welcome.
• Screen neighbouring white house on back boundary
• No scented plants or grasses due to family allergies

THE SOLUTION

• Screen the swimming pool which is not the most attractive thing to look at.
• Remove the aging deck, and enlarge the seating area a little to allow a more comfortable space to relax, with modern paving stones
• Add interesting views from the house windows
• Add trellis to subdivide the garden, and allowing some central areas of planting
• Keep design linear. Get rid of the mixture of shapes currently in the garden.
• Instead of highly scented plants, I used a number of herbs like Sage, Origano, Calamintha Nepeta, which have a scent, but not a perfumed one. The Rose I used also does not have a strong perfume. I avoided climbers like Honeysuckle and Jasmine, and Shrubs such as Daphne and Sarcococca, which I often use for winter scent.

(BEFORE photos at the end.)

From the large patio, the lawn is divided with pathways and modern trellis

A raised metal bed brings planting higher and is the view from the patio doors.
The plants in this raised bed include Sedum, Salvia, 2 varieties of Erigeron, and Gypsophila and will flower for many months. In front, a little Amelanchier shrub will provide spring blossom, berries, and excellent autumn foliage.

Kitchen sink view. A golden Hop, as well as Clematis will clothe the hardwood trellis, and the metal arch. Varieties which will be cut down each year were chosen, in order to keep the framework linear with clean lines.

The L-shape trellis screen to the far side, screens the raised swimming pool.
The anthracite grey metal raised bed to the right has blockwork edge to allow ease of mowing

A lawn walkway between two trellis invites different views. The bed in front is edged with
Box hedging for evergreen structure.   A Magnolia will add height here and provide further subdivision as it grows.
Roses, Verbena and Geraniums amongst the plants here to give plenty of summer colour.

Another pathway, leads between a border of Box Hedging, and a large border surrounding
a beautiful Acer which was already in the garden.

Looking back to the house, through the Acer

Fuschia adds colour in the more shady border. Shrubs in this border include Hydrangea, Camelia, Pittosporum, Arbutus (Strawberry Tree) and pink edged Photinia. The  taller ones will give grow to 4 metres, and help screen the neighbouring house.Shade loving perennials including Epimedium, ferns, Phlox, Anemone and Campanula will give seasonal colour too.

Next to the generous patio, this border will be very colourful with a wide range of sun loving plants.
In the distance the  newly planted Box Hedge, already adding a structural element to the garden paths.

BEFORE PHOTOS...

The  deck, not really wide enough for the sizable furniture.

The  garden. All on show, including the pool, and not terribly inspiring

Recently built veg beds, which would stay, and work into the new design.
The island bed, doesn't really work, and is an odd shape.

The deck. Two levels and yet another shape.

The lawn edge. Not sure what happened here.

Front Garden - Extra Parking and Facelift

The client wanted to extend their tarmac front drive to provide an extra parking space. They had added  a row of paving slabs some time ago, as a pathway,  but visiting family still had to park behind a car on the drive, and often it meant swapping them round depending on who wanted out first. A double width drive was therefore desired, but now to make it look interesting?

THE BRIEF

• Double width driveway
• Kerb appeal
• Planting to provide some winter structure but plenty of summer colour

THE SOLUTION

• Use block paving, to add texture rather than more tarmac. I also designed in a circle shape to add further interest. (No point doing this if a car is always parked on top of it, but this would also be the pathway to the front door.)
• Simplify the lawn shape to make it easy to mow but also provide good strong shapes. The curves would echo the circle in the drive.
• Choose sun loving plants to provide a WOW in summer, but with structure elements for the winter too.

Before photos at the end.

The new extended part of the driveway, for occasional use. Looks smart and most of the time is a pathway to the front door. The installer, used a darker pointing mix in the circle to make it more prominent.

In the front border Physocarpus will provide height as well as colour contrast

Ostespenums will bake in the sun and provide excellent ground cover all year,
and flower for many weeks in the growing season.

Salvia April Night. Also very happy baking the sunny border providing upright spikes of purple.
If cut back mid summer, they will flower again by September and into October

Geranium Sanguineum Alba will spread and give good ground cover. They are planted with upright Verbena Lollipop and also purple leaved sage, which gives a nice foliage contrast, is evergreen, and also excellent ground cover 

A curve of Box plants will grow into a neat evergreen hedge for winter structure surrounding
an Amelanchier Shrub which gives 3 seasons of interest. The shrub will grow to  around
3-4 mtres and is underplanted with several Erysimum Bowles Mauve

A little more shade nearer the house, and fabulous dark stems of
Hydrangea Zorro. Beautiful even in bud, with flowers to follow which will also give winter interest

Artemisia Powis Castle will enjoy the heat of the sunny border, and ground cover from
Sempervivums add a further texture

The cat crept in! This border will very soon fill out and give a long season of interest with Roses, Spirea, Sedum,
Rudbekia, Penstemon, Thyme, Stipa Tenuissima grasses, and Geraniums.

BEFORE....

Single width parking, and a not very inspiring lawn / borders

The pathway had been added to several times with mix of materials

That's Better!

This client had recently downsized to a smaller house and garden. She brought with her a pretty Arbor Seat. The garden has a lovely brick wall on two sides.  My original design had the arbor facing across the garden, next to the shed and subdividing the garden, so that more of the garden was to be "discovered". The client however wanted her arbor face on, so plan B was developed. She is delighted with the outcome. And of course it will look fabulous over the next year or two.

THE BRIEF

• Use existing Arbour Seat
• New shed for storage (painted Lilac)
• Keep plastic compost bin
• Raised bed for herbs and salads (for her to plant herself)
• Use a pair of existing matching square planters with white Hydrangea, within the design
• Work with existing patio space
• Plenty of scent, including favourite Rose "Joie de Vivre"
• A long wish list of plants

THE SOLUTION

• Position shed with door facing away from view of house.with access path behind it
• Put compost bin behind shed (out of sight of house), accessible from new path
• Position raised herb bed next to patio for ease of access.
• Include small storage area next to side gate with gate to screen dustbins, recycling etc, but planting around it, to provide greenery
• Advice on which plants on her wish list were appropriate, provided a good starting point, with more of my recommendations added
• Green and silver foliage plants, with dark accents from Sambus, Acer Palmatum Garnet, Heuchera, Sedum Touchdown Teak, and Cimicifuga Brunette.

The garden now looks so much more interesting. The existing lawn needs a good feed and weed, and rain, and in time the fences will be clothed with climbers including Solanium, Passiflora, Trachelospermum Jasminoides, Honeysuckle, Hydrangea Petiolaris, Clematis Montana, Climbing Iceberg Rose, as well as several blue and deep purple clematis.

(BEFORE PHOTOS AT THE END)

Small storage area hidden behind gate and trellis. Box hedging will be clipped into shape in this narrow border,
and an evergreen Jasmine will climb through the trellis, providing scent in  mid summer. On the left
is the shadier side of the garden, where Hydrangea, Camelia, Sambucas and Acer shrubs are interspersed with
perennial Phlox, Euphorbia Palustris, Fuschia, Dicentra Spectabilis, and deep pink Astrantia Claret. 

Geranium "Laura" looks pretty next to the dark leaves of  Acer Palmatum Dissectum Garnet,
and also against the Lavender colour of the painted shed.

Clematis will be trained to climb the end elevation of the shed

Rose "Joie de Vivre" budding up nicely in the raised bed. The client will fill this bed with
herbs and salad crops, and enjoy the Rose next to the patio.

The Arbor seat with pots of white Hydrangea either side.  The sunny side of the garden has Rose, Heuchera, Penstemon, Sedums, Stipa Tenuissima grasses,Miscanthus Morning Light, Verbena, Echinacea, silvery Artemisia Powis Castle, and silver Lamium. The silvery theme continues with a Pittosporum Silver Queen which in time will fill the back corner, and a  Magnolia Susan will provide central height and spring interest.

The view from the arbour seat to the left, will soon be full of soft colour with Alchemilla, Penstemon, Echinacea, Sedum,
Erigeron Profusion, Catananche, and blue Geranium Rozanne.

BEFORE......

Time for a grown up garden

I see a lot of small gardens where a trampoline is the focal point, and am always much relieved when the client agrees it's time for it to go!  Top of this family's list was somewhere to store their bikes, and have good, easy access to them.

BEFORE photos at the end

THE BRIEF

• Bike Storage
• Vegetable raised beds
• Improved view from dining room (currently look out onto dustbins/recycling)
• Improved view from the kitchen sink
• Compost area
• Improvement on what they have
• Colourful planting, with Magenta and Purple as favourites
• Rotary washing line

THE SOLUTION

After a fair amount of research both by myself, and the client, it was agreed that the shed they had was actually the best option.   However, the position of the shed was not making the most of the garden space, and behind it had become a dumping area for compost, not actually very accessible to use.

• Reposition the existing shed, into the back corner
• Build new raised beds using timber retaining walls
• Provide a gate and fence to screen necessary utility area for dustbins etc
• Break up the patio area by using some small units to add texture, which also suggest a "route" to the bike shed
• A timber arch near the kitchen window will frame the view, and have a colourful climber to add to the scene.
• A new compost area, with two timber bays tucked near an existing tree with a paved access means that it can be easily reached, turned, and emptied into a wheelbarrow, when ready to use.

Colourful planting includes grasses for height and texture, and shrubs including Buddleia, Cistus, Hydrangea, and Daphne. Perennials include Geranium Psilostemon, Lobelia, Asters, Phlox, , Geranium Rozanne, Sedum, Echinacea, Alchemilla Mollis, Erysimum Bowles Mauve,  Wisteria, Clematis, Bright pink Jasmine.

Lots of pinks and purples will flower from now until October

Shady border with Evergreen Camelia (red), Sarcococca Confusa for winter scent,
Anemone September Charm, Astilbe. Red Primula for spring colour.
Towards the back a Griselinia Hedge will screen the new compost area.

Entering the garden from the side gate. The pergola with have Golden Hop growing over it all summer.
Easy route with plenty of space to the bike shed in the corner. The path at the shed is edged with
Lavender to one side, and Oregano to the other side.

Next to the raised vegetable beds, a new storage area where "stuff" can be hidden from view.

The new patio area, broken up with smaller units to add texture and suggest a path to the bike shed.
The planting along the back wall is full of brightly coloured plants, which will transform the garden during the summer months.

Purple Anemone for spring colour. Will disappear amongst the perennials in a few weeks
and the space taken over by Phlox, Sedum, Verbena, Penstemon to name a few

The shady border, where Red is the spring colour but  will  be
replaced by pink flowering Dicentra, Astilbe, Aquilegia and 'Fuschia

Amongst some tree roots, Euphorbia Robbiae will find its way, along with
Geranium Macrorrhizum 

Bright Pink Anemone with Stipa Tenuissima Pony Tails. The Anemone will die back
and be replaced by bright pink Lobelia just coming though the soil now

BEFORE....

The shed had a fair bit of space behind it, and trhs is one of the sunnier part of the
garden, so an ideal place for some plants.

Not much space to sit without walking around the Rotary line

The focal point

Another focal point - the washing line

Modernising a patio space

Usually, once a garden design is approved, the work starts as soon as possible, which can be a few months at the busier times of year.    But it's not too often that it is delayed for two years, and then needs a complete rethink since an extension has been added!    But this is exactly what happened with this client.

(Before photos at the end.)

THE BRIEF

• To create a large patio space for entertaining, seamlessly flowing from the bi-fold doors
• Clean, simple lines to echo the modern extension
• To give a softer feel to the patio area, which currently has no planting

THE SOLUTION .....and a few problems

• Since the extension has exaggerated the difference in height to ground level, a seamless continuation from indoor to outdoors would need a huge built up of patio height. I did design this to the brief, however it later changed, so that the first  2 steps came from the house level, and a further 3 steps came at the end of the patio, to lawn level. 
• The design is very linear,  to be in keeping, and also allow plenty of space for dining table and also lounge seats (still to be purchased)
• Planting areas within the patio space, at patio height, means that the plants can be enjoyed from inside the house, and also sitting on the patio. As they mature they will soften the look of all the paving.
• Further planting space was designed in front of the substantial walling, so that walking towards the house from the lawn end of the garden, the walling will be not so imposing.

Plenty of space for a couple of sofas, still to be purchased.
The right hand border has height with Rose Gertrude Jekyll,  and Euphorbia Wulfenii, joined by Aster Frikartii, Penstemon which will flower for many weeks in summer.
The left hand border has height from Physocarpus Diablo, and colour from Rose The Fairy, Sedum, Alchemilla Mollis,
Poppy and Thyme.

The broad welcoming steps leading up from lawn level to the patio space.
The Box hedging will develop to keep the clean lines of the garden and prevent footballs from running into the beds too!
The sunny right hand border will soon look very different, with tall Stipa Gigantea and 
Molinia grasses, joined by Sedum, Aster, Gypsophila, and Geranium Rozanne. 

A second set of steps joins from the side entrance to the garden

A Lavender hedge will offer a scented arrival to the garden, and tiny pink flowers of Gypsophila will froth over the nearer edge, giving flowers for months. An Amelanchier shrub will grow to a a round 10 feet adding height in this border, underplanted with 5 Geranium Rozanne. Knautia Macedonica will also giving good ground cover and many months of  colour.  Rose The Fairy is again in this border along with Rosemary, Sage and Thyme.

Lavender Hidcote with fresh top growth 

Silvery Stachys is used to underplant Rose The Fairy which is used 3 times crossing
borders in the garden. Again, good ground cover with interesting texture.
The pretty white primula in full flower each spring.

Texture and movement from evergreen Stipa Tenuissima.

Plenty lawn for the boys to play football beyond the grown up patio space

Used across 3 borders, Euphorbia Wulfenii offers zesty spring acidity,but also evergreen structure.
Pretty variegated Aubretia lines the edges of this bed and will soften the coping edges of the walling. 

BEFORE

The old patio was large enough, but a bit soleless as an extension to
the driveway paving. (The garage is not used for cars, so access was not an issue)

The old patio area next to the house, was an odd shape and did not "flow".

During the extension work, and back to remeasure for Plan B