Small town centre garden

Right in the middle of Wokingham the owners have extended this lovely old property, now with a home office in the garden. However the walk to work was  not very inspiring.
(See BEFORE photos at the end)


THE BRIEF

• To keep a good size of lawn for the two children to play games.
• To provide an interesting space
• To provide a second seating area to replace the old deck, between the outbuildings
• To retain the relatively new patio just next to the house
• To soften the hard look of the  brick garage, the office the fence panels.

The problem I saw as the designer was that I would struggle to make the garden look any different without the client being willing to give up some lawn. The children can still sit on the lawn to play, but it was never big enough for badminton or football anyway, so not a big issue, in my opinion, to loose a few square metres to allow for something more interesting.  The neighbouring garden has a large Beech tree which casts a lot of shade and the only part of the garden currently planted, was in shade most of the time.   My priority is always be to design some planting spaces which get SUN, otherwise it's impossible to give colour during the summer months. Thankfully, they put their trust in me, and I was able to reduce the lawn size.  (The windows and doors on the home office were also replaced by fitters with modern dark grey frames, and the office painted a soft grey. ) A small trellis holds attention short of the BBQ especially once the Clematis Vitichelli climbs up each year. 

From the original patio, a block path now leads to a second patio and space for BBQing.
This border will soon be brimming over with The Fairy Rose, Echinacea, Allium bulbs,
and Caryopteris for late season interest. With ground cover from Lamium, Ajuga and Dianthus

This border has winter structure of Box Ball (1 of 3), Lavender Hedge, and Stipa Gigantea Grass, and
during summer months Poppy and Geranium Ann Folkard, will be followed by Aster Frikartii. Silver
Stachys links the planting together

This pretty sweetly scented Dianthus edges the path and will give good ground cover

Stipa Tennuisima grasses catch the sunlight and add texture

The fence which previously had decking up to the edges, now has a planting border and Ceonothus, Viburnum
Burkwoodii and Escallonia, will fill this space in about 3 years. Meanwhile, Trachelospermum Jasminoides
training horizontally will clothe the fence and fill the garden with scene. Between the shrubs Penstemon Blackbird will flower all summer.

Good old reliable Photinia Red Robin will knit together and grow over the fence height to screen some
mast in the neighbouring property.

Along the back shadier area, Digital, Astrantia, Aquilega, Dicentra and Carex Grasses
Provide an interesting mix of textures. The dark foliage of Actea Chocaholic, yet to appear, but will
add plenty of drama and beautiful scent late season. 

Aquilega blue and white

Pink Phlox

Dicentra. Gorgeous in spring, but then poor foliage later, so I always position something
else in front of it to follow on later.

BEFORE

Before and uninspiring, All the planting was against the fence and in shade. Also, the timber edge makes
it difficult to mow! I never design a vertical edge next to  a lawn. 

The deck was wall to wall between the building and also against  the fence
leaving no opportunity for planting to soften the hard look

You can clearly see where the sun is. THAT is where I suggested we should plant,
and introduce another path through the planting, doing away with some of the path
outside of the garage door.

This Phormium in completely the wrong spot, overhanging the lawn.