The client required a redesign of the front garden and back garden following the building of an extension on the house and an artist’s studio at the bottom of the garden. A formal hedge in the shape of a semi-circle creates a neat, elegant first impression of the property and at the same time prevents open access to the back garden. A patio area is adjacent to the formal lawn which leads into the woodland area with a bark chipped path. At the bottom of the garden the woodland area is joined to the front garden by a flowing, circular lawn. The planting design around the garden accommodates the acidic soil, steep slope and existing mature trees.

Challenge of the design: To create an attractive feature for the front garden which would add security to the property.

The requirements for this medium sized garden were to create a garden which would attract wildlife and at the same time be a functional garden. A patio area was designed close to the house with box plants creating a formal atmosphere. The area leads to a raised formal planting area with all the plants attracting bees, butterflies and birds while providing year round interest. The back of the raised formal area leads down to an informal area enclosed by trees and hedges. The mown lawn path surrounds a bog and pond. A second seating area within a rose covered pergola overlooks the serene pond.

Challenge of the design: To find plants which would grow in dense, dry shade on the western side of the property.

This small north facing courtyard garden required a complete redesign as there were no structures or plants in the asphalted area. The design has attractive paving with a raised seating area enclosed by small trees. The seating area has been placed away from the house to maximise the amount of sun and light it receives. An attractive yew hedge has been placed at the back of the garden with a modern water feature within it. The purpose of this was to screen the unattractive wall behind it and to create a focal point from the seating area.

Challenge of the design: To create a warm, light seating area within a shady north-facing garden.

The small town garden initially had lawn, a brick patio and overbearing conifers. Complete removal of the lawn was recommended in the small area. The client had already built the wooden deck area over the brick patio, therefore extending the decked area with decking tiles into the garden was recommended. This has had a positive effect of visually enlarging the garden. The client requested evergreen planting which needed to obscure the boundaries over time. The heavy clay and poor soil in the areas of the removed conifers meant some of the plants were placed in large pots rather than in the ground.

Challenge of the design: To find a planting solution under the existing Ceanothus shrubs. Pretty pots were placed in this area with a good result.